Early life

Kim Su-deok was born into the Yeonan Kim clan on 22 December 1880 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, during the Joseon dynasty of King Gojong's 16th year of reign. Her parents were Kim Sa-jun and Lady Hwang of the Changwon Hwang clan. Through her paternal line, she shares some distant connections with the royal family. Through her 9th great-grandfather, Lady Kim is a 14th maternal great-granddaughter of Princess Jeongui, who was the second daughter of King Sejong and Queen Soheon. Through her 9th great-grandmother, Lady Kim is a 14th great-granddaughter of Grand Prince Imyeong, who was the fourth son of King Sejong and Queen Soheon, and a younger brother of Princess Jeongui.

Through her paternal 8th great-grandfather, Kim Gyu, Lady Kim was a first cousin fourteen times removed of Kim Ahn-ro (father-in-law of Princess Hyohye, eldest daughter of King Jungjong with Queen Janggyeong), a first cousin thirteen times removed-in-law of Yun Won-hyeong (the younger brother of Queen Munjeong and son-in-law of her 9th great-grandfather), a first cousin nine times removed of Princess Jeongmyeong (Queen Inmok's and King Seonjo's daughter) and a first cousin five times removed of Lady Hyegyeong (the 3rd great-granddaughter of Princess Jeongmyeong).

Through her paternal 8th great-granduncle, Kim Nae, she is a first cousin eight times removed of Queen Sunwon (Kim Nae's daughter is her 5th great-grandmother), and a first cousin nine times removed of Queen Hyohyeon and Queen Cheorin (Kim Nae's daughter is their 6th great-grandmother).

She lived in Yangju for a while before she and her family moved to Hanseong (modern-day Seoul) in 1881 where she spent most of her life before marriage. In 1886, she had changed her name from Kim Su-deok to Kim Suk (Korean: 김숙; Hanja: 金淑).

Marriage

After three rounds of selection by Queen Min, Kim Sa-jun's daughter was chosen to marry Yi Kang, at the time known as Prince Uihwa, the son of King Gojong and his concubine, Lady Jang of the Deoksu Jang clan, on 6 December 1893.^[1]

Prior to the marriage, her father had given to Queen Min a letter written by Queen Inmok which stated that women from her clan should never marry into the royal family due to the events of her marriage, but Queen Min was adamant in her decision as she liked Lady Kim's virtue.^[2]

After the couple married, Yi Kang had started to collect a lot of lawsuits, debt, and bribes so he could live in luxury. As she was the wife of a prince, her title was "Princess Consort Yeonwon". She and her husband never had children of their own as they didn't get along which led to Prince Uihwa to have 13 concubines, producing 12 step-sons and 9 step-daughters, during their marriage.

Korea's annexation

When Yi Kang was promoted to "Prince Imperial Ui" on 17 August 1900, she was given the royal title of "Consort Princess Imperial Ui". Sometime after Gojong's abdication from the throne, her title changed to "Duchess Consort of Yi Kang".

Kim Suk had witnessed the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty on 22 August 1910, Korea's Independence on 15 August 1945, and the start of the Korean war on 25 June 1950.

After Korea's liberation on 15 August 1945, she lived at Byeol Palace in Jongno District, Seoul, and started to do calligraphy work.

Later life

On 9 August 1955, Lady Kim and her husband were baptized and converted from Buddhism to Roman Catholicism. They were given the names "Maria" and "Pius". Yi Kang died six days later on 15 August 1955 as the age of 78 in his mansion. She would outlive him by 8 years.