The Japanese Imperial Family and the Korean Royal Family

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Why would Korean media never use the title “Japanese Emperor” ?
Korean royal family was graded as same as Japanese imperial family.
Prince of Korea became naturalized as Japanese after the war.

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  At 1910, the Empire of Japan annexed the empire of Korea. After annexation, the Emperor of Korea changed the title to “King” of Korea, and some royal family members were given new title of “Prince of Korea”.

  In East Asia, the “Emperor” is above kings. The title of emperor could be permitted only Chinese monarch. The Emperor of Japan is almost the only exception. After the beginning of 7th century, the monarch of Japan used the title of the “emperor”. That means the monarch of Japan and that of china was “equal”.

  The monarch of Korea could use the title of “emperor” only after 1897, when Quin Dynasty defeated in Sino-Japanese war. Then Quin Dynasty lose the superiority over Korea (Korea had been de facto “Dominion” of Chinese empires from Han Dynasty (2nd century BC.) to the end of Sino-Japanese war. Under the consequences, Quin Dynasty must have admitted the full independence of Korea. A purpose of the Sino-Japanese war was “liberation of Korea” for equal partner of Japanese Empire to participate Chinese market.

  The reason why Korean media never use “emperor” for Japan is a kind of anti-Japan mentality because until 1945, the defeat of Japan by allied forces, Korea had never had chance to be independent from Japanese Empire by itself.

  It is similar to Europe until Napoleonic era. The emperor in Europe was the successor of the emperor of Roman Empire. The Emperor of Holy Roman Empire was the successor of the West Roman Empire, and the Czar of Russian Empire was the successor of the East Roman Empire, or Byzantine Empire. The reason that the Kings or Queens of the United kingdom used “emperor” for some decades, is he or she was given the title of the “Emperor of India” by the emperor of Mughal Empire.

  Under the historical background of East Asia, after the annexation, monarch of Korea could not use the title of emperor any more. Although degraded to king or price, member of the Korean royal family is graded as same as the member of Japanese imperial family. Marriage of the crown prince of Korea and a princess of Japanese imperial family, princess Masako of Nashimoto, was the symbol of “peaceful annexation”.

  Then member of the Japanese imperial family was allowed to make marriage with only designated nobles or nobles of special permission of the emperor by laws and regulations. The marriage made between member of Korean royal family and that of Japanese imperial family proves the two royal families were graded as same. The issue was whether amendment was required or not. At last, some amendments were made for clarification of interpretation.

  Another example, promotion speed of Yi Un, King of Korea was as fast as the Imperial Family member after graduating Japanese Military Academy. He had reached the rank of lieutenant general at the end of WWII, and he never had chance of promotion to General. As a member of Imperial Family, Yi Un and Yi Geon, Prince of Korea, attended meeting of noticing the surrender to allied forces.

  Japanese Empire regarded Korean Royal Family as quasi imperial family. No European monarchy did so. Only United Kingdom gave Indian Raja and equivalents only a few autonomies, while UK robbed the title of the Emperor of India, or “succeeded” the title. On the contrary Japanese Empire did not robbed the title of Korean Royal Family after 3.1 rebellion.

  In 1945, the Surrender of Japan meant independence of Korea same as the independence happened to Austria in Europe. The restoration did not occur while two nations were established, DPRK in the north, ROK in the south. Under the Syngman Rhee’s government of ROK, the Korean Royal Family was prohibited to enter the ROK’s territory as the Italian Royal Family, the Savoy Family, was until 2002.

  Yi Un and his family returned to Korea after Syngman Rhee stepped down, but his son, Yi Gu, the crown prince of Korea, came back to Japan again and died in Tokyo. Yi Geon, Prince of Korea, did not return to Korea. At last, he became naturalized as Japanese citizenship. It is “fair” that Japanese Empire dealt with Korean Royal Family, because core members of Korean Royal Family, Yi Gu and Yi Geon, were willing to end their lives in Japan and they did. They were never defector nor exile at all.