Lee, I, or Yi is the second-most-common surname in Korea, behind Kim. Historically, 李 was officially written as Ni in Korea. The spelling officially changed to I in 1933 when the initial sound rule was established. In North Korea, it is romanized as Ri because there is no distinction between the alveolar liquids /l/ and /r/ in modern Korean. As of the South Korean census of 2015, there were 7,306,828 people by this name in South Korea or 14.7% of the population.
Latin-alphabet spelling
Though the official Revised Romanization spelling of this surname is I, South Korea's National Institute of the Korean Language noted in 2001 that one-letter surnames were quite rare in English and other foreign languages and could cause difficulties when traveling abroad. However, the NIKL still hoped to promote systemic transcriptions for use in passports, and thus recommended that people who bore this surname should spell it Yi in the Roman alphabet. However, the majority of South Koreans with this surname continue to spell it as Lee, because conditions for changing passport name is strict. In a study based on 2007 application data for South Korean passports, it was found that 98.5% of people with this surname spelled it in Latin letters as Lee in their passports, while only 1.0% spelled it Yi. A few people with this surname historically spelled it Ye, as in Ye Wanyong of the Korean Empire. Rhee has also been used, as in Syngman Rhee and Simon Hang-bock Rhee.
Clans
As with all Korean family names, the holders of the Yi surname are divided into different patrilineal clans, or lineages, known in Korean as bon-gwan, based on their ancestral seat. Most such clans trace their lineage back to a specific founder, and are generally not related to one another. This system was at its height under the yangban aristocracy of the Joseon Dynasty, but it remains in use today. There are approximately 241 such clans claimed by South Koreans. Most people with surname Yi in Korea belong to either the Jeonju or Gyeongju clans. Also surname Yi and Yi each have a different clans.
Imperial household of the Jeonju clan
This clan has direct imperial roots to the founding of the Joseon Dynasty. The founder of this clan was Yi Han, a native of Baekje who later married a Silla princess and became a high official of Silla. His 22nd-generation descendant, Taejo of Joseon, went on to found the Joseon Dynasty. The House of Yi ruled Joseon for 518 years between 1392 and 1910 and established many of the cultural, artistic and linguistic foundations for modern-day Korea. During its reign, the House of Yi consolidated its effective rule over the territory of current Korea, encouraged the entrenchment of Korean Confucian ideals and doctrines in Korean society, imported and adapted Chinese culture, and saw the height of classical Korean culture, trade, science, literature, and technology. The House of Yi has left a substantial legacy to modern Korea; much of modern Korean etiquette, cultural norms, societal attitudes towards current issues, and the modern Korean language and its dialects derive from the culture and traditions of their ruling period. , the pretender to the Korean throne is Yi Seok, Crown Prince Imperial. Members of the different branches of Jeonju Yi family dominated Korean history until the formation of the current Republic of Korea. Many families claim membership in the House of Yi, but few actually descend from the royal lineage. The House of Yi, in conjunction to its royal status, has produced innumerable figures of extraordinary influences in politics, the sciences, the arts, finance, and academia. Many of these descendants play key roles in world politics, the sciences, the arts, finances, and academia today. Notable descendants include South Korea's first president Syngman Rhee, the inventor of the modern Korean alphabet, hangul, and renowned polymathKing Sejong the Great; the founder of the Joseon dynasty, as well as modern Korea, King Taejo; among many others.
Gyeongju clan
The founder of the Gyeongju clan was Yi Alpyeong, one of the village headmen who chose Bak Hyeokgeose as the first king of Silla. According to the Samguk Sagi, the Yi name was officially bestowed on the family by King Yuri around 9 CE. Notable present-day members of this clan include Lee Byung-chull, the founder of Samsung Group; Lee Kun-hee, the former Samsung CEO; and Lee Myung-bak, former president of South Korea. The Gyeongju Yi clan, according to the 2000 South Korean census, numbered over 1.4 million individuals, making it the most numerous of the clans that bear the surname Yi.
The founder of the Pyeongchang clan was Yi Gwang, an official and military commander of the Goryeo period. Yi Seung-hun, who was the first person that brought Catholicism to Korea, was a member of this clan.
Deoksu clan
The founder of this clan was Yi Dongsu, an official of the Goryeo period. This was a prominent yangban clan during the Joseon Dynasty, producing figures including the admiral Yi Sun-sin and the philosopher Yi I. The clan seat, Deoksu, corresponds to Deoksu-hyeon, an old division of what is now Kaep'ung-gun in Kaesong city, North Korea.
Jinbo clan
The Jinbo Yi clan was known for the famous Joseon scholar Yi Hwang, who founded the Yeongnam school and started a private Confucian academy. He also became one of the 18 Sages of Korea and was honored as a Munmyo Bae-hyang. The progenitor of this clan was Yi Seok of the Goryeo Dynasty.
Yong-in clan
The founder of the Yongin clan was Yi Gil-gwon, who helped to found Goryeo.
Yeoju clan
Prominent members of this clan include the Joseon-dynasty philosopher Yi Ik.
The founder of this clan was Yi Man-yeong, an internal minister in Korea following the fall of the Goryeo Dynasty. He died of strangulation near an isolated mountain.
Suan clan
The founder of this clan was Yi Gyeon-ung, who helped found the Goryeo Dynasty.
Seongju clan
The founder of this clan was Yi Sun-yu, a prominent official of late Silla. His 12th-generation descendant Yi Jang-gyeong was also a prominent official of the Goryeo Dynasty. Eight generations of Jang Kyung's descendants yielded 75 civil examination qualifiers. As of a 2000 census conducted by the ROK, 186,188 Koreans of the Seongjoo Yi clan live in South Korea.
Hongju clan
The founder of the Hongju Yi clan was Yi Yu-seong, a member of the King's inner circle during the late Goryeo Dynasty. The clan's ancestral seat was bestowed when his 9th generation descendant, Yi Gi-jong, was titled. Hongyang/Hongju is located in present-day Hongseong, South Chungcheong Province. Especially during the late Goryeo and early Joseon Dynasties, the Hongju Yi clan produced many outstanding and influential people, including Yi Yeon-su, Yi Seong, Yi Seo, and Yi Jong-jang.
Yeonan clan
The Yeonan Yi clan were aristocrats during the Joseon Dynasty. Several members were prime ministers. The clan also had a high number of Chief Scholars during that period. The progenitor was Yi Mu, who was from Tang China.
Hansan clan
It is based in Hansan-myeon, Seocheon-gun, Chungcheongnam-do. There are two different strains. The founder of this clan is Yi Yoonkyung. The clan's famous figure is Mogeun Yi Saek, a Confucian scholar of Goryeo. He founded an academy that educated founders of Joseon Dynasty. Hansan Yi clan produced many scholars also in Joseon dynasty such as Yi Sanhae. Famous modern figures belonging to Han san yi clan include Yi Sang-jae, an independence activist of the Korean Empire under Japanese rule.
