'Jongmyo Jerye' Master Lee Hyung-yeol Passes Away at Age 87

Dedicated a Lifetime to the Preservation and Transmission of Jongmyo Jerye Rituals

Lee Hyeong-yeol, Honorary Holder who led the transmission of the national intangible heritage 'Jongmyo Jerye,' passed away on the 5th at the age of 87.

Jongmyo Jerye is a ritual held at Jongmyo Shrine, where the spirit tablets of the kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty are enshrined. It is the largest royal ritual of the Joseon royal family and is also called 'Jongmyo Daeje (宗廟大祭).' It has been regarded as a model ceremony in the Confucian society that values propriety. It is recognized as a grand and solemn national ceremony and has been inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

Born in 1937, the late Lee devoted his life to the preservation and transmission of Jongmyo Jerye. After moving to Seoul in 1968, he participated in Jongmyo Jerye by assisting the late Lee Jae-beom (1928?1987), a holder, while working at the Jeonju Lee Clan Daedong Jongyakwon. From 1974, he served as a ritual research committee member of the Jeonju Lee Clan Daedong Jongyakwon and was active as a ritual director of the same organization and as a central committee member of the Sungkyunkwan Confucian Association Headquarters.

In 2000, he was recognized as a holder for his transmission activities in the fields of jesu (祭需, various materials used in rituals) and jegi (祭器, ritual vessels). Due to health reasons, when normal transmission activities became difficult in 2018, he was designated as an honorary holder.

The Cultural Heritage Administration evaluated, "The late Lee devoted his entire life to restoring and transmitting the royal rituals of the Joseon Dynasty as ceremonies befitting the rituals of the Korean Empire royal family."

Survived by his son Jae-eok and daughters Eun-ju and Eun-hee. The funeral is being held at Yonsei University Yongin Funeral Hall, Room 2, with the funeral procession scheduled for 5:30 a.m. on the 7th.

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