Build the 고성 이씨 family tree online

고성 이씨(固城 李氏) — A Yi (Lee) clan whose seat is Goseong (old name Cheolseong) in South Gyeongsang; also called the Cheolseong Yi. Its founder is Yi Hwang, Lord Cheollyeong of Goryeo.

About the 고성 이씨 clan

A Yi (Lee) clan whose seat is Goseong (old name Cheolseong) in South Gyeongsang; also called the Cheolseong Yi. Its founder is Yi Hwang, Lord Cheollyeong of Goryeo. In the 2015 Census the 고성 이씨 clan numbered about 104,768 people, one of Korea's major surnames and clans. Even among people surnamed 이, a different clan seat (bon-gwan, 고성) means a different lineage. New to these terms? See the bon-gwan, pa & hangnyeol guide.

Roots and History of the Goseong Yi Clan

The Goseong Yi (固城李氏), also called the Cheolseong Yi (鐵城李氏), take Goseong County in South Gyeongsang as their clan seat. The 2015 census counted about 104,768 members (88,587 Goseong Yi plus 16,181 Cheolseong Yi).

• Founder — Yi Hwang (李璜), Lord Cheollyeong, said to have passed the civil exam under King Deokjong of Goryeo and served as Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Secretariat. He is unrelated to the Joseon Neo-Confucian scholar Toegye Yi Hwang, who shares the name.
• Remote ancestor — said to be the 24th-generation descendant of Li Pan (李槃), a Han-dynasty secretary; the line after him cannot be verified, so Yi Hwang is counted as founder.
• Head houses — Imcheonggak (臨淸閣) in Andong, a Treasure built in 1519 by Yi Myeong, birthplace of independence leader Yi Sang-ryong; and the Sohoheon (蘇湖軒) pavilion, also a Treasure.

The clan rose in late Goryeo with Yi Jon-bi (1233–1287) and his grandson Yi Am (Haengchon), Chancellor and a celebrated calligrapher. In early Joseon, Yi Won (Yongheon) served as Left State Councillor; his seven sons founded the Dunjae-gong, Hogun-gong, Jwayun-gong, Dongchu-gong, Byeongsa-gong, Champan-gong and Saam-gong branches. His sixth son Yi Jeung settled in Andong, where his sons built Gwiraejeong and Imcheonggak. In modern times Imcheonggak's head Yi Sang-ryong sold the family estate in 1911, moved to Manchuria to found the Sinheung school for independence fighters, and later led the Provisional Government as State Councillor.

Main branches (派)

Anjeong-gong-pa, Dunjae-gong-pa, Hogun-gong-pa, Jwayun-gong-pa, Dongchu-gong-pa, Byeongsa-gong-pa, Champan-gong-pa, Saam-gong-pa

Branch divisions vary by lineage and jokbo; confirm your own branch in your family's records.

Notable figures

Yi Hwang(founder), Yi Am(Haengchon), Yi Won(Yongheon), Yi Yuk(Cheongpa), Yi Jeung, Yi Myeong(Imcheonggak), Yi Gwal, Yi Sang-ryong(Seokju), Lee Han-dong

Tap a name for the full profile (life, career, grave, descendants).

How to build your 고성 이씨 tree

1. Start with yourself — sign in to get your own tree. Enter your name, birth year and clan seat (고성).
2. Add older generations — add parents and grandparents. For accuracy see tracing ancestors with jejeok records (usually to about 5 generations).
3. Link siblings & children — sort by generational name (hangnyeol) to see each generation at a glance.
4. Export & share — save the finished tree as a PDF and invite family to manage it together.

Related reading

고성 이씨 clan association

The 고성 이씨 clan association can be found in the Korean E-Jokbo Library clan-association directory.