Two Vietnamese princes including their royal subjects came to Korea as refugees, one of them is the famous 이용상(李龍祥) Lee Yongsang (Lý Long Tường) who founded Hwasan Lee clan, and other prince is 이양혼 (李陽焜) Lee Yanghon (Lý Dương Can) who founded the Jeongseon Lee clan.
Vietnamese people in Korea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lý Long Tường - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fascinating ties with Vietnam
By Choe Chong-dae
Vietnam is an important partner of Korea. With its abundant natural resources and high-quality labor force, Vietnam plays a significant role as a forward base in promoting Korea’s business partnership with other Asian nations.
There are many similarities between Korean and Vietnam in terms of history, tradition, culture, custom, ways of living and ways of thinking. For example, both countries adopted Chinese characters directly from China and created their own distinctive cultural identities based on Chinese characters and Mahayana Buddhism. These similar cultural influences from China resulted in frequent contact between Korea and Vietnam for centuries.
I have been to Hanoi, Ho Chi Min City, Danang, Hue and many more. I have always found these visits very rewarding and pleasurable. What inspired me most during my recent visit to Hanoi was the Statue of Ly Thai-to (974-1028), the founder and first Emperor of Vietnam’s Ly Dynasty (1009-1225).
My interest in Emperor Ly has been sparked by his sixth-generation descendant Ly Long-tuong, who was born in 1174. When the Ly Dynasty was destroyed in 1226, Ly Long-tuong came to the Goryeo Kingdom of Korea as a refugee. He came by boat, and settled successfully on the Korean peninsula with the permission of King Gojong of Goryeo. Prince Ly Longtuong established the “Lee family clan of Hwasan,” in Hwasan, Ongjin County, Hwanghae Province, in the northern part of Korea.
When living in Korea, he devoted himself to protecting the people of Ongjin County against pirates. When Mongolian soldiers attacked Goryeo in 1232 and 1253, he allied with Goryeo King in fighting the Mongolian aggression. When the Mongolian commander sent a gold box with a hidden assassin to the prince as a “gift of peace,” he detected the trick and poured boiling water into the box to kill the assassin and sent the box back.
Consequently, the Mongolian militaries retreated. As a result of the triumph, he was appointed as a Hwasan general. Having earned respect, trust and a lot of goodwill, he peacefully lived in Goryeo of Korea for the rest of his life.
In 1995, representatives of the Hwasan Lee family visited Vietnam. They went to retrace their royal ancestors, to celebrate a historic homecoming and reestablish friendly ties between the two countries. They were warmly welcomed as the return of the “disconnected royal blood” of the Ly Dynasty after 800 years.
The majority of Vietnamese were of course not aware of the fact that the descendants of the Ly Dynasty had been living in Korea. There has been a break in diplomatic relations between our two countries caused by the Vietnam War.
During the Medieval period, relations between Korea and Vietnam continued when envoys of the two countries met in Beijing and exchanged poems which they had written in Chinese characters. In addition, there were occasional indirect contacts between the countries. Vietnamese passenger vessels blown by the typhoon winds sometimes drifted into Korean territorial waters. Korean passenger ships likewise got stranded on Vietnam’s shores. During this period, communication was carried out in written Chinese characters.
It is difficult to think of Vietnam without recalling Ho Chi Min, one of the founding fathers of current Vietnam. He loved and valued “mokminshimseo” (admonitions of governing officials) written by Chung Yak-yong (1762-1836, pen name Da-san), one of the most eminent scholars in Korean history.
Although eight centuries have passed since Prince Ly Long-tuong arrived in Korea, his pioneering spirit of Goryeo Kingdom times still resonates in today’s multicultural society in Korea. The fascinating historical story of the Prince Ly should be invoked to promote better ties between Korea and Vietnam.
It is my hope that the many Vietnamese women who come to marry in Korea will feel as much at home as Prince Ly Long-tuong did 800 years ago.
Choe Chong-dae is a guest columnist of The Korea Times and the president of the Dae-kwang International Co., as well as a director of the Korean-Swedish Association. He can be reached at
dkic98@chol.com.
Fascinating ties with Vietnam
Joint Korea-Vietnam Production of HWANG-SUK LY YONG-SANG Announced
by KIM Soo-yeon Dec 01, 2014
LY Yong-sang was a member of the Vietnamese royal LEE clan in the 13th century. LY escaped to Goryeo and became a citizen there when the Jin Dynasty took over Vietnam. At present, LY is the founder of the Hwasan LY clan in Korea. LY came to Korea when the nation was ruled by King Gojong, the 23rd King of the Goryeo Kingdom. LY set foot in Hwasan (present-day Bukhannyeong in Geumcheon-gun of Hwanghae Province) on the Ungjin Peninsula of Korea after sailing on a ship. Gojong took care of LY and his entourage by giving them a house and land. LY’s struggle and defense against the Mongolian Army made LY a hero among people in Goryeo. LY even received a government post for his heroic activities from the king.
Joint Korea-Vietnam Production of HWANG-SUK LY YONG-SANG Announced
