Bon-gwan

Bon-gwan is the concept of clan in Korea, which is used to distinguish clans that happen to share a same family name (clan name). Since Korea has been traditionally a Confucian country, this clan system is similar to ancient Chinese distinction of clan names or xing (姓) and lineage names or shi (氏).

Bon-gwan
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationBon-gwan
McCune–ReischauerPon'gwan

A Korean clan is a group of people that share the same paternal ancestor and is indicated by the combination of a bon-gwan and a family name (clan name). However, a bon-gwan isn't treated as a part of a Korean person's name. The bon-gwan and the family name are passed on from a father to his children, thus ensuring that persons in the same paternal lineage share the same combination of the bon-gwan and the family name. A bon-gwan does not change by marriage or adoption.

Bon-gwan 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 bon-gwan of these clans.

Different family names sharing the same bon-gwan sometimes trace their origin to a common paternal ancestor, e.g. the Gimhae Kim clan and the Gimhae Heo clan share Suro of Geumgwan Gaya as their common paternal ancestor, though such case is exceptional.

According to the population and housing census of 2000 conducted by the South Korean government, there are a total of 286 surnames and 4,179 clans.[1]

Restrictions on marriage and adoption

Traditionally, a man and a woman in the same clan could not marry, so the combination of the bon-gwan 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 Until 1997, this was also the law, but this was ruled unconstitutional - and now DNA tests have superseded bon-gwan as an indication of one's lineage.

When adopting a child, the adoptive father and the adoptive child must share the same combination of the bon-gwan and the family name.[2] However, in exceptional circumstances, adoptive parents can change an adopted child’s family name for the adopted child's welfare.[2] In this case, the adoptive parents must visit a family court to request permission to change the family name.[2]

List
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
EnglishHangulHanja2015 South Korean population
Gimhae Kim clan 김해 김씨[Note 1]金海 金氏
4,456,700
Miryang Park clan 밀양 박씨[Note 2]密陽 朴氏
3,103,942
Jeonju Yi clan 전주 이씨[Note 3]全州 李氏
2,631,643
Gyeongju Kim clan 경주 김씨[Note 4]慶州 金氏
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
Andong 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
  • Category:Korean clans

Notes
  1. Descended from Suro of Gaya. After the fall of Gaya in 562, many Gaya aristocrats were incorporated into Silla.
  2. Descended from Hyeokgeose of Silla (BC 57~936). All the Park clans in Korea trace their ancestry back to Hyeokgeose of Silla.
  3. Descended from Yi Han of Silla.
  4. Descended from Gim Alji of Silla
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See also

References
  1. "2000 인구주택총조사 성씨 및 본관 집계결과". 통계청 (in Korean). Statistics Korea. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  2. Law Agency. "The law of Family name and Bon-gwan(adoptive child)". easylaw.go.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-04-14.

List of Korean clans (in Korean)

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