The Lee Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) was the last feudal dynasty in the history of the Korean Peninsula. After nearly a century of silence, descendants of the Joseon royal family of Lee plan to launch a nationwide petition in South Korea this month to demand the restoration of the symbolic monarchy and promote the development of South Korea's tourism culture.

Collecting millions of signatures

The person calling for the restoration of the monarchy is the only living descendant of the Lee royal family, Lee Seok, the grandson of Gojong, the last independent king of the Lee dynasty. Li Xi, who is now in his 60s, recently told some diplomats and foreign reporters: "On November 7, we will start taking action."

Li Xi's petition activities mainly include collecting signatures from the people. "I plan to establish a symbolic monarchy. Starting this fall, I will travel to every corner of South Korea to collect people's signatures," Lee Seok said. His goal is to collect more than 1 million signatures.

Li Xi also hopes that the government will allow him to live in two royal palaces in Seoul. These two palaces are historical monuments of the Joseon Dynasty and were once the royal palaces of the Lee family. "They are all uninhabited now, with only some tour guides and tourists coming and going," Li Xi said. "If the government allows us to live in the palace, we will be responsible for welcoming tourists and acting as guides. Wouldn't that be great?"

Li Xi emphasized that the purpose of the petition is only to hope that the government will restore those factors that are "good for tourism" and is not an attempt to restore the Li dynasty.

The royal family complex is hard to eliminate

The history of the Li Xi family can be traced back to 1392 AD. At that time, Li Chenggui of the Yi Dynasty established the Joseon Dynasty, made Seoul its capital, and changed the name of the country to Joseon. At the beginning of the 20th century, with Japan's invasion of the Korean Peninsula, Gojong, the last independent king of the Lee Dynasty, who was also Lee Seok's grandfather, was forced to abdicate in 1905.

Li Xi is a descendant of the Li royal family, but not a direct heir of the Li dynasty. Lee Seok's cousin and the last direct heir of the Lee dynasty, Lee Goo, passed away quietly in Japan last year.