Park (Korean name)

House of Park

Country	Korea
Ancestral house	Itself
Titles	King of Silla
Founder	King Hyeokgeose
Final sovereign	King Gyeongae
Founding	57 BC
Dissolution	Fall of Silla in 935

Park
Hangul	박
Hanja	朴
Revised Romanization	Bak
McCune–Reischauer	Pak

Percentage of family names in South Korea

  Kim

  Lee

  Park

  Choi

  Jung

Park is a common Korean surname, traditionally founded by King Hyeokgeose(혁거세) and theoretically inclusive of all his descendants. In Chinese characters (Hanja), it was written as 朴; in Hangul, it is written 박.

Founding legend

According to the legend, a white horse led a village chief to the location of a big egg, and King Hyeokgeose was said to have been hatched from it amid rays of light. He was named after the bak (Lagenaria leucantha), a family of Asian gourd similar to the African calabash, from the egg's resemblance.

Position in society

King Hyeokgeose was said to have founded the Korean kingdom of Silla at the age of thirteen in 57 BC.

Park was one of the royal houses of the Korean kingdom of Silla. Although it failed to take the position of the ruling house of Silla during the kingdom's middle age, most of its queen consorts were from the house of Park. When Silla was at the verge of falling, Park regained the position of the ruling house. However, King Gyeongae was murdered by Gyeon Hwon in 927 and there were no more kings from the Parks after him.

After the fall of Silla, it became a major noble house of Korea. During the Goryeo dynasty, most of the people who passed the highest-level state examination, which was implemented to recruit ranking officials during the Goryeo Dynasty, were Parks. The first General to defeat the Mongols in world history was General Park Seo, who commanded the defense of the fortress of Guju in 1231.

Notable people

Kings

Name Period of reign

• King Hyeokgeose of Silla (57 BC - 4 AD)
• King Namhae of Silla (4 - 24)
• King Yuri of Silla (24 - 57)
• King Pasa of Silla (80 - 112)
• King Jima of Silla (112 - 134)
• King Ilseong of Silla (134 - 154)
• King Adalla of Silla (154 - 184)
• King Sindeok of Silla (912 - 917)
• King Gyeongmyeong of Silla (917 - 924)
• King Gyeongae of Silla (924 - 927)

Soldiers

• General Park Seo (Defeated the Mongol Army of Sartak at Battle of Kusong)
• General Park Jong Heon (Chief of Staff, Republic of Korea Air Force 2010-2012 AD)
• Vice Marshal Park Ki So (Commander, Capital Defense Command, North Korea, 1929-2010).

Actors

• Park Min-Young
• Park Han-Byul
• Park Eun-Hye
• Park Shin-Yang
• Park Si-Yeon
• Grace Park
• Soo Ae
• Park Shin-Hye
• Linda Park
• Park Bo-Young
• Park Eun-Bin
• Park Yong-Ha
• Park Hae-Il

Athletes

• Jane Park American golfer of Korean descent
• Terry Park (born 1957), English footballer
• Park Ji-Sung South Korean footballer
• Park Joo-Young - South Korean footballer
• Park Chan-Ho - South Korean baseball player
• Park Jong-il (born 1972) - South Korean ski mountaineer
• Pak Se-Ri - South Korean golfer
• Park Tae-Hwan - South Korean swimmer

Directors

• Annabel Park, American documentary filmmaker and activist
• Park Chan-Wook, South Korean director

Entertainers

• Park Myeong-Su
• Park Kyung-Lim
• Park Hyowon

Historical people

• Jan Jansz. Weltevree
• Park Ji-won
• Park Wan-suh

Politicians

• Park Chung-Hee, The President of South Korea 1961-1979
• Park Geun-Hye, Current president of South Korea, daughter of Park Chung-Hee
• Pak Song-chol
• Park Won-soon
• Park Ui-Choon, North Korean Foreign Minister 2008-current
• Park UJae-gyong, North Korean Vice foreign Minister 2008-current

Singers

• Jay Park - Korean-American singer, rapper, dancer, b-boy
• Lena Park
• Teddy Park - member of 1TYM
• Sandara Park - member of 2NE1
• Park Bom - member of 2NE1
• Park Chanyeol - member of EXO K
• Park Choong Jae - rapper/singer of the boyband SHINHWA
• Park Chorong - leader of Apink
• Park Eun Hye
• Park Gyuri - leader of Kara
• Park Hyo-jin - member of Brown Eyed Girls
• Park Hyomin - member of T-ara
• Park Hyungshik - member of ZE:A
• Park Jae-sang - rapper better known as Psy, notable for the song "Gangnam Style"
• Park Jin Young - member of JJ Project
• Park Jin-young - singer, songwriter
• Park Jiyeon - member of T-ara
• Park Jung Min - singer/actor and vocalist of SS501
• Park Jungsoo - leader of Super Junior
• Park Kahi - member of After School
• Park Sang Hyun - singer/rapper of boyband MBLAQ, brother of Sandara Park
• Park Serri - member of Dalshabet
• Park Shion
• Park Sooyoung - member of After School
• Park Soyeon - member of T-ara
• Park Sun-young - member of f(x)
• Park Yeeun - member of Wonder Girls
• Park Yoochun - member of JYJ
• Park Yoohwan- an actor, younger brother of Park Yoochun

Voice actors

• Romi Park

Kings of the Park dynasty

#	Name	Period of reign
1	Hyeokgeose of Silla	57 BC - 4 AD
2	Namhae of Silla	4 - 24
3	Yuri of Silla	24 - 57
4	Pasa of Silla	80 - 112
5	Jima of Silla	112 - 134
6	Ilseong of Silla	134 - 154
7	Adalla of Silla	154 - 184
8	Sindeok of Silla	912 - 917
9	Gyeongmyeong of Silla	917 - 924
10	Gyeongae of Silla	924 - 927

Clans

After fall of Silla, it was divided into several clans. According to the last census in 2000 [1], there are 161 Park clans in South Korea.

Both former President of South Korea (1962 - 1979), Chung-Hee Park and new President-elect of South Korea, Guen-hye Park are belonging to Goryeong clan of Park.

Clan name (Region)	Clan progenitor	Percentage (%) (2000)
Miryang	Grand Prince Eun-Chim of Milseong	77.8
Bannam (Naju)	Lord Hojang	3.6
Juksan (Andong)	Grand Prince Eun-Rip of Juksan	1.4
Goryeong	Park Eun Sung, GRand PRice Goyang	1.0
Yeonghae (Yeongdeok)	Park Je-Sang	0.7
Chungju	Park Sang	0.6
Myeoncheon (Dangjin)	Park Sul-Hee	0.1
Pyeongsan	King Park Hyokgose, founder of Silla	0.01

See also

• Korean name
• Silla
• Royal House

— Royal house — House of Park Founding year: 57 BC
Preceded by Founding dynasty	Ruling House of Silla 57 BC – 57 AD	Next: House of Seok
Preceded by House of Seok	Ruling House of Silla 80 – 184	Next: House of Seok
Preceded by House of Kim	Ruling House of Silla 912 – 927	Next: abdicated