Wu, Prince of Korea

Prince Wu of Korea (1912-1945), was the 4th head of Unhyeon Palace and a member of the Imperial family of Korea. He was born the second son of Prince Gang, the fifth son of Emperor Gojong.

Related Topics:
Korea - 1912 - 1945 - Unhyeon Palace - Imperial family - Prince Gang - Emperor Gojong

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At the age of five, he was adopted to be the heir of deceased Prince Jun (or Prince Yeongseon, 永宣君李埈 yeong seon gun i jun), the 3rd head of Unhyeon Palace and the only son of the elder brother of Emperor Gojong, Prince Hui (or Prince Heung, 興親王李熹 heung chin wang i hui or Yi Jaemyeon, Prince Wanheung of Korea, ?????? wan heung gun i jae myeon). He was taken to Japan shortly afterwards in pretence of educational purposes.

Related Topics:
Prince Jun - Prince Hui

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However, unlike his elder brother, Prince Gun (李鍵 이건 i geon), he maintained his integrity as a Korean, despite his Japanese education. This made him the favourite son of his father, Prince Gang, who himself attempted to escape from Korea to join the exiled Korean Government. He overcame all attempts by the Japanese to marry him off to a minor Japanese noble, and married Lady Park Chan-ju, a granddaughter of Marquis Park Yeong-hyo who was a husband of Princess Yeonghye of Korea. They had two children, Yi Chung (李淸 이청 i cheong) (born 23 April 1936) and Yi Jong (李淙 이종 i jong) (born 9 November 1940 - death)

Related Topics:
Prince Gun - Lady - Park Chan-ju - Marquis - Park Yeong-hyo - Princess Yeonghye - Korea - Yi Chung - 23 April - 1936 - Yi Jong - 9 November - 1940

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Prince Wu was forced to serve in Japanese Army stationed in China. While in China, he is reputed to have supported the guerilla resistance movement by exiled Korean and Chinese people. He also supposedly fathered a child of Yu Jung-soon in 1943, the daughter of General Yu Dong-ryul, a minister in Korean Provisional Government in exile. The child, named Yi Chonam, asserted and still asserts the parentage of Prince Wu, though Princess Wu refused to recognise him during her lifetime.

Related Topics:
Japanese Army - China - Yu Jung-soon - 1943 - Yu Dong-ryul - Korean Provisional Government - Yi Chonam

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Prince Wu was restationed to Hiroshima in 1945, and on 6th August, 1945, he was killed by the atomic bomb blast on the way to his office. His body was moved to Korea and was buried in Hongneung Imperial tomb on 15th August, the day of Korean Liberation.

Related Topics:
Hiroshima - 1945 - 6th August - Atomic bomb - Hongneung - 15th August

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