Jangheung Im clan

Jangheung Yim (or Im) clan
Country	Korea
Current region	Jangheung County
Founder	YIM Ho (hanja: 任顥)
Connected members	Queen Gongye Im Chung-sik Im Jong-seok

Jangheung Yim (or Im) clan (Korean: 장흥 임씨; Hanja: 長興 任氏) is one of the Korean clans. Their Bon-gwan is in Jangheung County, South Jeolla Province. According to the research in 2015, the number of Jangheung Yim (or Im) clan was 37,584. Their founder is YIM Ho (hanja: 任顥) who settled in Jangheung. His son (Hangul: 임의; Hanja: 任懿) become the highest-rank government officer (Hangul: 중서문하평장사; Hanja: 中書門下平章事) under King Yejong of Goryeo and become Duke of Jangheung region that back then included the current Jangheung County and large parts of some adjacent counties, such as Boseong, Goheung, and Gangjin.

Goryeo Dynasty[]

During the Goryeo dynasty, Jangheung Yim clan produced three prime ministers (Hangul: 삼중대광 정1품 품계, Hangja: 三重大匡; 文官) and many minister-level officers. Jangheung Yim was one of the ten clans who were allowed to marry the King's family members. For example, Queen Gongye is from Jangheung Yim clan and three of her sons become kings of Goryeo dynasty. They are King Uijong of Goryeo, King Myeongjong of Goryeo, and King Sinjong of Goryeo.

Joseon Dynasty[]

Because Jangheung Yim clan had such a close relationship with the royal family of Goryeo dynasty, Jangheung Yim clan avoided government officer positions during the first 200 years of Joseon dynasty. Later when Chosun dynasty suffered from various internal and external events, some members of Jangheung Yim clan started to help the regime by becoming generals, mayors, and righteous army leaders. Some of them (e.g., Gae-Young Yim) fought against foreign armies when they invade. Some others were scholars. For example, Hee-Joong Yim (Hangul: 임희중, Hanja: 任希重) founded a school and taught many students. One of his books is now kept in the UC Berkeley East Asia library.^[1]

Republic of Korea[]

Jangheung Yim clan produced a Korean war hero (General Chung-Shik Yim) who served as a national defense minister; a former minister of agriculture (Dr. Sang-Gyu Yim); a politician (Im Jong-seok), and various other parliament members, high-rank government officers, mayors, lawyers, and scholars.

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