Bon-gwan

Bon-gwan
Hangul	본관
Hanja	本貫
Revised Romanization	Bon-gwan
McCune–Reischauer	Pon'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). The bongwan system identifies descent groups by geographic place of origin.^[1]

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.^{[citation needed]} 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 [ko] clan and the [ko] 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.^[2]

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 Until 1997, this was also the law, but this was ruled unconstitutional - and now DNA tests have superseded bon-gwan as an indication of one's lineage.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.^[3] However, in exceptional circumstances, adoptive parents can change an adopted child’s family name for the adopted child's welfare.^[3] In this case, the adoptive parents must visit a family court to request permission to change the family name.^[3]

List[]

English	Hangul	Hanja	2015 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	안동 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
Yeoheung Min clan	여흥 민씨	驪興閔氏	159,522^[4]
Deoksu Yi clan	덕수 이씨	德水李氏	58,513
Yeoyang Jin clan	여양 진씨	驪陽陳氏	110,403

Category:Korean clans

Notes[]

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

References[]

^ Duncan, John B. 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]}
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Law Agency. "The law of Family name and Bon-gwan(adoptive child)". easylaw.go.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-04-14.
^ , Wikipedia, 2021-03-11, retrieved 2021-03-16

External links[]

List of Korean clans (in Korean)

[4] Descended from Suro of Gaya. After the fall of Gaya in 562, many Gaya aristocrats were incorporated into Silla.

[5] Descended from Hyeokgeose of Silla (BC 57~936). All the Park clans in Korea trace their ancestry back to Hyeokgeose of Silla.

[6] Descended from Yi Han of Silla.

[7] Descended from Gim Alji of Silla

[1] Duncan, John B. 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]}

[:0-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Law Agency. "The law of Family name and Bon-gwan(adoptive child)". easylaw.go.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-04-14.

[8] , Wikipedia, 2021-03-11, retrieved 2021-03-16

[1]

[2]

[3]

[Note 1]

[Note 2]

[Note 3]

[Note 4]

[4]