The tomb of King Yeongchin, Yi Eun (1897-1970), and his wife, Yi Bangja (1901-1989), will be opened to the public for the first time beginning on May 10. King Yeongchin, was the last crown prince of the Daehan Empire (1897-1910). He and his wife are buried in Yeongwon (영원, 英園) inside the royal tombs at Hongyureung, in Namyangju, Gyeonggi-do (Gyeonggi Province).

Yi Eun was the seventh son of King and later Emperor Gojong (r. 1863-1907), the first leader of the Daehan Empire (1897-1910). He was proclaimed heir to the throne in 1907 when he was only 11 years old. With Japanese influence growing over the country, however, he was forced to live in Japan starting that same year. In 1910, when Korea formally became Japan's colony, he became Crown Prince Yi (이왕세자, 李王世子). In 1920, he had a marriage of convenience forced upon him with Princess Masako, or Yi Bangja, who was a member of the Japanese royal family. When Emperor Sunjong, his brother, passed away in 1926, he nominally succeeded to the throne and became the second King Yi (이왕, 李王). He continued to live in Japan and returned to Korea in 1963, 56 years after he left the country. He later suffered from long illnesses and died in 1970.




In celebration of the tomb's opening to the public, there will be a photo exhibition in a room built to pay tribute to royal ancestors in the tomb of Yuneung, inside the Hongyureung. The "Last Crown Prince, King Yeongchin - Daehan Empire to be Remembered Again" exhibition begins on April 30 and continues until May 24, displaying many photos of the royal family.





By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos courtesy of the Cultural Heritage Administration
jun2@korea.kr