대한황실문화원

Birth

His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince Lee Won is the 5th head of the Imperial Family of the Korean Empire, and is the great-grandson of Emperor Gojong Gwangmu (1852-1919). As the number one successor to the throne according to the Joseon Royal Family & Korean Empire Imperial Family Tree, Lee Won was born on September 23, 1962 in Hyehwa-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, as the eldest son of Prince Lee Gap (1938-2014), the ninth prince of King Uichin Lee Kang (1877-1955), who was the vanguard of the anti-Japanese independence struggle. Lee Won was elected as the Crown Prince in June 2019 with the resolution of the members and directors of the Korean Imperial Cultural Center to restore and preserve the imperial heritage.

< Photos employed at Hyundai Home Shopping before the crowning of the Crown Prince >

Education & Social Activities

After graduating from Sangmun High School in 1981, Lee Won immigrated to America with his father and majored in Journalism and Broadcasting at the New York Institute of Technology. He worked as a producer of the Home Box Office (HBO) of an American cable company, and after returning to Korea in 1990, he worked as a producer of Kumgang Planning and Hyundai Broadcasting. After joining Hyundai Home Shopping in 2001, he retired as Director of Broadcasting in 2005.

< Photographed with his father Prince Lee Gap (right) and Lee Yong-gyu, Vice President of Jeonju Lee Jongyakso >

Prince Lee Koo's Adoption & Succession

On June 1, 2003, Lee Won visited Nakseonjae, Changdeokgung Palace with his father Prince Lee Gap. After seeing Prince Lee Koo (1931-2005), Lee Won was decided as the Prince Lee Koo's adoptee. After the death of Prince Lee Koo on July 16, 2005, Lee Won became the representative of the Korean Empire and held a funeral and three years' memorial service at Nakseonjae, Changdeokgung Palace. At the same time, he took office as the president of Jeonju Lee Jongyakso as well as the 5th head of the Korean Empire.

< Crown Prince Lee Won (right), adopted by Prince Lee Koo and guards the funeral.
Prince Lee Gap (Chunggil, left), the father of the Crown Prince and 9th son of King Uichin >

< Crown Prince Lee Won as an adopted son of Prince Lee Koo, welcomes the condolences >

< Crown Prince Lee Won, who follows the Imperial body of Prince Lee Koo, leaves Nakseonjae
Changdeokgung Palace (first row in the front row), Prince Lee Gap (second), Prince Lee Seok (third),
and Princess Haekyung (fourth) >

< Photographing Gonryongpo [King's Clothe] after becoming the Crown Prince >

The Crown Prince Lee Won is the No. 1 successor to the royal-imperial family. At the same time, as a retainer of the emperor's function, HIH is serving as the Choheonkwan, which is the role of the king & emperor at the five grand royal ancestral rites such as Hwangudandaeje, Jongmyodaeje, Sajikdandaeje, Jogyeongdandaeje, Kunwonneungdaeje, and Wangneungjehyang.

< As a retainer of emperor's function, the Crown Prince Lee Won serves as the Choheonkwan at the
UNESCO World Heritage registered Hwangudandaeje, Jongmyodaeje, and Sajikdandaeje. Photo of
Jongmyodaeje in 2020 >

< The Crown Prince Lee Won's Royal Procession during the Sajik Grand Rite in 2013 >

< Emperor's imperial crown ceremony during the 120th anniversary of the proclamation of the Korean
Empire in 2017 >

Imperial Cultural Property Return Activity

The Crown Prince is also striving to return cultural assets of the Korean Empire and the relics of the Joseon Kingdom and the Korean Imperial Family that were leaked abroad during the Japanese colonial period. HIH visited Tokyo in 2013 to return the armor and Ikseon-gwan of Emperor Gojong, which were enshrined in the underground storage of the Tokyo Museum. In 2018, HIH personally visited the houses of the descendants of Dr. Horace N. Allen, who was the medical doctor of Emperor Gojong, and returned the Hwajodojeupsun(fan) of Empress Myeongseong. In 2019, HIH also returned about 20 pieces of national treasure-level cultural properties, such as the imperial norigae of Empress Myeongseong.

< In 2018, the Crown Prince donated Hwajodojeupsun(fan) of Empress Myeongseong to the Seoul Museum
of History through the former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon.
“Empress fan returned after 134 years… donated by descendants of Allen.”
KBS NEWS. Reporter Jang Hyeok-jin >

Overseas Royal Exchange Activities

In addition, Crown Prince is working hard on exchanges with foreign royals, and HIH officially visited Indonesia in 2009 at the invitation of the Indonesian royal family. In 2015, HIH invited the Thai royal family to Korea to demonstrate the royal tea ceremony at Changdeokgung Palace. With the hosting of the World Royal Expo scheduled for 2025, HIH has ambitions to contribute to the expansion of the economic horizon of Korea by exchanging not only with Asian but also European royal families.

< In May 2015, a commemorative photo was taken for the royal tea ceremony at Changdeokgung Palace
inviting the Thai royal family. Source-Korean Imperial Cultural Center >

Royal Cultural Festival Plan

In September 2009, HIH served as an advisor to the International Delphic Council. HIH is currently the governor of the Korean Imperial Cultural Center. HIH planned the <Royal Cultural Festival> in 2014. This was for the purpose of blossoming the royal-imperial culture in the four grand palaces in the city of Seoul. It was the ambitious project of the Crown Prince to develop the Korean Wave's high-quality contents beyond K-POP, so that all the people can enjoy the historical and cultural heritages of Korea.

< The 5th Royal Cultural Festival Poster >

Globalization of Hangeul & Korean Imperial Studies

As the successor of the Joseon Kingdom, HIH Crown Prince Lee Won is working hard for the development of the Korean Imperial Studies and Korean Language at the world's prestigious universities. This is for the purpose of expanding the global base of Hangeul, which was created by King Sejong in 1443 and enacted as national language (Naratmal) by Emperor Gojong in 1894. On November 17, 2017, HIH visited Columbia University, a prestigious Ivy University in the United States, and held a “120th Anniversary Lecture for the Declaration of the Empire of Korea.” His aunt, Princess Haekyung, who served as a librarian at Columbia University for over 20 years, also joined that lecture with the topic such as "the Korean language and the history of the Korean imperial family." She expressed her relationship with Crown Prince and drew a deep consensus from the students who attended.

< Poster for a lecture commemorating the 120th anniversary of the declaration of the Korean Empire at
Columbia University on November 17, 2017 >

< During the visiting lecture at Columbia University, Congressman Lee Won-wook (second row, fifth from
left), Congressman Kang Hoon-shik (sixth), and Congressman Kim Kyu-hwan (seventh) also attended and
gave a bright spot >

Immediate Imperial Family Relations

The immediate family members include the Crown Princess Choi Hee-jeong, the First Prince Lee Kwon (1998~), and the Second Prince Lee Young (1999~).

The detailed royal family relationships are as follows: