Information Needed about the Korean Royal Family

I received this most interesting email message today:

"Laudetur Jesus Christus!
 
"Friendly greetings from Germany. I am a Catholic Christian and very interested in Korean royalty.That's how I found your most fascinating website.
 
"I have heard that some Korean royals are Christians.The last crown princess became a Catholic taking the name 'Agatha' on baptism. Do you have more detailed informations about her (she was originally a Japanese aristocrate)?
 
"I am looking for the names, dates and especially postals addresses and/or e-mail ids of those members of the Korean royal family still alive: some residing in Korea, some in Japan and others in the United States.
 
"I should be grateful if you kindly helped me to locate them.
 
"Several years ago I discovered in a museum in Bavaria, Southern Germany, a scroll with handwritten prayers of the Christian wife of a Korean prince regent of the 19th century who was burned to death because of her faith.
 
"I have never been to Korea but met some Koreans who are residing in my country. May God bless you and your good work.

"All the best

"Kindest regards,
 
"H------- G---------"

Here was my reply:

"Dear Herr G---------,

"Thank you for your intriguing message.

"I'm afraid I do not have much information on the Korean Royal Family. The topic is not a popular one here in Korea.

"I found this address, from the MONARCHIST DIRECTORY 2004:

"Cheon-Ju Yi Clan Association
"139 Wharyong-Dong, Chongro-Ku, Seoul, Korea
"Tel: +82 2 765 2124
"Fax: +82 2 742 1676

"The last crown princess of Korea was of Japanese birth. Her Japanese name was Masa-go and her Korean name Lee Pang-ja. I never knew she became a Catholic and would love to find out more information about this.

"(Note "Lee" and "Yi" are two alternate romanizations of the same royal family name.)

"Here are two articles about the Korean Royal Family:

"Korean royalty seeks to restore ancestral pride

"Last Crown Princess of Korea

"A descendent (son, I believe) of the last Korean King Ko Jong married an American woman. She lived in the royal palace while Rhee Syngman was president in the1950s. I believe she still alive and is now part of a charitable organization.

"I will try to find more information for you. You have sparked my interest. Please send me any information you discover.

"God bless,

"Joshua Snyder"

In some quick Internet research, I also found this fascinating piece of tangential information, from  Prince Ly Long Tuong, Vietnamese Prince in Korea:

"One of the Korean Lee family lines is acually descended from the Vietnamese royal Ly family. Nearly eight centuries ago, the Ly dynasty was ending and being replaced with the Tran dynasty. The Tran dynasty ordered all those who had the Ly surname from the Ly royal dynasty to change their name to Nguyen. If they did not they were killed. Prince Ly Long Tuong, in order to preserve the Ly family line, fled on boat with several hundreds of his followers northward toward China. He somehow went off course and ended up in Korea where his descendants are living today! Prince Ly Long Tuong also became a general under the Korean King!! He sucessfully defeated two Mongol invasions protecting his new found home. (Incidentally, later the Tran dynasty and the hero Tran Hung Dao would also defeat three Mongol invasions back in Vietnam). Anyways, the Korean people saw him as a hero and made a statue of him on top of a horse in his honor. Because he always rode a white horse into battle he was nicknamed the 'General on a White Horse.' Prince Ly was also given land that became known as the Lee/Ly family farm house."

If anyone has any information about the Korean Royal Family, please leave a comment or send me an email. Thank you.