삭녕 최씨(朔寧 崔氏) — Said to descend from Choe Cheon-ro, a Goryeo-era Munha Sirang Pyeongjangsa, and to have produced Choe Hang, the Chief State Councillor who took part in creating Hunminjeongeum.
Said to descend from Choe Cheon-ro, a Goryeo-era Munha Sirang Pyeongjangsa, and to have produced Choe Hang, the Chief State Councillor who took part in creating Hunminjeongeum. In the 2015 Census the 삭녕 최씨 clan numbered about 58,142 people, one of Korea's major surnames and clans. Even among people surnamed 최, a different clan seat (bon-gwan, 삭녕) means a different lineage. New to these terms? See the bon-gwan, pa & hangnyeol guide.
The Sangnyeong Choe clan (朔寧 崔氏) takes the old district of Sangnyeong as its ancestral seat. Its founder is said to be Choe Cheon-ro (崔天老), a Goryeo-era Munha Sirang Pyeongjangsa, and his descendant Choe Yu-ga (崔瑜價) is honored as the restorer-ancestor (jungsijo). The clan produced Choe Hang, who took part in creating Hunminjeongeum and became Chief State Councillor, his great-grandson Chief State Councillor Choe Heung-won, the late-Joseon scholar Choe Han-gi, and the novelist Choe Myeong-hui. One compilation counts 33 civil-examination graduates and two Chief State Councillors in the Joseon period.
Sangnyeong was an old county covering the area around present-day Sangnyeong-myeon, Yeoncheon (Gyeonggi) and part of Cheorwon (Gangwon). It was called Soeupdu-hyeon in Goguryeo and was renamed and reorganized many times; it was abolished in the 1914 consolidation of counties and split between Yeoncheon and Cheorwon, and Korean Wikipedia notes part also lies in Jangpung County, Kaesong. Today it survives only as a clan seat name.
A widely repeated explanation is that the restorer Choe Yu-ga spent his old age in Sangnyeong, which gave the clan its seat. Sources vary: the Digital Sejong Encyclopedia lists the seat as Cheorwon, Gangwon, and Namu Wiki names Daejeon-ri, Majang-myeon, Cheorwon (now in North Korea) as the place of origin. Please confirm with your own genealogy.
Choe Cheon-ro is said to have held the Goryeo post of Munha Sirang Pyeongjangsa, a chief-minister-level office. His earlier ancestry is not confirmed. It is reported that Choe Heung-won left a handwritten note calling the family an old house of the Three Han, but records were lost in wars and this cannot be verified. His dates and the exact characters of his name vary by source.
Choe Yu-ga is said to have served under King Myeongjong as Daesaseong of the Gukjagam and Chumirwon Busa before rising to Chamjijeongsa and Munha Sirang Pyeongjangsa (dates given as 1190 and 1194). His name is also written 瑜價 or 瑜賈. We could not locate him directly in the Goryeosa text, so this follows genealogy-based secondary sources.
The generations after Choe Yu-ga were lost, so the clan counts Choe Seon-bo (崔善甫), a captain of the Chineomo Guard, and Choe Yeon (崔珚), a deputy commissioner of the Hamgyeong Hall (some sources say Hoegyeong Hall), as first ancestors of two lines, the Nangjang-gong and Busa-gong branches. How these two link to the founder cannot be confirmed from available material.
The Nangjang-gong line is given as: 1st Choe Seon-bo, 2nd Choe Chung (Seoseung-gong), 3rd Choe Yun-mun (Jeonseo-gong), 4th Choe Sa-yu (Saye-gong), among five brothers (Sa-ang, Sa-hong, Sa-yu, Sa-ryeom, Sa-on). Sa-ang and Sa-hong are said to have left no heirs; Sa-ryeom founded the Yeongi-gong branch and Sa-on the Huicheon-gong branch.
Choe Hang (1409-1474) is a fifth-generation descendant of Choe Seon-bo and son of Choe Sa-yu. So the chain runs founder, restorer, a lost middle section, first ancestor Seon-bo, Chung, Yun-mun, Sa-yu, Hang. The four generations before Hang are attested; the link above Seon-bo is not.
Sa-yu's sons include Choe Hyeong (Champan-gong branch), Choe Hwa (Jubu-gong branch), and Choe Hang; Choe Sung is said to have left no heirs. Hang's eldest son Choe Yeong-rin (pen name Seokpo) is the root of the Munjeong-gong main line, which split into the Sajik-gong, Tongnye-gong and Sajeong-gong branches, while the second son Choe Yeong-ho (1457-1481) founded the Chanseong-gong branch. Yeong-ho's grandson was Chief State Councillor Choe Heung-won.
Choe Han-gi is described as a descendant of Choe Sa-ryeom of the Yeongi-gong branch, a collateral relative of Choe Hang. The Busa-gong line runs from Choe Yeon through Si-ok, Su-myeong, Bok-rin and Do-won (Jipyeong-gong), whose four sons founded the Gyodo-gong, Sajeong-gong, a Jinju-line branch and the Hyeongam-gong (Mangyeong) branch, according to clan-side sources; the Busa-gong line is associated with Mangyeong and Gimje in North Jeolla.
Choe is a surname with very many seats. The Gyeongju Choe (Choe Chi-won), Haeju Choe (Choe Chung), Jeonju Choe and Gangneung Choe are separate lineages with different founders. Check that your genealogy gives Sangnyeong as the seat. Note also that there were other men named Choe Hang (a Goryeo official, 972-1024, and a Goryeo military ruler, 1209-1257); ours was born in 1409.
Clan villages are listed at Ganhyeon-ri in Jiji-myeon (Wonju), Doma-ri in Toechon-myeon (Gwangju, Gyeonggi), Gimpo, Pyeongtaek, Hwaseong, and Sama-myeon in Namwon (Gyesu-ri, Seodo-ri), plus Gunsan, Gimje, Wanju, Imsil, Jeongeup, Sacheon and Goseong; in the north, Daejeon-ri in Majang-myeon, Cheorwon, and Gyegok-ri in Tongcheon. Nobong Village in Namwon is known as a seat of the clan where Choe Hang's grandson Choe Su-ung is said to have lived in retirement; it is the real setting of the novel Honbul. At Yucheon-ri in Jeonui-myeon, Sejong City, descendants of Choe Jong-jeok of the Sajik-gong branch lived, and a nearby field called Yeongseong-tteul is said to take its name from Choe Hang's title Prince Yeongseong.
Census figures: 37,872 people in 9,027 households in 1985, 38,736 in 12,055 households in 2000, and 58,142 in 2015.
The Sangnyeong Choe National Association (sakchoi.com) is said to manage clan affairs, but its site was unreachable during this research, so contacts and events are unconfirmed. The Nangjang-gong and Busa-gong branches have separate generation characters (e.g. 19th generation of Busa-gong: 孝, 學), and a unified list covers generations 25 to 40 (25th 鉉, 26th 洙, 27th 相; later characters not confirmed). Usage varies, so check your own genealogy.
Choe Hang's tomb in Doma-ri, Toechon-myeon, Gwangju was designated Gyeonggi-do Monument No. 33 on 27 August 1976. It has a tombstone, stone attendant figure and altar stone, and a spirit-way stele (written by his brother-in-law Seo Geo-jeong, calligraphy by Seong Im), with a new stele of the same style set up in 2003 beside the old one. The ritual lodge Yeongmojae stands at 195 Doma-ri and a shrine at 197-8, as reported. The tomb and stele of Choe Heung-won in Paju were designated Paju City Local Heritage No. 9 in 2001, and a memorial gate stands there. Choe Yeong-ho's tomb is in Wollong-myeon, Paju.
Nangjang-gong-pa, Busa-gong-pa, Chanseong-gong-pa, Tongnye-gong-pa, Yeongi-gong-pa, Sajik-gong-pa, Champan-gong-pa, Jubu-gong-pa, Sajeong-gong-pa, Huicheon-gong-pa, Gyodo-gong-pa, Hyeongam-gong-pa
The Nangjang-gong branch counts Choe Seon-bo (崔善甫), captain (nangjang) of the Chineomo Guard, as its first ancestor. Because the generations after founder Choe Cheon-ro and restorer Choe Yu-ga were lost, the Sangnyeong Choe have continued their line in this branch and the Busa-gong branch. The link between the founder and Seon-bo cannot be confirmed.
Clan-side sources give: 1st Choe Seon-bo, 2nd Choe Chung, 3rd Choe Yun-mun, 4th Choe Sa-yu; Yun-mun had five sons (Sa-ang, Sa-hong, Sa-yu, Sa-ryeom, Sa-on), of whom the first two are said to have left no heirs. Sa-yu's sons Hyeong, Hwa and Hang started further branches.
Fifth-generation descendant Choe Hang (1409-1474) took part in creating Hunminjeongeum, led compilation of the Gyeongguk daejeon, and became Chief State Councillor with the title Prince Yeongseong. His great-grandson Choe Heung-won also became Chief State Councillor.
Eight sub-branches are listed: Champan-gong, Jubu-gong, Sajik-gong, Tongnye-gong, Sajeong-gong, Chanseong-gong, Yeongi-gong and Huicheon-gong (some Namu Wiki versions also list a Panseo-gong branch). Settlements include Toechon in Gwangju, Paju, Namwon in North Jeolla and Jeonui in Sejong. Check details with the clan association and your genealogy.
The Busa-gong branch, also called the Mangyeong branch, counts as first ancestor Choe Yeon (崔珚), deputy commissioner of the Hamgyeong Hall in Goryeo; some sources say Hoegyeong Hall, and some give no personal name.
Clan-side sources give: 1st Busa-gong (Choe Yeon), 2nd Gyujeong-gong Si-ok, 3rd Seoryeong-gong Su-myeong, 4th Sagan-gong Bok-rin, 5th Jipyeong-gong Do-won. Do-won's four sons founded the Gyodo-gong branch (also Jinwi/Chuncheon/Suncheon lines), the Sajeong-gong branch (Sacheon line), a Jinju line, and the Hyeongam-gong branch (Mangyeong line). The source lists two sons as Sajeong-gong, so the mapping needs checking against a genealogy.
After ninth-generation Choe Dal-ha settled at Galbat in Mangyeong around the Imjin War, descendants lived around Gimje, North Jeolla; the Supreme Court justice Choe Byeong-ju was a 21st-generation descendant of Choe Yeon. The 19th-generation character is given as 孝 or 學.
The Chanseong-gong branch descends from Choe Yeong-ho (崔永灝, 1457-1481), second son of Chief State Councillor Choe Hang. After serving as a Yemungwan historian he passed the civil examination in 1477 at twenty-one and rose to director of the Royal Kitchen.
Sent as a royal inspector to Goseong in Gyeongsang Province, he fell ill and died at twenty-five, and was posthumously made Left Associate State Councillor. His tomb is in Wollong-myeon, Paju.
His grandson was Chief State Councillor Choe Heung-won (1529-1603), son of Choe Su-jin, enfeoffed as Prince Yeongpyeong and selected as an incorruptible official; his tomb and stele in Paju were designated Paju City Local Heritage No. 9 in 2001. The branch seems to have centered on Paju, but present-day villages could not be confirmed.
The Tongnye-gong branch descends from Choe Su-ung (崔秀雄), a grandson of Chief State Councillor Choe Hang through his eldest son Choe Yeong-rin. He is said to have first settled Nobong Village in Sama-myeon, Namwon, a long-standing seat of the clan.
Nobong is known as the model for Maean Village in the novel Honbul, and the writer Choe Myeong-hui is described as his 17th-generation descendant. The origin of the title Tongnye-gong (which post he held) could not be confirmed.
The Yeongi-gong branch descends from Choe Sa-ryeom (士廉), the fourth generation of the Nangjang-gong line and brother of Choe Sa-yu. The late-Joseon scholar Choe Han-gi is described as his descendant and thus a collateral relative of Choe Hang.
Han-gi is said to have been born into a yangban family of Kaesong and raised in the house of his adoptive father Choe Gwang-hyeon, a military-examination graduate. Settlements of this branch were not confirmed.
The Sajik-gong branch descends from Choe Su-yeong (崔秀英), one of three branches (Sajik, Tongnye, Sajeong) of the Munjeong-gong main line through Choe Hang's eldest son Choe Yeong-rin. The Digital Sejong Encyclopedia says the branch was established in the 1500s.
At Yucheon-ri, Jeonui-myeon, Sejong City, descendants of Choe Jong-jeok, the first to settle there, have lived for generations; his great-grandson Choe Gye-hyeon (b. 1759) passed the military examination and served as magistrate of Yeongdeok. Settlement is estimated to date from the 1600s, and the nearby Yeongseong-tteul is said to be named after Choe Hang's title. Census figures: 16 households and 56 people in Yeongi County (1985), and 148 people in Sejong in 2015.
The Champan-gong branch takes Choe Hyeong (崔衡), a generation-five man of the Nangjang-gong line, as its founder. Korean Wikipedia names him as the branch founder, and clan-side charts list him as a son of Choe Sa-yu and brother of Choe Hang.
His life dates, which ministry he served as vice-minister (champan), his posthumous title and his tomb could not be confirmed. Settlements and notable descendants were also not found, so they are not stated.
It is one of the eight sub-branches listed under Nangjang-gong. No branch-level population figures are published, and the clan association site was unreachable. Descendants are advised to obtain the branch genealogy from their clan council. This entry is deliberately limited to confirmed facts.
The Jubu-gong branch takes Choe Hwa (崔華), also a generation-five man of the Nangjang-gong line, as its founder. Korean Wikipedia names him as founder, and clan-side charts list him as a son of Choe Sa-yu and brother of Choe Hang. The branch name probably reflects a post as jubu (record keeper), but which office is unconfirmed.
His life dates, posthumous title, tomb, settlements and notable descendants could not be confirmed and are not stated. Only the facts that it is one of the eight sub-branches under Nangjang-gong and arose in the same generation as the Champan-gong branch are confirmed.
Descendants should ask their clan council for the branch genealogy. This entry is limited to confirmed facts and can be expanded when more is found.
The Sajeong-gong branch of the Nangjang-gong line was founded by Choe Su-geol (崔秀傑), son of Choe Yeong-rin and brother of the Sajik-gong and Tongnye-gong founders, so a grandson-generation of Choe Hang.
His office, dates, tomb and settlements could not be confirmed. A separate Sajeong-gong branch exists within the Busa-gong line (Sacheon line); do not confuse them.
Descendants should check their genealogy for the link to Su-geol. This entry is brief because only confirmed facts are given.
The Huicheon-gong branch descends from Choe Sa-on (崔士溫), a fourth-generation man of the Nangjang-gong line and a brother of Choe Sa-yu, father of Choe Hang. The origin of the branch name is unconfirmed.
His office, dates, tomb, settlements and notable descendants could not be confirmed; the branch is only confirmed as listed under Nangjang-gong by Wikipedia and Namu Wiki.
Descendants should check their clan genealogy. This entry gives only confirmed facts.
The Gyodo-gong branch is described in clan-side charts as founded by Choe Gyeong-bu (崔景溥), eldest son of Jipyeong-gong Choe Do-won of the Busa-gong line. Alternate names Jinwi, Chuncheon and Suncheon lines suggest spread toward Pyeongtaek, Chuncheon and Suncheon.
His office, dates and the branch settlements could not be confirmed. Namu Wiki lists clan villages in Chuncheon and Pyeongtaek, but not by branch.
The source chart appears to contain errors (two sons both labeled Sajeong-gong), so descendants should verify with their genealogy.
The Hyeongam-gong branch, also called the Mangyeong line, is described in clan-side charts as founded by Choe Gyeong-si (崔景時), a son of Jipyeong-gong Choe Do-won of the Busa-gong line. The name seems to come from a post as county magistrate (hyeongam), but which county is unconfirmed.
Mangyeong lies in today's Gimje, North Jeolla; after ninth-generation Choe Dal-ha settled at Galbat in Mangyeong around the Imjin War, descendants lived around Gimje.
This overlaps with the general Busa-gong account, so only confirmed points are given. Descendants should check their genealogy.
Branch divisions vary by lineage and jokbo; confirm your own branch in your family's records.
최천로(founder), 최유가(restorer-ancestor), 최사유(father of Choe Hang), 최항(Chief State Councillor of Joseon, took part in creating Hunminjeongeum), 최영린(Choe Hang's eldest son), 최영호(founder of the Chanseong-gong branch), 최수웅(founder of the Tongnye-gong branch, Nobong Village in Namwon), 최흥원(Chief State Councillor of Joseon, incorruptible official), 최한기(late-Joseon Silhak scholar), 최병직(second place in the last regular civil examination, 1894), 최명희(author of the novel Honbul)
Tap a name for the full profile (life, career, grave, descendants).
The line begins with founder Choe Cheon-ro and restorer Choe Yu-ga. In early Joseon come Chief State Councillor Choe Hang, his father Choe Sa-yu, sons Choe Yeong-rin and Choe Yeong-ho, grandson Choe Su-ung, and great-grandson Chief State Councillor Choe Heung-won. In late Joseon: Choe Han-gi and Choe Byeong-jik (16th-generation descendant of Choe Hang, who placed second in the last regular civil examination in 1894). In modern times: the novelist Choe Myeong-hui. Namu Wiki also lists others such as football manager Choi Kang-hee, but we could not confirm their seat independently and did not include them.
Records on the clan are rich in Choe Hang's era because documents between the founder and the first ancestors were lost, while Hang, his sons and great-grandson left official records, tombs and stelae. The four generations before him are known from genealogies and the clan association, and Choe Sa-yu's 1402 civil-examination pass is confirmed by Korean Wikipedia.
The 삭녕 최씨 clan association can be found in the Korean E-Jokbo Library clan-association directory.
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