Bangja, Crown Princess Euimin of Korea
Encyclopedia
Crown Prince Euimin
Prince Imperial Yeong, the Crown Prince Uimin , also known as Yi Un, Yi Eun, Lee Eun, and Un Yi , was the 28th Head of Korean Imperial House, and the last crown prince of Korea....
of Korea. She and her husband would have been the emperor and empress of the Empire of Korea if Korea had not been annexed to the Empire of Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
in 1910.
Birth
Born Princess Masako Nashimoto, she was the first daughter of Japanese aristocrat Prince Nashimoto Morimasa, the seventh son of Prince Kuni AsahikoPrince Kuni Asahiko
align=right|, was a member of a collateral line of the Japanese imperial family who played a key role in the Meiji Restoration. Prince Asahiko was an adopted son of Emperor Ninkō and later a close advisor to Emperor Kōmei and Emperor Meiji...
, and his wife, Princess Itsuko, a daughter of Marquis
Marquis
Marquis is a French and Scottish title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
Naohiro Nabeshima. She was a first cousin of Empress Kōjun
Empress Kojun
' was empress consort of Emperor Hirohito of Japan. Born , she was the mother of the present Emperor .Her posthumous name is Kōjun, which means "fragrant purity"...
of Japan, the wife of Emperor Shōwa
Hirohito
, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
and mother of Emperor Akihito, and of Princess Yoshiko, the wife of Prince Yi Geon. On her mother's side, she was also a first cousin of Princess Setsuko, the wife of Prince Chichibu
Prince Chichibu
, also known as Prince Yasuhito, was the second son of Emperor Taishō and a younger brother of the Emperor Shōwa. As a member of the Imperial House of Japan, he was the patron of several sporting, medical, and international exchange organizations...
, Emperor Hirohito's younger brother.
Marriage
Princess Masako was a leading candidate to wed the crown princeCrown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
of Japan, the future Emperor Hirohito. Other candidates included Princess Kuni Nagako (who became the future Empress Kōjun
Empress Kojun
' was empress consort of Emperor Hirohito of Japan. Born , she was the mother of the present Emperor .Her posthumous name is Kōjun, which means "fragrant purity"...
), and Tokiko Ichijō, a peeress. The possibility of infertility and the feeble political influence of her family were among the reasons she was removed from the list of candidates. However, Princess Masako was selected instead to wed Crown Prince Euimin
Crown Prince Euimin
Prince Imperial Yeong, the Crown Prince Uimin , also known as Yi Un, Yi Eun, Lee Eun, and Un Yi , was the 28th Head of Korean Imperial House, and the last crown prince of Korea....
of Korea who had been held by Japanese government under the name of studying abroad in 1916. The wedding was held on 28 April 1920, at Korean King's Palace in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. Princess Masako was still a student at the Girls' Department of the Gakushuin
Gakushuin
The or Peers School is an educational institution founded in Tokyo in 1877, during the Meiji period, for the education of the children of the Japanese aristocracy, though it eventually also opened its doors to the offspring of extremely wealthy commoners...
Peers' School at the time, and her new title became Her Royal Highness Bangja, Crown Princess Euimin . Despite an unfavorable fertility diagnosis prior to her marriage, she gave birth to a son, Prince Jin, on 18 August 1921. However, Prince Jin died under suspicious circumstances when she visited Korea with her husband on 11 May 1922.
On 24 April 1926, Crown Princess Bangja received the formal title Her Majesty Queen Lee when the Emperor Sunjong, the elder brother of Crown Prince Euimin
Crown Prince Euimin
Prince Imperial Yeong, the Crown Prince Uimin , also known as Yi Un, Yi Eun, Lee Eun, and Un Yi , was the 28th Head of Korean Imperial House, and the last crown prince of Korea....
, died. Under the terms of the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty
Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty
The Japan–Korea Treaty of 1910, also known as the Japan–Korea Annexation Treaty, was made by representatives of the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire in 1910. Negotiations were concluded on August 20, 1910...
, the Korean royal title was demoted from that of "Emperor" to "King", and Crown Prince Euimin
Crown Prince Euimin
Prince Imperial Yeong, the Crown Prince Uimin , also known as Yi Un, Yi Eun, Lee Eun, and Un Yi , was the 28th Head of Korean Imperial House, and the last crown prince of Korea....
was never formally crowned as king; therefore Princess Masako continued to be styled "Bangja, Crown Princess Euimin". On 29 December 1931, she gave birth to a second son, Prince Gu.
Life as last Crown Princess of Korea
After the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, all former royal and peerage titles were abolished by the American occupation authorities. Republic of Korea President Rhee Syng-man's fear of Crown Prince Euimin's popularity prevented the family's homecoming, and they lived in destitution as Korean residents in Japan
Zainichi Korean
Koreans in Japan are the ethnic Korean residents of Japan. They currently constitute the second largest ethnic minority group in Japan. The majority of Koreans in Japan are Zainichi Koreans, also often known as Zainichi for short, who are the permanent ethnic Korean residents of Japan...
. In November 1963, Crown Princess Bangja and her family came back to Korea at the invitation of President Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee was a Republic of Korea Army general and the leader of South Korea from 1961 to 1979. He seized power in a military coup and ruled until his assassination in 1979. He has been credited with the industrialization of the Republic of Korea through export-led growth...
and were allowed to live in Changdeok Palace
Changdeokgung
Changdeokgung, also known as Changdeokgung Palace or Changdeok Palace, is set within a large park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the "Five Grand Palaces" built by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty. Because of its location east of Gyeongbok Palace, Changdeokgung, with Changgyeonggung,...
in downtown Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. However, by this time, Crown Prince Euimin was already unconscious from cerebral thrombosis and was rushed to Seoul Sungmo Hospital where he remained bedridden for the rest of his life.
Thereafter, Princess Bangja devoted herself to the education of mentally and physically handicapped
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
people. She successively became the chairman of various committees including the Commemorative Committee of Crown Prince Euimin, and the Myeonghwi-won, an asylum for deaf-and-dumb persons or patients suffering from infantile paralysis and she founded the Jahye School and the Myeonghye School, which helps handicapped people become socially adapted. She was adored as the "mother of the handicapped in Korea" and despite lingering anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea
Anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea
The Anti-Japanese sentiment in Korea is complex and multi-faceted. Anti-Japanese sentiment attitudes in the Korea can be traced back to the effects of Japanese pirate raids and the Japanese invasions of Korea , such as dismembering more than 20,000 noses and ears from Koreans and bringing them back...
she was a widely respected Japanese woman in Korea.
Some members of the Nashimoto family
Nashimoto-no-miya
The was the oldest collateral branch of the Japanese Imperial Family created from the Fushimi-no-miya, the oldest of the four branches of the imperial dynasty allowed to provide a successor to the Chrysanthemum throne should the main imperial line fail to produce an heir.The Yamashina-no-miya...
, her relatives, visited Seoul in October 2008 to pay their respects. The Nashimotos have continued supporting her charity foundations for helping Korean physically challenged people even after the Princess died in 1989.
Death
Crown Princess Bangja died on 30 April 1989, aged 87, at the Nakseon Hall, Changdeok Palace from cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. Her funeral was held as a semi-state funeral
State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
which Prince Mikasa
Prince Mikasa
is a member of the Imperial House of Japan. He is the fourth and youngest son of Emperor Taishō and Empress Teimei. His eldest brother was Emperor Shōwa , and is the only surviving paternal uncle of Emperor Akihito. With the death of his sister-in-law, Princess Takamatsu , on 17 December 2004, he...
and Princess Mikasa
Princess Mikasa
was second daughter of Viscount Masanari Takagi, and through marriage, a member of the Imperial House of Japan.-Biography:Princess Mikasa graduated from Gakushuin Women's Academy in 1941. She became engaged to the Takahito, Prince Mikasa on 3 October 1941, with the wedding held on 22 October...
of Japan attended and she was buried beside her husband, Crown Prince Euimin
Crown Prince Euimin
Prince Imperial Yeong, the Crown Prince Uimin , also known as Yi Un, Yi Eun, Lee Eun, and Un Yi , was the 28th Head of Korean Imperial House, and the last crown prince of Korea....
, at the Hongyureung, Namyangju
Namyangju
Namyangju is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. To the east is Gapyeong County, to the west is Guri City, and to the north is Pocheon City.-History of Namyangju:...
near Seoul.
Her autobiography The World is One: Princess Yi Pangja's Autobiography, now out of print, documents the events covered in this article in greater detail.
Children
- Prince Yi Jin ( 18 August 1921 – 11 May 1922). He was poisoned during a visit to Korea with his parents. His funeral was held on 17 May 1922 and he was buried in Korea.
- Prince Yi Gu ( 29 December 1931 – 16 July 2005). Prince Gu became the 29th Head of the Korean Imperial HouseholdKorean Imperial HouseholdThe House of Yi, also called the Korean Imperial Household, was the household of the Joseon Dynasty and Korean Empire, consisting of the descendants of the Yi Seong-gye, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty. Yi Seong-gye is known as Taejo: The Great Ancestor...
upon the death of his father.
Titles from birth
- Her Imperial Highness Princess Masako of Nashimoto (1901–1920)
- Her Imperial Highness Banja, Crown Princess Uimin of Korea (1920–1989)
- Her Majesty Queen Lee of Korea (1926–1945)
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- Rulers of Korea
- Korea under Japanese ruleKorea under Japanese ruleKorea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....