해주 오씨(海州 吳氏) — A surname whose founder is Oh In-yu (吳仁裕), a scholar who came from Song China under King Seongjong of Goryeo; its clan seat is Haeju in Hwanghae Province. It is the largest of Korea's Oh lineages.
A surname whose founder is Oh In-yu (吳仁裕), a scholar who came from Song China under King Seongjong of Goryeo; its clan seat is Haeju in Hwanghae Province. It is the largest of Korea's Oh lineages. In the 2015 Census the 해주 오씨 clan numbered about 462,704 people, one of Korea's major surnames and clans. Even among people surnamed 오, a different clan seat (bon-gwan, 해주) means a different lineage. New to these terms? See the bon-gwan, pa & hangnyeol guide.
Gyeong-pa, Hyang-pa, Chutan-gong-pa, Chanseong-gong-pa, Buhwondang-gong-pa, Gyesan-gong-pa
The Gyeong-pa (capital line) honors as founder O In-yu (吳仁裕), a Song scholar who is said to have come to Goryeo in 984 and served as inspector of the military supply office. The genealogy rests on the Haeju O clan chart (Haeju Ossi jokdo) drawn up by O Seon-gyeong (吳先敬) in 1401, and the line later divided into some thirty branches from around the 7th generation.
The descendants of O Yun-gyeom (吳允謙) and O Jeong-bang (吳定邦), both 14th-generation descendants of O In-yu, were especially prominent. O Jeong-bang's great-grandson O Du-in (吳斗寅) became minister of punishments, and his descendants O Won (吳瑗) and O Jae-sun (吳載純) served as chief scholars (daejehak).
The Hyang-pa (provincial line) honors O Hyeon-bo (吳賢輔) as founder. He is said to be a 24th-generation descendant of O Cheom (吳瞻), who came from China during the Silla period, and to have been enfeoffed as Lord of Haeju for repelling the Khitan in 1216 before rising to assistant chancellor (chamji jeongsa) in 1224.
However, no record of O Hyeon-bo has been found in the Goryeosa, so his career rests on genealogical tradition. The Gyeong-pa and Hyang-pa are regarded as separate bloodlines, yet both genealogies record the Goryeo minister O Yeon-chong (吳延寵).
The Chutan-gong branch descends from Chutan (楸灘) O Yun-gyeom (吳允謙, 1559-1636), son of O Hui-mun (吳希文), author of the war diary Swaemirok, and chief state councillor under King Injo. O Yun-gyeom is regarded as a leading disciple of Seong Hon (成渾).
His son O Dal-cheon became minister of personnel, his grandson O Do-il (吳道一) minister of war, and his great-great-grandson O Myeong-hang (吳命恒) third state councillor, while his nephew O Dal-je (吳達濟) was one of the Three Scholars martyred after the Manchu invasion of 1636. After the Noron-Soron split the family sided with the Soron, and it has long been settled around Osan-ri in Mohyeon, Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.
The Chanseong-gong branch descends from O Ban (吳潘) of the 8th generation. Beneath it further sub-branches formed in the 9th generation, including the Saboksijeong-gong branch of O Jung-su (吳仲守), the Yangjeong-gong branch of O Hui (吳僖) and the Yonggang-gong branch of O Cheo-gwon (吳處權).
The Buhwondang-gong branch descends from O Sang (吳祥, 1512-1573) of the 14th generation. Known by the pen name Buhwondang (負暄堂), he passed the civil service examination in 1534, served seven times as inspector-general and rose to chief scholar (daejehak).
Under King Seonjo he headed the ministries of personnel, taxation, rites, war and punishments in turn, and he was counted among the eight great prose writers of his day. His collected works survive as the Buhwondang yugo.
The Gyesan-gong branch descends from O Gyeong (吳慶) of the 14th generation and is one of the many sub-branches that grew out of the Haeju O Gyeong-pa.
Branch divisions vary by lineage and jokbo; confirm your own branch in your family's records.
오인유(founder of the Haeju Oh clan), 오윤겸, 오명항, 오세창, 오세훈
Tap a name for the full profile (life, career, grave, descendants).
해주 오씨 figures recognized as independence patriots (National Independence Hall / Gonghun public data). Tap a name for the citation.
The Haeju Oh (海州 吳氏) trace their descent to Oh In-yu (吳仁裕), a scholar who came from Song China during the reign of King Seongjong of Goryeo and won fame for his learning. Settling in Haeju in Hwanghae Province, his descendants took Haeju as their clan seat. In the 2015 census they numbered about 460,000 — the largest of Korea's Oh lineages.
The clan divides broadly into the Gyeong-pa (京派) and the Hyang-pa (鄕派). The more numerous Gyeong-pa descends from Oh In-yu and split further into sub-branches such as the Daehogun-gong and Chanseong-gong lines; the Hyang-pa is held to form a separate lineage.
After the Injo Restoration the Haeju Oh flourished as a leading family of the Westerner (Seoin) faction, producing several chief councillors and Grand Academicians. From this clan came Oh Yun-gyeom (吳允謙), a celebrated chief state councillor; Oh Dal-je (吳達濟), one of the Three Scholars who opposed peace with Qing during the 1636 Manchu invasion and died a martyr; Oh Myeong-hang (吳命恒), a merit subject who suppressed Yi In-jwa's rebellion; and Oh Se-chang (吳世昌), a calligrapher, journalist and one of the 33 national representatives of the March First Movement.
Their settlements are found across Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, Jeolla and Gyeongsang, with notable villages in Yongin, Gongju and Anseong.
For other branch associations, see the Korean E-Jokbo Library clan-association directory.
✍ Request additions / corrections to the 해주 오씨 family tree infoStart your family tree free →