cwemory
Joined: 14 Jan 2006
Location: Gunpo, Korea
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 Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 3:19 am Post subject: Prince hopes to bring monarchy back to S.Korea |
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Prince hopes to bring monarchy back to S.Korea
By Jonathan Thatcher
REUTERS
CHONJU, South Korea (Reuters) - Prince Yi Seok, former crooner turned teacher and tourist attraction, starts a nationwide petition drive this month to restore Korea's ancient monarchy, forced from power a century ago.
It is a paradox of this bitterly divided relic of the Cold War that communist North Korea has re-established dynastic rule while South Korea, after a period of military dictatorship, changes its presidents after a single five-year term.
Prince Yi insists the aim of his campaign is not to return his family to power but only to restore something that, as much as anything, would be good for tourism.
"On November 7, we start," Yi told a small group of diplomats and foreign journalists on a recent trip to Chonju, one of the cradles of Korean culture.
"I plan to build a symbolic monarchy. From this autumn, I will go to every nook and cranny of Korean society to get signatures from people," Yi said.
After so long without a monarchy in a country that has only recently shifted from military-controlled politics to democracy, do South Koreans care?
According to Yi, the answer is yes and he plans to collect over one million signatures to prove it.
"When I go out, some people treat me like royal family. They call me 'Your Highness' and then I cry with joy."
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rest here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061106/lf_nm/life_korea_prince_dc
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't one of the reasons that Korea (both North and South) didn't bother to reinstate the monarchy after liberation was that the royal family was (for the most part) fervent collaborators with the Japanese? |
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