나주 오씨(羅州 吳氏) — A clan seated at Naju in South Jeolla, also called Geumseong O (錦城 吳氏) after Naju's old name. Its starting ancestor is O Eon (吳偃), a Goryeo colonel, and it is linked in tradition with the Naju magnate O Da-ryeon, whose daughter became Queen Janghwa, consort of Wang Geon.
A clan seated at Naju in South Jeolla, also called Geumseong O (錦城 吳氏) after Naju's old name. Its starting ancestor is O Eon (吳偃), a Goryeo colonel, and it is linked in tradition with the Naju magnate O Da-ryeon, whose daughter became Queen Janghwa, consort of Wang Geon. In the 2015 Census the 나주 오씨 clan numbered about 32,610 people, one of Korea's major surnames and clans. Even among people surnamed 오, a different clan seat (bon-gwan, 나주) means a different lineage. New to these terms? See the bon-gwan, pa & hangnyeol guide.
Songeundang-gong-pa, Geumyang-gun-pa, Doam-gong-pa, Myeonggok-gong-pa, Seokmun-gong-pa, Dorim-gong-pa
The Songeundang-gong branch descends from O Tak-jin (pen name Songeun). He is said to have passed the jinsa examination and, though recommended for office for his learning and conduct and appointed Jeongdang Munhak, declined to serve and devoted himself to study.
The Geumyang-gun branch descends from O Gyeom (吳謙, 1496-1582), grandson of O Ja-chi. After passing a special examination in 1532 he served as governor of Jeolla, vice minister of taxation, minister of rites and head of the Office of Royal Inquiry, rising to Left Assistant Councillor and being named Lord of Geumyang. Some accounts place the Nampyeong-gong and Paseong-gong sub-branches beneath it.
The Doam-gong branch descends from O Hui-gil (吳希吉, 1556-1625, pen name Doam). During the Imjin War he helped move the annals of the Jeonju archive to Mt. Naejang; he rose to county magistrate and is honored at Wolgye Jeongsa in Gochang.
The Myeonggok-gong branch descends from O Hui-do (吳希道, 1583-1623), who passed the 1623 Alseong examination and became a gyeomnyeol (royal archivist) but died of smallpox in the same year. Branches such as Seokmun-gong are traced to his sons.
The Seokmun-gong branch descends from O I-ik (吳以翼, 1618-1666), third son of O Hui-do. He passed the 1652 Jeungwang examination, served as assistant minister of war, and as magistrate of Hampyeong was commemorated with a monument for good rule, but resigned after being exiled on a false accusation.
The Dorim-gong branch descends from O I-gu and is also called the Jangtan branch. His son O Hyo-seok (pen name Saengnodang) is said to have retired to Naju after the fall of the Ming and befriended Song Si-yeol.
Branch divisions vary by lineage and jokbo; confirm your own branch in your family's records.
장화왕후(consort of Goryeo's founder), 오다련(Naju magnate), 오자치(Jeokgae merit subject), 오겸(Left Assistant Councillor), 오희길(saved the annals), 오희도(official)
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The Naju O clan (羅州 吳氏) takes Naju in South Jeolla as its seat and is also called the Geumseong O (錦城 吳氏) after Naju's old name. Genealogies treat O Eon (吳偃), a Goryeo jungnangjang (colonel), as the line's starting ancestor, and place above him O Suk-gyu (吳淑珪), said to have been a Goryeo jinsa (licentiate), with several generations lost between them. A further tradition names O Cheom (吳詹), said to have come from China around the year 500, as the remote ancestor; this rests on genealogical tradition.
The Geumseong name is also linked in popular explanation to O Ja-chi being enfeoffed as Lord of Naseong in early Joseon, but Naju was itself known as Geumseong from the Goryeo period. The clan association encourages writing the seat as 'Naju' rather than 'Geumseong'.
The O (吳) surname shares a tradition of descent from the ancient state of Wu (吳) of China, and in Korea is divided among seats such as Haeju, Naju, Dongbok, Boseong and Hamyang. The largest is the Haeju O; the Naju O are held to be a separate seat. Some annotations, however, make O Hyeon-bo, honored as founder of the Haeju Hyang-pa, the father of O Suk-gyu, and both lines cite O Cheom, so some genealogies speak of a link between the two. Sources differ and this cannot be stated firmly. Other seats include the Dongbok O, Boseong O and Hamyang O.
In the 2015 census the Naju O numbered 18,152 and those recorded as Geumseong O 14,458, a combined 32,610. Earlier counts were about 26,245 (6,003 households) in 1985 and 25,546 (7,916 households) in 2000.
Settlements are reported in Gwangju (Gwangsan, Seo), Naju, Damyang, Muan, Yeonggwang, Jangseong and Sinan in South Jeolla, Gochang, Gimje, Jeongeup and Buan in North Jeolla, Ulju in Ulsan, Gijang in Busan, Gumi in North Gyeongsang and Yangsan in South Gyeongsang.
The clan first appears prominently in the Later Three Kingdoms period. O Da-ryeon (吳多憐, traditionally 856-944), a local magnate of Naju, is said to have been father of Queen Janghwa, second consort of Goryeo founder Taejo Wang Geon and mother of the second king, Hyejong. The famous tale of her offering Wang Geon water with a willow leaf floating in it at Wansacheon is legendary in character, and its historicity is uncertain. Later, O Tak-jin (pen name Songeun) is said to have passed the jinsa exam and been recommended for office on the strength of his learning but declined to serve; O Jung-dal (pen name Namgang) passed the civil examination under King Gongmin, rose to Grand Academician, and withdrew after the founding of Joseon.
O Ja-chi was enrolled as a merit subject (Jeokgae) for putting down Yi Si-ae's rebellion in 1467 and enfeoffed as Lord of Naseong; his merit-subject portrait of 1476 is Treasure No. 1190. His grandson O Gyeom was made Lord of Geumyang, rose to Left Assistant Councillor, took part in compiling the Veritable Records of Myeongjong and is said to have been posthumously raised to Right State Councillor.
During the Imjin War O Hui-gil helped move the Jeonju archive's annals to Mt. Naejang for safekeeping, and O Deuk-rin (pen name Guam) is said to have fought under Yi Sun-sin at Okpo, Dangpo and Noryang. After the Injo era, the sons and descendants of O Hui-do carried on the family's scholarly and official standing, O I-gyu (pen name Jicheon) was named a first-class Yeongguk merit subject, O Hyo-seok withdrew to Naju after the fall of the Ming and befriended Song Si-yeol, and in the late Joseon O Gye-su, a disciple of Gi Jeong-jin, joined the righteous armies after the Eulmi Incident.
Branches with a known founder include Songeundang-gong (O Tak-jin), Geumyang-gun (O Gyeom), Doam-gong (O Hui-gil), Myeonggok-gong (O Hui-do), Seokmun-gong (O I-ik) and Dorim-gong (O I-gu, also called Jangtan). Others, such as Sajeong-gong, Chilsong-gong, Gongjo Champan-gong, Gongjo Chamui-gong, Chambong-gong Baegyang-dong, Jibong-gong, Nanbong-gong, Sanghogun-gong, Jeongeon-gong and Naegeumwi-gong, are listed without a confirmed founder. Sub-branches Baegeun, Songeun and Jukeun are placed under Busa-gong, and Nampyeong and Paseong under Geumyang-gun. Sources differ, so members should confirm their line in their own genealogy.
Queen Janghwa of Goryeo, O Ja-chi, O Gyeom, O Hui-gil and O Hui-do of Joseon; and in modern times the independence activists O Sang-ryeol and O Seong-sul, Supreme Court justice O Pil-seon, legislator O Yeong-sik, archery coach O Gyo-mun and announcer O Sang-jin are listed as Naju O. See also Queen Janghwa and O Da-ryeon.
Sites linked with the clan include O Ja-chi's merit-subject portrait (Treasure No. 1190), the holly tree (horanggasi namu) said to have been planted by O Deuk-rin on settling in Naju (Natural Monument No. 516, designated 2009), and Wolgye Jeongsa in Gochang, where O Hui-gil is honored.
The Naju O Daejonghoe is the clan association and encourages writing the seat as Naju. Generation characters differ by branch; commonly cited ones run from the 13th generation: Si (時), Won (源), Sang (相), Hwan (煥), Gyu (圭)/Jae (在), Seon (善), Su (洙), Geun (根), Yeol (烈)/Seop (燮), Gyo (敎)/Gyun (均), Jong (鍾)/Jin (鎭), Yeong (泳), Byeong (秉), Hui (熙), Jae (載), Ho (鎬), Sun (淳) and Sik (植) for the 30th. Please confirm exact generation counts and characters in your own branch's genealogy.
The 나주 오씨 clan association can be found in the Korean E-Jokbo Library clan-association directory.
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