벽진 이씨(碧珍 李氏) — A clan seated at the old Byeokjin district around Byeokjin-myeon in Seongju, North Gyeongsang, descended from Yi Chong-eon, a Goryeo founding-merit subject. It is counted as a separate seat from the Seongju Yi, whose founder is Yi Sun-yu.
A clan seated at the old Byeokjin district around Byeokjin-myeon in Seongju, North Gyeongsang, descended from Yi Chong-eon, a Goryeo founding-merit subject. It is counted as a separate seat from the Seongju Yi, whose founder is Yi Sun-yu. In the 2015 Census the 벽진 이씨 clan numbered about 109,267 people, one of Korea's major surnames and clans. Even among people surnamed 이, a different clan seat (bon-gwan, 벽진) means a different lineage. New to these terms? See the bon-gwan, pa & hangnyeol guide.
The Byeokjin Yi (碧珍 李氏) take the old Byeokjin district, around Byeokjin-myeon in Seongju, North Gyeongsang, as their seat and numbered 109,267 in the 2015 census. Byeokjin is an old name of the Seongju area, from which the place name Byeokjin-myeon also derives.
The clan is easily confused with the Seongju Yi. Though from the same region, the founders differ: the Byeokjin Yi trace to the Goryeo founding-merit subject Yi Chong-eon, the Seongju Yi to Yi Sun-yu, and they are known as separate seats. No scholarly account of how the two roots relate was verified, so check the detailed lineage with each clan association.
Yi Chong-eon (858-938) was a powerful local figure in Byeokjin in late Silla who protected the district from bandits. After Wang Geon founded Goryeo he sent his son Yi Yeong with troops against Later Baekje, and for storing wealth and provisions that helped unify the Later Three Kingdoms he was named General of Byeokjin. His descendants lived in Byeokjin until the sixth generation, moved to Myeonggok (Homsil) in Seongju in the seventh generation under Yi Bang-hwa, and are said to have scattered after a great flood in the generation of the five great-great-grandsons of the 11th-generation Yi Gyeon-gan.
Known sites include Chojeon-myeon in Seongju; Wolo in Waegwan, Geumam-ri in Dongmyeong and Utgat in Jicheon in Chilgok; Yongdeok-myeon in Uiryeong, South Gyeongsang; Naejin-ri in Muan-myeon, Miryang; and Deokgwa-myeon in Namwon, North Jeolla, presented as the only clan village in Honam. Dongmyeong in Chilgok is said to have been settled by Yi Ye-won, grandson of Yi Maeng-jeon, and Seokjeon by Yi In-son.
Representative figures are Yi Maeng-jeon, one of the Six Surviving Subjects; Yi Jang-gon, Minister of Personnel under Jungjong; and the Neo-Confucian Yi Hang-ro; in modern times Yi Seok-chae and Yi Heon-jo.
Sanhwa-gong-pa, Daejanggun-pa, Geumneung-gong-pa, Munjeong-gong-pa
The Sanhwa-gong branch takes the 11th-generation Yi Gyeon-gan as founder. Its descendants divided into the Jeongheon-gong, Panseo-gong, Gammu-gong, Champan-gong, Ryeoeun-gong and Dojeong-gong branches, among others.
Descendants are spread across regions, such as the Ryeoeun-gong line at Naejin, Muan, Miryang. The founder's offices and posthumous title were not verified.
The Daejanggun branch takes Yi Seong-gan as founder; the Jeonseo-gong, Jungnang-gong, Pyeongjeong-gong and Gamjeong-gong branches are said to have split from this line.
Details such as the founder's dates and offices were not verified.
The Geumneung-gong branch is known to take Yi Dang-gae as founder.
No further details were verified.
The Munjeong-gong branch is known to take Yi Geuk-song as founder.
No further details were verified.
Branch divisions vary by lineage and jokbo; confirm your own branch in your family's records.
이총언(founder, Goryeo founding-merit subject), 이맹전(one of the Six Surviving Subjects), 이장곤(Minister of Personnel under Jungjong), 이항로(Neo-Confucian scholar, pen name Hwaseo), 이석채(Minister of Information and Communication, KT chairman), 이헌조(chairman of LG Electronics)
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Official clan association material and detailed branch genealogies were not verified. Modern figures said to be 33rd-generation descendants of the founder were left out for weak sourcing.
The 벽진 이씨 clan association can be found in the Korean E-Jokbo Library clan-association directory.
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