Why Are So Many Koreans Named Kim?

The family name Kim is present in about 20% of South Korea's 49.3 million estimated population in 2015. In total, there are about ten million people. The second most popular name is Lee, and the third is Park (or Pak). All in all, these three names are used by about 45% of Koreans! But why are Kims so notably commonplace? And do they all share a connection?

The historical importance of the Kims holds the key to the solution. Kim (which means "gold") was the name of a family that rose to prominence and ruled Silla for 700 years in the Korean peninsula Silla kingdom (57 BCE–935 CE), which engaged in a variety of conflicts and alliances with other states before unifying most of Korea in 668.

For centuries, surnames were uncommon among everyone but royalty and the aristocracy in Korea. This situation persisted until the Goryeo dynasty when the king began to grant surnames as a sign of favor (935–1392). After the class system was abolished in 1894 and the Japanese colonizers forced Koreans to take surnames, everyday people took family names for social and economic gain spread during the late Joseon dynasty (1392–1910). The names of noble clans like the Kims, Lees, and Parks were frequently chosen by commoners.

Why Are So Many Koreans Named Kim

Even so, only some people who are Kim by inheritance are the same. The clan, or bongwan, is a social group whose surname denotes a shared geographic origin and serves as the fundamental unit of the traditional Korean kinship system.

As a result, various Kims can trace their ancestry to multiple locations, most notably Gimhae. Kim Su-Ro, who is known as the first Kim and the person who founded the ancient Korean kingdom of Gaya in 42 CE, was born in the city in the southeast. There are approximately 300 Kim clans, some of which are from Gyeongju, Andong (which has two Kim clans), and Gwangsan.

Is it accepted that all Koreans with the same surname are related to one another? The origins of Korea's clans are now far enough back that individuals with ancestry in various villages are accepted as potential spouses. However, there has long been a law pro has long been nions of people. with the same last name and paternal ancestry.

However, it was then declared unconstitutional by South Korea's Constitutional Court in 1997. As a result, the civil code was modified in 2005 only to forbid marriages involving close relatives. As a result, Romeo and Juliet are no longer prim, for Mr. Kim and Ms. Kim, who meet and fall at Seoul university,learn they are botlearningongju Kims and had never heard of each other before.