함양 박씨(咸陽 朴氏) — An ancestral seat said to trace its founding ancestor to Park Eon-sin, a son of King Gyeongmyeong of Silla.
An ancestral seat said to trace its founding ancestor to Park Eon-sin, a son of King Gyeongmyeong of Silla. In the 2015 Census the 함양 박씨 clan numbered about 163,610 people, one of Korea's major surnames and clans. Even among people surnamed 박, a different clan seat (bon-gwan, 함양) means a different lineage. New to these terms? See the bon-gwan, pa & hangnyeol guide.
Sogam-gong-pa, Munwon-gong-pa, Hamyang-gun-pa, Miljik Busa-gong-pa, Eosa-gong-pa, Jungnangjang-gong-pa, Ohan-gong-pa, Yeongsang-gong-pa, Jipyeong-gong-pa, Jimiljik-gong-pa, Buyun-gong-pa, Panseo-gong-pa
The Sogam-gong branch descends from Bak Ji-mun (朴之文), eldest son of Prince Eungcheon Bak Sin-yu (朴臣蕤), who served as assistant director of the military supply office. Bak Sin-yu, a great-great-grandson of the clan's restorer-ancestor Bak Seon (朴善), was enfeoffed as Prince Eungcheon for suppressing Yi Yeon-nyeon's rebellion at Naju under King Gojong of Goryeo.
The six branches descended from his six sons are commonly called the 'Six Ji branches' (yukji-pa) after the shared character in their names, and the Sogam-gong branch is the first of them.
The Munwon-gong branch descends from Bak Ji-bin (朴之彬), Bak Sin-yu's second son, who served as director of the Palace Guard Office (wiwiyun). The Hamyang Bak of Seongju, North Gyeongsang, belong to this branch; after Bak Jeon (朴琠), 9th generation from Bak Seon, settled at Odo-ri in Seonnam-myeon, they spread through Seonnam and Chojeon.
The independence activist Bak Yeol is described as a member of this branch.
The Hamyang-gun branch, also called the Pansamsasa-gong branch, descends from Bak Ji-ryang (朴之亮, ?-1292), Bak Sin-yu's third son. He fought in the Goryeo-Mongol expeditions against Japan in 1274 and 1281, receiving the Yuan rank of brigade commander (gwangun cheonho), and later served as director of the Finance Commission and military commissioner of the northeast.
When the rebel Qadan's forces invaded in 1290 he defeated them as commander of the left army. In 1291 he retired to Uiseong, where he died the next year, becoming the first settler of the Hamyang Bak in Uiseong.
The Miljik Busa-gong branch, also called the Busa-gong branch, descends from Bak Ji-su (朴之秀), Bak Sin-yu's fourth son. It is the fourth of the Hamyang Bak 'Six Ji branches'.
The Eosa-gong branch, also called the Gamchal Eosa-gong branch, descends from Bak Ji-on (朴之溫), Bak Sin-yu's fifth son. It is the fifth of the Hamyang Bak 'Six Ji branches'.
The Jungnangjang-gong branch descends from Bak Ji-yeong (朴之穎), Bak Sin-yu's sixth son, and is the youngest of the Hamyang Bak 'Six Ji branches'.
The Ohan-gong branch is described as descending from Bak Seong-geon (朴成乾) and is said to be settled mostly in Gangjin, Yeongam and Haenam, South Jeolla. The founder's dates and generation are not confirmed in public sources.
The Yeongsang-gong branch is listed as descending from Bak Gyeong (朴經). The founder's generation and career are not confirmed in public sources.
The Jipyeong-gong branch is listed as descending from Bak Beon (朴蕃). The founder's generation and career are not confirmed in public sources.
The Jimiljik-gong branch is listed as descending from Bak Mun-jae (朴文載). The founder's generation and career are not confirmed in public sources.
The Buyun-gong branch is listed as descending from Bak Won-taek (朴元澤). The founder's generation and career are not confirmed in public sources.
The Panseo-gong branch is listed as descending from Bak Gyu (朴圭). The founder's generation and career are not confirmed in public sources.
Branch divisions vary by lineage and jokbo; confirm your own branch in your family's records.
박신유(Goryeo Prince Eungcheon, father of the Six Ji branches), 박충좌(late-Goryeo official, Prince Hamyang), 박습(early-Joseon Minister of Military Affairs and of Punishments), 박열(independence activist), 박동완(independence activist, one of the 33 national representatives), 박주영(footballer)
Tap a name for the full profile (life, career, grave, descendants).
함양 박씨 figures recognized as independence patriots (National Independence Hall / Gonghun public data). Tap a name for the citation.
The Hamyang Park clan (咸陽 朴氏) honors Silla's founding king Park Hyeokgeose as its distant progenitor and traditionally names Bak Eon-sin (朴彦信), Prince Sokham and third son of King Gyeongmyeong, as its founding ancestor. The seat is said to derive from Sokham being renamed Hamyang. Because the line between him and later generations cannot be documented, the clan reveres Bak Seon (朴善), a Goryeo minister of Rites posthumously made head of the Privy Council, as its restorer-ancestor; the link between Eon-sin and Seon should be read as tradition.
Hamyang is described as second in population among Park clans after Bannam, one of the 'Eight Parks', and about third by prestige (examination graduates, ministers, influence). In the eight-prince tradition it descends from the third prince, Sokham, together with Samcheok and Gunwi. This is a genealogical tradition, and Bannam is known not to accept the eight-prince account.
The 2015 census counted about 163,610 members (61st among surnames), up from 123,688 in 2000. Distribution differs by branch: Sogam-gong in Hwasun, Jeonnam; Ohan-gong in Gangjin, Yeongam and Haenam; Munwon-gong nationwide, with concentrations in Yecheon and Jangsu; Miljik-gong in Buyeo, Gongju, Cheonan and Daejeon; Hamyang-gun in Uiseong, Cheongdo, Daegu, Gyeongsan and Cheongsong. Clan villages also exist in Siheung, Uiwang, Geochang, Sancheong, Mungyeong and elsewhere.
Bak Sin-yu (朴臣蕤), a great-great-grandson of Bak Seon, was enfeoffed as Prince Eungcheon under King Gojong for putting down Yi Yeon-nyeon's rebellion at Naju with Kim Gyeong-son. His six sons, Ji-mun, Ji-bin, Ji-ryang, Ji-su, Ji-on and Ji-yeong, founded six branches called the 'Six Ji branches'. In the late dynasty Bak Chung-jwa (1287-1349), who passed the examination under King Chungsuk and mixed with Yi Je-hyeon at the Manquantang, became Chief Councillor and Prince Hamyang. The general Bak In-gye, a merit subject during the Red Turban invasions, is also known.
The clan is credited with about 68 to 69 civil examination graduates in Joseon. Bak Seup (d. 1418), Minister of Military Affairs and of Punishments under Taejong, was caught up in the Gang Sang-in affair and died, then was rehabilitated under Sejo. Bak Dae-rip, said to be a disciple of Yi Hwang, and Bak Seung-won, a righteous army leader in the Imjin and Byeongja wars, are also named, though details are not confirmed in public sources.
Besides the Six Ji branches (Sogam-gong, Munwon-gong, Hamyang-gun, Miljik Busa-gong, Eosa-gong and Jungnangjang-gong), others listed include Ohan-gong (Bak Seong-geon), Yeongsang-gong (Bak Gyeong), Jipyeong-gong (Bak Beon), Jimiljik-gong (Bak Mun-jae), Buyun-gong (Bak Won-taek) and Panseo-gong (Bak Gyu). For some, such as Woryeongdang-gong, only generation tables are found; generations of founders are not confirmed.
Generation characters differ by branch, e.g. the tables start at the 31st generation with 海/永 for Sogam-gong and at the 27th with 周/均 for Munwon-gong. The source table is garbled, so confirm with the clan association. A clan association URL is not confirmed in public sources.
The 함양 박씨 clan association can be found in the Korean E-Jokbo Library clan-association directory.
✍ Request additions / corrections to the 함양 박씨 family tree infoStart your family tree free →