Background
The first son of Prince Yi Kang of of Korea by Lady Jeong, he was a grandson of Emperor Gwangmu.
桃山 虔一
The first son of Prince Yi Kang of of Korea by Lady Jeong, he was a grandson of Emperor Gwangmu.
Imperial Japanese Army Academy.
His Korean name was Yi Geon (이건 李鍵 I Geon), and his birth name was Yonggil (용길 Yonggil). He was brought to Japan in 1918, and entered Gakushūin Primary School. In 1930 he was commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Army as a second lieutenant of cavalry.
He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1932 and to Captain in 1936.
He served as the instructor of horsemanship at the Imperial Military Academy. He received further promotions to Major in 1940, and to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1943.
With the end of the Second World War in 1945, he concluded his military career with the rank of Colonel. After World World War II, he was not allowed to go back to of Korea.
After he lost royal status by order of the Supreme Command Allies Pacific in October 1947, he was naturalized as a Japanese citizen in 1950.
Then he changed his name to Kenichi Momoyama. In 1990 he died, Prince Mikasa attended his funeral.