Korean clans

Korean clans
Hangul	본관
Hanja	本貫
Revised Romanization	bongwan
McCune–Reischauer	pon'gwan

Korean clans are groups of people that share the same paternal ancestor. They are indicated by the combination of a bongwan (Korean: 본관; lit. place of origin) and a family name. For example, the Jeonju Yi clan is identified by the city Jeonju and family name Yi.

Korean clans are used to distinguish clans that happen to share the same family name The bongwan system identifies descent groups by geographic place of origin.^[1] However, a clan name is not treated as a part of a Korean person's name.^{[citation needed]} The bongwan and the family name are passed on from a father to his children, thus ensuring that person in the same paternal lineage sharing the same combination of the bongwan and the family name. A bongwan does not change by marriage or adoption.

Bongwan are used to distinguish different lineages that bear the same family name. For example, the Gyeongju Kim and the Gimhae Kim are considered different clans, even though they happen to share the same family name Kim. In this case, Gyeongju and Gimhae are the respective bongwan of these clans.

Different family names sharing the same bongwan sometimes trace their origin to a common paternal ancestor, e.g. the Gimhae Kim [ko] clan and the Gimhae Heo [ko] clan share Suro of Geumgwan Gaya as their common paternal ancestor, though such cases are exceptional.

According to the population and housing census of 2000 conducted by Statistics Korea, there are a total of 286 surnames and 4,179 clans.^[2] The 2015 census reported that a total of 36,744 family clans exist among the 1,507 surnames extant in South Korea.^[3]

Restrictions on marriage and adoption

Traditionally, a man and a woman in the same clan could not marry, so the combination of the bongwan and the family name of a husband had to differ from that of a wife. Until 1997, this was also the law, but this was ruled as unconstitutional.

When adopting a child, the adoptive father and the adopted child must share the same combination of the bongwan and the family name. However, in exceptional circumstances, adoptive parents can change an adopted child's family name for the adopted child's welfare. In this case, the adoptive parents must visit a family court to request permission to change the family name.^[4]

List

English	Hangul	Hanja	Progenitor	Population in South Korea (2015)^[3]
Gimhae Kim clan	김해 김씨	金海金氏	Suro of Gaya	4,456,700
Milyang Park clan	밀양 박씨	密陽朴氏	Hyeokgeose of Silla	3,103,942
Jeonju Yi clan	전주 이씨	全州李氏	Yi Han of Silla	2,631,643
Gyeongju Kim clan	경주 김씨	慶州金氏	Kim Al-chi of Silla	1,800,853
Gyeongju Yi clan	경주 이씨	慶州李氏		1,391,867
Jinju Kang clan	진주 강씨	晉州姜氏		968,109
Gyeongju Choi clan	경주 최씨	慶州崔氏		945,005
Gwangsan Kim clan	광산 김씨	光山金氏		926,316
Papyeong Yoon clan	파평 윤씨	坡平尹氏		770,932
Cheongju Han clan	청주 한씨	淸州韓氏		752,689
Andong Gwon clan	안동 권씨	安東權氏		696,317
Indong Jang clan	인동 장씨	仁同張氏		666,652
Pyeongsan Shin clan	평산 신씨	平山申氏		563,375
Sunheung Ahn clan	순흥 안씨	順興安氏		520,384
Andong Kim clan	안동 김씨	安東金氏		519,719
Namyang Hong clan	남양 홍씨	南陽洪氏		487,488
Dongnae Jeong clan	동래 정씨	東萊鄭氏		474,506
Haeju Oh clan	해주 오씨	海州吳氏		462,704
Jeonju Choi clan	전주 최씨	全州崔氏		458,191
Nampyeong Moon clan	남평 문씨	南平文氏		445,946
Dalseong Seo clan	달성 서씨	達城徐氏		407,431
Changnyeong Jo clan	창녕 조씨	昌寧曺氏		366,798
Suwon Baek clan	수원 백씨	水原白氏		354,428
Gyeongju Jeong clan	경주 정씨	慶州鄭氏		350,587
Hanyang Jo clan	한양 조씨	漢陽趙氏		332,580
Moonhwa Ryu clan	문화 류씨	文化柳氏		327,627
Jeju Ko clan	제주 고씨	濟州髙氏		310,542
Changwon Hwang clan	창원 황씨	昌原黃氏		252,814
Yeongsan Shin clan	영산 신씨	靈山辛氏		187,426
Hyeonpung Gwak clan	현풍 곽씨	玄風郭氏		166,608
Yeoheung Min clan	여흥 민씨	驪興閔氏		159,522
Yangcheon Heo clan	양천 허씨	陽川許氏		149,505
Seongju Bae clan	성주 배씨	星州裵氏		148,672
Pungcheon Im clan	풍천 임씨	豊川任氏		143,881
Yeoyang Jin clan	여양 진씨	驪陽陳氏		110,403
Yeongyang Nam clan	영양 남씨	英陽南氏		82,272
Gyeongju Son clan	경주 손씨	慶州孫氏		68,486
Deoksu Yi clan	덕수 이씨	德水李氏		58,513
Cheongju Yang clan	청주 양씨	淸州楊氏		38,161
Hampyeong Mo clan	함평 모씨	咸平牟氏		20,644
Myeoncheon Bok clan	면천 복씨	沔川卜氏		9,538
Hwanggan Gyeon clan	황간 견씨	黃澗甄氏		1,251
Haeju Jeong Clan	해주 정씨	海州鄭氏		?
Cheongju Kyung Clan	청주 경씨	淸州慶氏		12,474

References

^ Duncan, John B. (28 April 2015). The Origins of the Choson Dynasty. University of Washington Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-295-80533-7.
^ "2000 인구주택총조사 성씨 및 본관 집계결과". 통계청 (in Korean). Statistics Korea. Retrieved 20 October 2017.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ ^a ^b Statistics Korea (December 23, 2016). 2015년 인구주택총조사보고서 전수조사결과 [2015 population and housing census report : based on complete enumeration]. Vol. 3. Daejeon. ISBN 978-89-5801-400-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ Law Agency. "The law of Family name and Bongwan(adoptive child)". easylaw.go.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-04-14.

External links

List of Korean clans (in Korean)

[1] Duncan, John B. (28 April 2015). The Origins of the Choson Dynasty. University of Washington Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-295-80533-7.

[2] "2000 인구주택총조사 성씨 및 본관 집계결과". 통계청 (in Korean). Statistics Korea. Retrieved 20 October 2017.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[stats-3] Statistics Korea (December 23, 2016). 2015년 인구주택총조사보고서 전수조사결과 [2015 population and housing census report : based on complete enumeration]. Vol. 3. Daejeon. ISBN 978-89-5801-400-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[:0-4] Law Agency. "The law of Family name and Bongwan(adoptive child)". easylaw.go.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-04-14.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

Restrictions on marriage and adoption

List

See also

References

External links