Korean name
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationWaneungun
McCune–ReischauerWaneŭngoon
Birth name
Hangul
이재선
Hanja
李載先
Revised RomanizationI Jae-sun
McCune–ReischauerYi Chae-sŏn

Prince Imperial Waneun (Hangul:완은군, Hanja: 完恩君) (1 August 1842 - 28 October 1881) was a prince of the Korean Empire and a member of the Joseon dynasty royal family. He was a descendant of Prince Namyeon[1] and an illegitimate son of Heungseon Daewongun and his concubine Kyeseongwol. He was an older half-brother of Gojong of Korea and Prince Imperial Heung, and a half-uncle of Prince Youngsun and Emperor Sunjong of Korea. His personal name was Yi Jae-seon (hangul: 이재선, hanja: 李載先). His Chinese name is unknown.

In 1881, he was implicated in a conspiracy to dethrone Gojong and his queen, and was executed.

Life

Family

Yi Jae-seon's actual birth year is unknown, but is thought to be around 1841–1842, or 1847. Yi Jae-seon was born in Unhyeongung, Ahguk-dong in Hanseong. He was the first, though illegitimate, son of Prince Heungseon (son of Prince Namyeon and a distant descendant of Prince Inpyeong).[2] His early life is unknown. One opinion of him was that he was foolish or unintelligent.[3] Subsequently his father's legal wife, Grand Internal Princess Consort Sunmok, gave birth to Yi Jae-myeon and Yi Myeong-bok (Gojong, later the 26th King of the Joseon dynasty and the First Emperor of Korea.)

Yi Jae-seon was married to Lady Shin of Pyeongsan Shin clan. His wife, the daughter of Judge Shin Seok- wan (申錫完), survived until 1922 at least. They had several children. Other than the eldest son, Lee Ju-yong, the eldest daughter, Lee Chang-hwa, and one second daughter, their names and whereabouts have not been identified.

Military career

At some age, Yi Jae-seon passed the test to become a military official (무과 武科). In 1863, his younger half-brother Gojong became King of Joseon. Queen Dowager Hyoyu (then known as Queen Sinjeong) was appointed Regent because Gojong was still a child. His father Prince Heungseon was appointed Daewongun.[4] Some months later, Queen Dowager Hyoyu gave the title of Regent to his father.

On April 12, 1864 (1st year of King Gojong's reign), Yi Jae-seon passed the special civil service exam for royal relatives, ranking third. On 21 June 1864 he was appointed the chief of the Military Training Center (訓鍊院).

After 1864, he was appointed by way of promotion to further military positions.

In November 1874, his father was removed from power, which according to legend angered him.[5] Yi Jae-sun also perhaps supported his father due to the fact that he was a professional soldier (of relatively low rank).[5]

Treason

At some point in 1881 or possibly earlier, Heungseon Daewongun's close associates Ahn Ki-young (安驥永) and Kwon Jeong-ho(權鼎鎬), who were dissatisfied with Heungseon Daewongun being forced to resign, prepared for a military coup designed to oust Gojong from the throne and instead place Yi Jae-seon on the throne. On September 3 1881, these two men drew up a plan to gather people and prepare for a rebellion. They described the purpose of their rebellion as an anti-Japanese revolt, Towae (討倭).[6] They contacted Kang Dal-seon (姜達善), a Confucian scholar in Yeongnam, and also interacted with Isolationist activists who opposed liberal reform and the opening of Korea to foreign influence. Participants of the coup were the conservative Wijeongchoksa Group(위정척사파)[7]

On September 3, Lee Pung-rae (李豐來 ), an officer of Gwangju Castle, who had decided to participate in the rebellion, reported the plot to the authorities, and most of the castle officers surrendered to them. Those involved were arrested on September 6. The arrests included Ahn Ki-young, Kwon Jeong-ho, Lee Cheol-gu, and about 30 other people who were implicated. Further low-ranking officials from Gwangju also surrendered.

Yi Yun-yong (Yi Jae-sun's brother-in-law) also surrendered to the authorities, having confessed to Gojong and the queen consort.[8]

The queen was also given information of the plot by another source.[9]

Ahn Ki-young, Kwon Jeong-ho, and the others who were arrested were interrogated and later executed.[10]

Death

It was not initially clear as to whether Yi Jae-seon was directly involved or what his actual participation was. He was arrested, interrogated and sentenced to death.[11]

Some aspects of what happened thereafter are unclear. He was imprisoned on Jeju Island. It is said that his execution ground was Seodaemun(Donuimun) in Hanseong.[12]

On October 28, 1881, he received punishment by poisoning and was buried in Yangju in Gyeonggi. His grave was later moved to Wangsipri-dong in Seoul. In 1909, it was removed to Siheung-dong in Seoul. The current status of the grave is unknown.

On October 15, 1907, he was appointed to Prince Imperial Waneun, by emperor Sunjong of Korea, his half-nephew. But this posthumous title was not immediately granted.

Ancestry

Family

  • Great-Great-Grandfather
    • Yi Jin-ik (25 September 1728 - 26 April 1796)
  • Great-Great-Grandmother
    • Lady Jo of the Hanyang Jo clan (한양 조씨 부인)
  • Great-Grandfather
    • Yi Byeong-won (이병원) (6 April 1752 - 11 November 1822)
  • Great-Grandmother
    • Lady Jeong of the Yeonil Jeong clan (초취 부인 연일 정씨)
  • Grandfather
    • Yi Gu, Prince Namyeon (22 August 1788 - 19 March 1836) (이구 남연군)
  • Grandmother
    • Princess Consort Min of the Yeoheung Min clan (26 June 1788 - 1831) (군부인 여흥 민씨)
  • Father
  • Mother
    • Gyeseongwol (계성월, 桂成月)
  • Wife
    • Princess Consort Shin of the Pyeongsan Shin clan (11 August 1844 -  ?) (군부인 평산 신씨)
      • Father-in-law: Shin Seok-wan (신석완, 申錫完)
  • Daughters
    • Yi Chang-hwa (1867 - 1937) (이창화)
    • Unnamed daughter
  • Son
    • Yi Ju-yong (이주용, 李𡓣鎔) (? - ?)
    • Adoptive son: Yi Gwan-yong (자작 이관용, 李土 灌鎔) (13 February 1891 - ?)
  • Portrayed by Kim Hui-ra in the 1990-1991 MBC TV series 500 Years of Joseon Dynasty.
  • Portrayed by Park Hyeon in the 1995 KBS2 TV series The Radiant Dawn.
  • Portrayed by Lee Woo-suk in the 2001-2002 KBS2 TV series Empress Myeongseong.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 9회 원아웃에 교체된 '사도세자 라인' The Ohmynews 2008.04.17. (in Korean)
  2. ↑ Prince Inpyeong was the third son of 16th king Injo of Joseon and adoptive son of Prince Neungchang, brother of King Injo
  3. ↑ 구국의 결단? 갑신정변은 최악의 친일 행위! The Presian 2010.04.23. (in Korean)
  4. ↑ After December 1863, Prince Heungseon was appointed to Heungseon Daewongun. He was informally called Guktae Kong, or "Great Archduke".
  5. 1 2 [역사속의 오늘] 8월29일/ 마오쩌둥, 인민공사 설립 Archived 2018-03-13 at the Wayback Machine The Chosun 2003.08.28. (in Korean)
  6. ↑ Hwang Hyeon, (Translated by Maecheon Yarok), (translated by Lim Hyeong-taek et al., Munhwagwajiseongsa, 2005) page 80
  7. ↑ 월산대군이‘빈 배’탄 이유 오직 살기 위해서였다 The Joins jmagazine no.2009.06. (in Korean)
  8. ↑ 황현, 《역주 매천야록 (상) (임형택 외 역, 문학과지성사, 2005) 176"페이지
  9. ↑ "The history of the Joseon Dynasty and the end of the world (two and twelve) before and after the military incident <four>", Dong-A Ilbo, January 26, 1934, page 3, Lifestyle/Culture section
  10. ↑ Military Rebellion comes to mind while watching ‘Military Corruption’ The Asiaen 2015.03.31. ‘군수비리’를 보면서 임오군란이 떠오르는 까닭 The Asiaen 2015.03.31.
  11. ↑ ‘군수비리’를 보면서 임오군란이 떠오르는 까닭 The Asiaen 2015.03.31.
  12. ↑ 구국의 결단? 갑신정변은 최악의 친일 행위! The Presian 2010.04.23. (in Korean)
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