Korean surnames are deeply influenced by the Chinese!
Korean people originally did not have surnames. During the ancient Three Kingdoms period, the Gogoryeo Kingdom first began to use surnames in the first century AD. Baekje and Silla also followed suit and started using surnames in the 4th and 6th centuries respectively. Due to the influence of Chinese culture, Korean surnames are very similar to Chinese surnames. It usually consists of 3 syllables, that is, 3 Chinese characters pronounced in Korean. The surname comes first, and one character in the first name usually represents seniority.
Korean surnames are also divided into single surnames and compound surnames. In South Korea, there are about 300 surnames. The most common single surnames are: Kim, Lee, Park, An, Zhang, Cui, Chen, Han, Jiang, Liu, Yin and Zhao. The compound surnames include Sikong, Zhuge, Dugu, Xianyu, Huangfu, Nangong, etc.
Korean people generally do not use to call other people by their first names, except among very close friends. Generally, the other person is addressed by his/her seniority, position, professional title, or Mr., Miss, or Madam. When the relationship is close, they are addressed as brothers and sisters. "Jun, Shi" is appended to the surname or given name to express intimacy or respect.
Korean women do not change their surnames after marriage, and there has always been a taboo in Korean society that people with the same surname are not suitable for marriage.
There is also a peculiar phenomenon in Korean surnames, namely "Ben". When people introduce each other, they not only say their last names, but also their "origins". The so-called "origin" refers to where the ancestor of the surname originated from, which is equivalent to the native place of the Chinese.
For example, although people named Jin are all named Jin, their "origins" are different. For example, there are Guangzhou Kim family, Andong Kim family, Uiseong Kim family, Gyeongju Kim family, etc.; those with the surname Lee include Gwangsan Lee family, Yanan Lee family, Hansan Lee family, etc. People with the same surname in the same "origin" are from the same clan. In South Korea, you can see the signs of the XX Clan Association in XX area everywhere. This kind of clan organization is responsible for managing the affairs of clan members with the same surname. Such as the renovation of ancestral tombs, family temples, and ancestral halls; the spring and autumn festivals to worship ancestors twice a year; the revision of genealogy every thirty years and helping clan members solve various problems, etc.
In Korea, some surnames have only one "ben", and some surnames have many "ben". The person with the most "origins" is undoubtedly the surname Jin, with 282 "origins" in Japan. The surname Li also has 237 "origins". Other surnames such as Pu, Cui, Zheng, etc. also have more than 100 "ben". The vast majority of Koreans are on the Korean Peninsula, but some surnames have their "origins" in China. This is because China and South Korea have been close neighbors since ancient times. During many years of mutual exchanges, some Chinese immigrated to the Korean Peninsula and brought their own surnames with them, gradually integrating into South Korea and becoming Korean surnames.
In Korea, each family with a surname has its own genealogy. The genealogy records the origin of the ancestors of the family, the origins of the various sects in the bloodline, the official positions of each generation, where the men of the family married the women of the He family, and where the women of the family married the men of the He family, etc. Information, very detailed. Koreans attach great importance to genealogy and must revise it every thirty years. Each family must properly preserve the genealogy and pass it on from generation to generation. Even if you go overseas, you must pass it down from generation to generation and preserve your family tree.
The origin of Han surnames in South Korea
According to the 1985 census, the number of people with naturalized surnames (Han surnames) was as high as 10 million, accounting for nearly 10% of the Korean population at that time. One-third. This ratio cannot be reached in some ethnic minority areas in the country. The actual situation may be even more than that. Among Korean surnames, the number of people with the surname Kim is as high as 9 million, and the number of people with the surname Lee is as high as 6 million... This is just It’s just modern statistics. As early as thousands of years ago, the Chinese established a political power on the Korean Peninsula for nearly a thousand years and directly administered counties for 500 years. So what will happen?
If we look at the ethnic composition of the Korean Peninsula based on real information and data rather than personal likes and dislikes, then the surnames that represent the blood of Asians directly reflect the relationship between them. Judging from the current 250 surnames in South Korea, more than 50% are from Chinese people flowing into North Korea. What is the concept of 50%? That is to say, for every two Korean surnames, one is a descendant of Chinese (mostly Han) who still retains the surname of their ancestors.
It is no exaggeration to say that the main body of the Korean nation is the descendant of the Han nationality for thousands of years
South Korea and China have established diplomatic relations. It is said that it began in 3100 When King Wu of the previous Zhou Dynasty destroyed Yin, the Yin sage Jizi took several patriots to the east to seek refuge in North Korea and established Jizi North Korea. His forty-eighth descendant Han Qixianyu and others created the three surnames. At the same time, Kanghou, Jing Rusong, Qinying, Nangongxiu, Lu Qi, etc. who came to the east with Jizi each became the ancestors of the Kang family, Jing family, Qin family, Nangong family and Lu family. Later, in the fourth year of Emperor Guangwu of the Later Han Dynasty (the fifth year of King Confucianism of Silla), the Confucian ministers Huang Luo and General Qiu Dalin of the Later Han Dynasty went to Jiaozhi as envoys. On the way to the Jiaozhi Kingdom, the ship encountered wind and waves in the East China Sea and drifted to Choushan Port in Pinghai, Korea. As a last resort, , settled there, and became the ancestor of the Huang family and Qiu family in Korea. The Huang and Qiu surnames are the first naturalized surnames that came to Korea after Jizi. From then until the fall of Silla in 935 AD, a total of more than forty surnames were naturalized and came to Korea. In the fifth year of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty (the seventh year of King Muyeol of Silla), when Su Dingfang of the Tang Dynasty led reinforcements to attack Baekje, Li Mao, the then Zhonglang general, did not return to the Tang Dynasty after the war. He was naturalized in Silla, and the King of Silla named him the Bo of Yan'an. . Therefore, later generations regarded Li Mao as their ancestor and Yan'an as their origin. The Li family in Yan'an has a population of more than 126,000. It is the largest surname in Korea. During the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, there were many talents and they became a great family. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Jin Zhong was on his way to Japan as an envoy to Japan. He encountered a typhoon and drifted to Yongdeok, North Korea. He later lived there and was naturalized in Silla. King Jingdeok gave him the surname Nan. The Nan family also has a population of more than 210,000 to 3,000 people. It is one of the big surnames. Historically, there have been many talented people, making it a big family.
In the second year of Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty (the eighth year of King Aizhuang of Silla), Li Yuan’s three sons, Zhichun, Yechun and Huachun, who came from the east, were given the surname An because of their meritorious service in conquering the bandits in the fourth year of King Jingwen. Their names were changed to Bang Jun, Bang Jie and Bang Xia respectively. Bang Jun was named the Lord of Zhushan, and Bang Jie was named the Lord of Guangzhou. Later, his grandchildren would establish their base in Zhushan and Guangzhou. In the twelfth year of King Chungryeol of Goryeo, Bangjie's thirteenth grandson Xiang (Yu) followed King Chungryeol to the Yuan Dynasty with a Confucian promotion. He copied the complete works of Zhu Xi and returned. He was the first scholar in Korea to study Zhu Xi's studies.
Baik surname:
U Kyung, the ancestor of the Korean Bai family, was originally from Suzhou. He was an official in the Tang Dynasty and reached the position of Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Later, he was trapped by the Japanese and fled to Silla. King Xuande of Silla favored him and supported him with the rank of Zuo Pu She Sikong and Da Situ. The Bai family currently has a population of about 300,000. Historically, there have been numerous Bai family figures, and they are also a large family.
Jang surname:
The ancestor of the Korean Zhang family, Jeongpil, was originally from Zhejiang Province. He came to Korea with his father in the sixth year of King Jeongsheng of Silla, and went to Korea with the envoy when he was eighteen years old. In the Tang Dynasty, he passed the liberal arts and became the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He later returned to Korea. In the 13th year of Goryeo Taizu, he worked with Jin Xuanping, Quan Xing and others to defeat Zhen Xuan's army and became a hero in the founding of Goryeo.
Yu surname:
Xuan, the ancestor of the Yu family in South Korea, passed the liberal arts in the fifth year of Emperor Xianzong of Goryeo, and served as an official under the sect of Pingzhangshi. His eighth generation grandson, Zhuo, passed the liberal arts and was promoted to Chengjun to offer wine. When Cheng Zi’s teachings were first introduced from China, no one knew about them. It only took Zhuo a month to master them, and he used them to teach the next generation. This is The Artemisia Arrow of Korean Neo-Confucianism.
Zhuo is also very familiar with classics, history and Yi studies, and is known to the world as Mr. Yi Dong.
Liu surname:
Quan, the ancestor of the Liu family in South Korea, was the 40th generation grandson of Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty. He was an official in the Song Dynasty and became a Hanlin scholar and Minister of the Ministry of War. He was naturalized in the 36th year of Emperor Wenzong of Goryeo. Come to Korea. Tsuen was proficient in the Nine Classics and Hundred Books, but was poor in astronomy and geography. He did not serve as an official and devoted himself to his righteousness and later worked hard. At present, the Liu family has a population of about 200,000. Historically, there have been many talented people, and they are also a famous family.
The Li family and the Zhu family in Qinghai:
In order to avoid the disaster caused by Qin Hui, Yue Fei Wuzilian, a loyal official in the Southern Song Dynasty, traveled eastward and became a naturalized person in Korea. His sixth grandson, Li Yuankai, helped Li Chenggui establish North Korea, and was named the first-class founding official of the country. He was named the Lord of Qinghai. He was the ancestor of the Qinghai Li family. In the 17th year of Emperor Ningzong's reign in the Song Dynasty, Zhu Xi's great-grandson Qian led his son Yu Qing and son-in-law Gu Cunyu to become naturalized in Korea. He was the ancestor of the Zhu family in Korea. His son-in-law Goo Cunyu was the ancestor of the Goo family in South Korea. Qianzhi Sun Yue, who was an official at the time of King Zhonglie, reached the first rank of Zhidu and Council Office, and was named Lingcheng Lord. Together with Zhu Xi's great-grandson Qian, he is the descendant of a famous Chinese family. Other surnames who were naturalized in Korea are listed below:
Zhu family:
The twentieth generation grandson of Zhuge Liang during the reign of King Xingde of Silla. When Gongxun crossed east and returned to Korea, Hong and Ying, the thirteenth descendants of Gongxun, took the surname Zhuge and divided their clans into Zhu and Ge. Hong was the Zhu clan, and Ying and Zhu clan were each their ancestors.
In the second year of King Jeongsheng of Silla, Sun Chengxun, the 40th generation of Mencius, became a doctor of the Five Classics of Hanlin Academy. According to the classics, he came to Korea to spread Confucianism and later became a naturalized man of Silla. Later, Sun Sicheng became a famous political prime minister in the early Joseon Dynasty. His integrity and self-restraint made him the representative of the Joseon Dynasty.
Sun Zhao, the fifty-fourth generation of Confucius, was a Hanlin scholar in the Yuan Dynasty. He accompanied Princess Gong’s concubine Lu to Korea and later became a naturalized Korean. His grandson Fu was friends with Zheng Mengzhou, Li Qiang, etc. His poetry and prose were outstanding, his calligraphy was directly after that of Wang Xizhi, and all the inscriptions of contemporary celebrities were written by him.
Cheng family:
Sizu, the 14th generation grandson of Chengyi (Yichuan) in the Song Dynasty, was the imperial school principal during the reign of Emperor Shun of the Yuan Dynasty. He accompanied Princess Gongyou and Princess Lu to Korea and later became a naturalized person. In North Korea, he served as a censor in the palace and was the ancestor of the Cheng family in South Korea.
Dong family:
The 51st grandson of Dong Zhongshu, a great scholar in the Han Dynasty, came to Goryeo in the 17th year of King Gongyou's visit to receive a consolation envoy, but did not return to the country to naturalize. Goryeo became the ancestor of the Dong family in Guangchuan. In addition, Yue, the great-grandson of Yinxuan, Xuanxuan's younger brother, came to Korea in the first year of Emperor Xiaozong's reign in the Ming Dynasty. After returning to the country, he recorded his experience of visiting the scenic spots and historical sites in Korea and published it in the Joseon Fu. His seventh-generation grandson Yiyuan participated in the war as an admiral during the Dingyou Rebellion. He made great achievements in the war and returned triumphantly. He and his two sons Dashun and Changshun, who participated in the war at the same time, were naturalized and settled in Korea. Later, his grandson called Yinxuan the first ancestor and took Guangchuan as his origin, forming a branch of the Dong family in Guangchuan.
Ming family:
In the 23rd year of Emperor Shun of the Yuan Dynasty, the Great Xia Kingdom was established in Chengdu. Ming Yuzhen died in the third year, and his son succeeded to the throne in the fourth year of Hongwu. In the following year of Longming (the 21st year of King Gongyou's reign), he led Chen Li and other 27 men and women to the east and naturalized Goryeo. He married the daughter of Yin Xizong and lived in Kaicheng. He and Li Chenggui were Go friends and had a close relationship. It is said that when Li Chenggui ascended the throne later, his half-mother Peng made a dragon robe and lost clothes as a present, and Li Taizu was greatly moved. This is the root of North Korea's declining clothing system. Later, Emperor Taizong named him the King of Huashu and granted him the Record of the Loyalty and Martyrs.
Zuo family:
Yuanzhen experienced the last resistance of the Goryeo Sanbyecha warriors in Jeju, and in June of the 14th year of Yuanzong, the Tamna Governor's Office was established in Jeju as a Conquer Japanese outposts. The soldiers of the Yuan Dynasty saw that Jizhou was a natural pasture. Two years later, they opened a ranch here, introduced Mongolian war horses, and sent the 67th generation grandson of Zuo Qiuming, the author of Zuo Qiu Ming in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, as the horse rancher. Supervisor, this is the ancestor of the Zuo family in Korea. Later, for a period of time, Sun took Qingzhou (Shandong Province), China, where his ancestors lived, as his origin. In 1922, with the enactment of the Korean household registration order, because there was no place named Qingzhou in Korea, in order to rectify the household registration, it was changed to the same pronunciation. Qingzhou is the foundation. The second generation ancestor of the Zuo family was also a Ming doctor. When the queen was seriously ill, all medicines failed. He heard that he was a miracle doctor and summoned him to the palace to cure the queen's illness. He mixed the elixir and made the queen take it. She recovered within a few days. The king I admire his magic and grant him a perfect place to live in. The fourteenth generation Sun Siyou was a Confucian scholar in the late Han Dynasty. He served as the proctor of Jeju Township School and educated many young people.
More than 20 other surnames:
During the Joseon Dynasty, more than 20 surnames were naturalized after the Renchen, Dingyou and Bingzi chaos. These surnames are regarded as naturalized. The reasons are as follows: 1. During the Renchen and Dingyou rebellions, the generals who participated in the reinforcements of the Ming Dynasty did not return to the country due to their personal affairs and were naturalized in Korea: such as the Jia family in Suzhou, the Dong family in Guangzhou, the Du family in Duling, and the Xu family in Zhejiang. The Zhejiang Shi family, Zhejiang Liu family, Zhejiang Zhang family, Yingyang Qian family, Qiuxi Qiu family, Zhejiang Peng family, Zhejiang Pian family, Quanzhou Hu family, Jinyang Hua family, etc. all fall into this category. 2. The descendants of the generals who participated in the reinforcements of the Ming Dynasty and returned home. When the Ming Dynasty was destroyed by the Qing Dynasty, they fled to Korea where their ancestors had made military exploits and became naturalized: such as the Shanggu Ma family, Haizhou Shi family, and Zhejiang Chai family. The Li family in Longxi, the Chen family in Guangdong, etc. all fall into this category. 3. Those who came to Korea as envoys in the late Ming Dynasty and settled down: such as the Baling Chu family, the Baling Hu family, etc. fall into this category. 4. Lord Fenglin, who was taken as a hostage to Panyang when Bingzi was in chaos, was accompanied by those who came from Korea and became naturalized when he returned to the country: such as the Wang family of Jinan, the Zheng family of Langya, the Feng family of Linju, the Huang family of Hangzhou, etc. belong to this category. One thing worth mentioning in particular is the story of Qiu Shuijing, who wanted to be the commander-in-chief and led the army to Korea during the Imjin Rebellion, and Shi Xing, who was the Minister of War at the time, and Lieutenant General Li Rusong, who participated in the war. At the end of the Imjin year, General Li Rusong led his army across the Yalu River and approached Pyongyang City. He fought with the Japanese army for half a year and finally regained the Pyongyang City occupied by the Japanese army. He pursued the victory and returned to China after recapturing Hanyang. When Li Rusong stayed in North Korea, he met Mrs. Qin's family and gave birth to son Huzhong. Later, his grandson lived on Geoje Island, which is also where he lived. When the Ming Dynasty fell, Li Rusong's grandson Yingzu took refuge in North Korea. Later, his grandson lived in Huaiyang, Gangwon Province. Li Rushong's younger brother Rumei also participated in the war and returned to China with his brother. His grandson Jackie Chan and his cousin Yingzu took refuge in North Korea. Later, their grandsons lived in Suchuan, Chungcheongnam-do. Records of the Joseon Dynasty record that when General Li Rusong returned to the country, he gave his sword to Mrs. Geum, but it has not been passed down to his descendants. Li Rusong's ancestor Ying of the fifth generation was originally from the Li family of Xingzhou, North Korea. He committed a serious crime and fled to China. Later, his grandson made military exploits in China and became a high-ranking official. Later, he was naturalized in China and his hometown was changed to Longxi. Li Rusong once mentioned this matter to North Korean officials.
During the Renchen Rebellion, Liu, the wife of Shi Xing, the Minister of the Ministry of War, was the wife of Shi Xing who remarried when he was the minister of the Ministry of Rites. When Mrs. Liu was young, her parents unfortunately died of illness. The only daughter, Mrs. Liu, was unable to bury her parents in her hometown in Zhejiang, so she had no choice but to commit herself to a brothel and sell herself. When Liu was selling herself, she accidentally met Hong Chunyan, a Korean translator from North Korea, and was kindly offered to redeem her life on his behalf, and was able to bury her parents in her hometown in Zhejiang. Liu never forgot the kindness of Translator Hong. Even after she became the wife of Shi Xing, the Minister of Rites, she still actively looked for a benefactor. At that time, Hong Chunyan led a false envoy to come. In order to repay her kindness, Liu told the husband of the Minister of Rites personally. Hong Chunyan’s saving grace. Therefore, with the help of the Liu family, the envoy and his party successfully achieved their goals, and their achievements were recorded as a meritorious official of Guangguo. Hong Chunyan was also recognized as a second-class meritorious official, and at the same time he was named the King of Tangcheng. Later, Hong Chunyan also played a decisive role in sending tens of thousands of reinforcements to North Korea to help recover Pyongyang City and Hanyang during the Imjin Rebellion. Later, Shi Xing was imprisoned and died for his country due to Ding Xiyu's rebellion. Mrs. Liu's second son came east to Korea to become a naturalized settler in Haizhou. Liu died there, and his second son fled south. Later, his grandson lived in the south. He settled in Haizhou.
Qiu family:
During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty, Qiu Ke, who was one of the servants of his family, came east to Korea during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Korea and settled in Xianxing. He was the ancestor of the Qiu family. His grandson was proficient in calligraphy since he was a child. He was well versed in hundreds of schools of thought and was a great scholar at the Ministry of Official and Civil Affairs. When King Chungryeol was appointed as a professor of Chinese studies in the 31st year of his reign, he gave young children who were enlightened in writing a way to learn classical books. , from various scriptures and poems from hundreds of schools of thought, we took 260 easy-to-understand and profound words and divided them into nineteen chapters to compile the Mingxin Baojian. This book became the Taoist teachings for beginners for hundreds of years. Li Lugu discussed this book in detail several times and wrote a preface and postscript for it. Master Xishan also read this book several times and recorded it in his own book. Confucianism’s lesson. Currently, more than 160 woodcut editions of Myeongshimbojian are preserved in the Inheungwon of Chushilsa Shrine, located in the suburb of Daegu.
Qiu Shi's grandson Ru went to China to assist Zhu Yuanzhang in the twelfth year of the Ming Dynasty when Zhu Yuanzhang first established the Ming Dynasty. He became a founding hero and passed on the Mingxin Baojian made by his grandfather to China. .
Sun Shuijing, the fifth generation of Ruzhi, served as Li Rusong's deputy general during the Renchen Rebellion, and participated in the war at the same time as his eldest son Sue and second son Di. After establishing military exploits, he was named Wansanfuyuanjun, and he was naturalized and settled in Quanzhou. During the Dingyou Rebellion, three men, Ju, four men, Zhi, and five men, Lin, came to Korea with General Ma Gui and met their father and brother in Jeonju. After the war, they settled in Jeonju with their father and brother. Later, his grandchildren took Quanzhou as their home base and lived in Quanzhou for generations.
Jinan Wang family, Langya Zheng family, Linju Feng family, Hangzhou Huang family, etc.
In 1636 AD, the fourteenth year of Renjo, the Qing Dynasty invaded Korea and Korea was defeated. , the Qing Dynasty took the prince of Joseon as a hostage and took Lord Fenglim to Panyang. After eight years, he was allowed to return to the country in AD 1**, the 22nd year of Injo. At that time, nine Ming Dynasty ministers who were in Pan Yang fled to North Korea from Lord Fenglin, and they were called the Nine Righteous Men. Among the nine righteous men, there are five descendants who have no descendants, and only the descendants of four righteous men can inherit Cixiang. They are the Wang family of Jinan, the Zheng family of Langya, the Feng family of Linju, and the Huang family of Hangzhou.
Summary:
After Jizi Korea, through Silla, Goryeo, and Korea, there are a total of 136 naturalized surnames from the east of China, including Jizi There were eight in Joseon, forty-one in Silla, and sixty-two in Goryeo. There are 250 surnames in Korea, and more than half of them are naturalized surnames from China. According to the 1985 census, the number of people with naturalized surnames was as high as 10 million. From this point of view, facts prove how deep the neighborly relations between South Korea and China are. Through this blood-brother relationship with China, in the history of South Korea, whenever the country was in danger and needed assistance, China provided the greatest assistance without reservation. There were frequent cultural exchanges and mutual economic transactions. Products are of great benefit to each other's industrial development. Korean surnames Korean surnames are the same as Chinese surnames and usually consist of 3 syllables. It is composed of three Chinese characters pronounced in Korean. The surname comes first, and one character in the first name usually represents seniority. But some surnames are composed of compound surnames and single characters.
In South Korea, there are about 300 surnames. The most common surnames are: Kim, Lee, Park, An, Zhang, Cui, Chen, Han, Jiang, Liu, Yin and Zhao.
Korean women do not change their surnames after marriage. Koreans generally don't use to call other people by their first names, except among very close friends. Generally, the other person is addressed by his/her seniority, position, professional title, or Mr., Miss, or Madam. When the relationship is close, they are addressed as brothers and sisters.
Appending "Jun, Shi" after the surname or given name expresses intimacy or respect.