Haejo of Gyokuk

Haejo of Gyokuk (b. 8 Nov 3433; r. 3503-), born Ryeo Haesong, is the founder of the House of Ryeo and the first King of the Kyo. He is referred to alternatively as Haejo, King of the Kyo or as Haejo of Gyokuk; Gyokuk being a term referring to the collective Kyo of Terra.

The Gyokuk monarchy is most present in the Republic of Dranland, where the majority of the world's Kyo community resides. Haejo and his family take residence in the Beonyeongsalm Palace in Gongmangdo-Comares. Within Dranland the monarchy is regarded as a cultural institution and King Haejo coexists with the republican government.

King Haejo and his family are descendents of the ancient Baekgu Dynasty and they are distantly related to other living monarchs in Dovani, such as the Zhuquan Emperor of Indrala.

Early Life & Career
King Haejo was born as Ryeo Haesong on 8 November 3433 in Comares, Elbian, Dranland. His father, Ryeo Minchoi, was an executive in the Muhandae Group and his mother, Hyesung Kim, was a media producer for a major news organization in the city. The Ryeo Family, while very integrated to normal civilian life, afforded great attention to preserving records of their family history which links them directly to the uncle of the last king of the Baekgu Dynasty.

Ryeo attended public primary and secondary school in Comares. He then proceeded to university study at the Dovani Institute in Sekowo where he earned a bachelors and masters degree in economics. Returning to Dranland, Ryeo took a two year internship with the Dranish Ministry of Trade & Industry. After completing his internship Ryeo was employed by Muhandae Group, where he eventually, like his father, became an executive.

In 3462, Ryeo married Hyesung Kim, a financial administrator at Gongmangdo University. Together they had three children: Taehyun (b. 3465), Jongki (b. 3467), and Aina (b. 3468).

Retirement & Ryeo Foundation
Ryeo retired from Muhandae Group in the fall of 3498. Earlier in the 3490s, Ryeo and his extended family began to consider the possibility of culturally reviving the Baekgu Dynasty. At the time, the Kyo public of Dranland felt victimized by ethnic nationalism of other groups in the nation and there was feeling that many in the Dranish government were ignoring the Kyo cultural identity. It became the opinion of the Ryeo Family that the Kyo culture could be empowered through the living symbolism of a revived monarchy.

In August 3499, Ryeo officially went to the public with his concept of a "cultural monarchy" which would exist within the Dranish Republic. The monarchy was promoted not just for its cultural empowerment but also for the boost it would give to Gongmangdo-Comares' tourism.

Following his August monarchist rally at Beonyeongsalm Palace, Ryeo founded the Ryeo Foundation in October 3499. The organization didn't specifically have anything to do with monarchism, and instead it became a vessel for the Ryeo Family to use its wealth to provide educational scholarships and to improve Dranish schools and medical facilities. Additionally, Ryeo often hosted fundraisers for the organization, bringing more funds for scholarships and other forms of aid. The Ryeo Foundation also took up an objective of helping other parts of Dranland understand Kyo culture and it held cultural events in major cities such as Iglesia Mayor and Liffanés.

Monarchy Founded
On 1 March 3503 Ryeo officially proclaimed the creation of a "cultural monarchy" for the Kyo people. In this proclamation, Ryeo styled himself as Haejo, King of the Kyo. In August the city of Gongmangdo-Comares permitted Haejo to take official residence in part of the grounds of Beonyeongsalm Palace, which up until then had been used exclusively as a museum and tourist attraction.

Anti-Ryeo Attacks
Not long after the official foundation of Haejo's kingdom, he and his family came under fierce attack from the left-wing parties of Dranland. The Dranish Communist League led numerous large protests and sought to make the Kyo monarchy a political issue in the upcoming 3504 elections. Additionally, proposals were made in parliament to forbid the use of noble titles, though this was unsuccessful. And Retsforbundet leader, Cecilie Rahbæk, even called for Haejo to be imprisoned. The monarchy was also labeled as an Indralan puppet, along with Foreign Minister Rhee Seung-uk, who rebuked a Dranish MP in favor of an Indralan representative in a debate over the Kyo monarchy. Despite the strong leftist opposition to the "cultural monarchy," the institution was quickly becoming popular among the Kyo people and with other Gao-Showa in Dovani. Perhaps the biggest moment for King Haejo was the Zhuquan Emperor's invitation to visit Indrala. On 20 October 3503, Haejo and his family traveled to Tian'an to meet with the Indralan monarch.

And domestically, the Kyo monarchy also had support beyond just the Kyo community. While attacked by the left, major political figures, such as Interior Minister Masuhiro Ozawa, came out in defense of the "cultural monarchy." In January 3504, after months of protest by leftists, supporters of the monarchy and those sympathetic to the Kyo Defense Force, which was the primary political victim of anti-monarchy attacks, organized a massive rally at Beonyeongsalm Palace. Following this event and the conclusion of the 3504 elections, the attacks against King Haejo died down dramatically.