Yi Seok (, ; born 3 August 1941) is a member of royalty from the House of Yi, the royal house of Joseon and Korean Empire. He is the 10th son of Prince Yi Kang, the fifth son of Emperor Gojong of Korea, and one of his consorts, Lady Hong Chŏng-sun, a former telephone operator. In his early life, Yi gained fame as a singer, known as the "singing prince", and he released a 1967 album Pigeon House. Since 2004, he has been employed by the city of Jeonju to promote tourism. He also serves as a professor of history at Jeonju University. As an activist on monarchy restoration, Yi Seok promotes his concept to create a constitutional monarchy within the existing constitutional and presidential system. He suggests restoring the Imperial family for their symbolic value. Yi Seok founded an organization "Korean Imperial Family Cultural Foundation" () in August 2006 to support this proposal. Yi Seok's guesthouse, as well as his residence, () in Jeonju Hanok Village, was once visited by former president Roh Moo-hyun, President Moon Jae-in with his wife, and Park Won-soon (Mayor of Seoul) and Amb. Harry B. Harris Jr. In May 2016, Yi Seok became the brand ambassador of Liancourt Rocks by Ulleung County. An article on the official website of South Korea, Korea.net, referred to Yi Seok as one of two pretenders to the throne and the only one living in Korea. Biography Early life Yi Seok was born in Chōsen, on 30 August 1941. His father Yi Kang was 62 and his mother, Lady Hong, was 19. The place he was born, Sadong Palace (사동궁), was lost after 1945. The rising of the Syngman Rhee government resulted in the confiscation of many of their family properties. After the outbreak of the Korean War, Yi Seok and his family fled from their residence in Samcheong-dong and were reduced to poverty. At the beginning of the era of Republic of Korea, the Imperial family was banished from the Imperial palace. Their lives became better after the president Park Chung Hee gained power. When studying Hankook University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, Yi Seok learned foreign languages, principally Spanish, and became fluent. He also studied foreign relations and history, to prepare for the diplomatic service. A series of coups d'état and civil discord made that impossible. In the 1960s he used his musical talent to become a