연안 김씨 family tree

연안 김씨(延安 金氏) — A Kim clan with its seat in Yeonan County, South Hwanghae, known as a prominent Joseon family that produced Chief State Councillors Kim Jeon and Kim Geun-sa under Jungjong, and Queen Inmok, consort of Seonjo, and her father Kim Je-nam.

About the 연안 김씨 clan

A Kim clan with its seat in Yeonan County, South Hwanghae, known as a prominent Joseon family that produced Chief State Councillors Kim Jeon and Kim Geun-sa under Jungjong, and Queen Inmok, consort of Seonjo, and her father Kim Je-nam. In the 2015 Census the 연안 김씨 clan numbered about 93,382 people, one of Korea's major surnames and clans. Even among people surnamed 김, a different clan seat (bon-gwan, 연안) means a different lineage. New to these terms? See the bon-gwan, pa & hangnyeol guide.

Roots and Seat of the Yeonan Kim

The Yeonan Kim (延安 金氏) is a branch of the Kim surname whose seat is Yeonan County in South Hwanghae, now in North Korea, so no descendants live at the seat itself. The 2015 census counted 93,382 members; Korean Wikipedia gives a different figure of 176,996 for 2021, so figures vary by source and date. The founder is Kim Seom-han (金暹漢), with Silla's Kim Alji named as the ancestor of origin.

Kim Seom-han and Origin Accounts

Kim Seom-han is said to have passed the civil examination under King Myeongjong of Goryeo and served as a professor in the National Academy. Nothing is known of earlier generations, so he is taken as founder. One tradition says two descendants of Kim Alji were exiled after admonishing the king, the elder to Gangneung and the younger to Yeonan, producing the Gangneung and Yeonan Kim clans; whether they truly share a root is doubted for lack of documentation, and other origin stories (Gaya royal descent, Baekje descent) also circulate. The claim that the clan came from Yan'an in China is generally regarded as unfounded.

From Late Goryeo to Early Joseon

Kim Do, who passed the exam under King Gongmin and served as a senior Privy Council official, is said to have raised the family. His son Kim Ja-ji rose to Inspector-General and Minister of Justice in Joseon, and his younger brother Kim Yeo-ji became Left Consultant under Sejong with the title Munik. Their tombs lie side by side at Wangchang-ri in Yangpyeong. Kim Ro, a Joseon founding merit subject enfeoffed as Lord Yeonseong, is also known as Yeonan Kim.

Prosperity Under Jungjong

Kim Ja-ji's great-grandson Kim Jeon, a disciple of Kim Jong-jik, became Chief State Councillor under Jungjong; Kim Geun-sa was also Chief State Councillor in the period; and Kim Jeon's nephew Kim An-ro became a powerful Left State Councillor after his son married Princess Hyohye. The clan is said to have held two of the three highest posts. Kim An-ro caused several purges, was labeled one of the Three Villains, and was executed in 1537, showing both glory and downfall.

Royal Ties

The best-known royal tie is Queen Inmok, second consort of Seonjo; her father Kim Je-nam was a great-grandson of Kim Jeon. In 1613 Kim Je-nam was executed, Grand Prince Yeongchang died and the queen was confined in the West Palace until the 1623 coup. Other ties include Kim Hui, husband of Princess Hyohye, and the consort of Prince Uichin. During Joseon the clan is described as producing 163 civil-exam graduates, six State Councillors, one Grand Academician, one queen and three merit subjects enshrined at the royal ancestral shrine.

Later Chief State Councillors and Writers

Kim Ik (1723-1790) served as Chief State Councillor under Jeongjo and Kim Jae-chan (1746-1827) under Sunjo, credited with calming unrest during Hong Gyeong-rae's rebellion. Kim Ryeo (1766-1821) was a leading writer of the short-prose style who wrote the Uhae Ieobo in exile, and Kim Si (1524-1593), who never sat the exams, was called one of the Three Perfections with Choe Rip and Han Ho. Kim Gae-guk, a volunteer leader at Yeongcheon in the Imjin War, belongs to the line of Manchwidang in Yeongju.

Modern Figures

In modern times, Kim Deok-ju was the eleventh Chief Justice and Kim V. Narry is a leading RNA biologist. Wikipedia also lists Kim Won-gi (15th Deputy Prime Minister, 1924-2001), lawmaker Kim Seong-ju and Justice Kim Yong-dam. Under Japanese rule some, such as the late Joseon official Kim Sa-cheol, a descendant of Kim Je-nam, received Joseon noble titles, while independence activists such as Kim U-jeon, Kim Yeo-je, Kim Chang-ui and Kim Gi-hong appear in Wikipedia's list. Several of these could not be cross-checked against separate sources here.

Main branches (派)

Gaeseong-buyun-gong-pa, Hallim-haksa-gong-pa, Gongbu-jeonseo-gong-pa, Mikjik-jehak-gong-pa, Jikgang-gong-pa, Champan-gong-pa, Sagan-gong-pa, Uimin-gong-pa

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

Notable figures

김자지(Inspector-General and Minister of Justice, late Goryeo-early Joseon), 김로(Joseon founding merit subject, Lord Yeonseong), 김전(Chief State Councillor under Jungjong), 김근사(Chief State Councillor under Jungjong), 김안로(Left State Councillor and powerful minister under Jungjong), 김제남(father-in-law of Seonjo and father of Queen Inmok), 인목왕후(second queen of Seonjo), 김시(literati painter, one of the Three Perfections), 김개국(volunteer leader at Yeongcheon in the Imjin War), 김익(Chief State Councillor under Jeongjo), 김재찬(Chief State Councillor under Sunjo), 김려(writer of the short-prose style, author of the Uhae Ieobo), 김덕주(11th Chief Justice), 김빛내리(RNA biologist)

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

Branches

Namuwiki and similar sources say the clan divided into some twenty branches in two lines. The Hobu wonoerang-gong line includes the Gaeseong-buyun-gong (Kim An-ju), Hallim-haksa-gong (Kim An-bo), Gongbu-jeonseo-gong (Kim Seon) and Mikjik-jehak-gong (Kim Eul-jin) branches. The Daejanggun-gong line lists nineteen, including the Jikgang-gong (Kim Seung), Champan-gong (Kim Hwang) and Sagan-gong (Kim Ji) branches. The Uimin-gong branch, descending from Kim Je-nam, is confirmed by the 1901 Yeonan Kimssi Uimin-gong-pabo. Branch names and founders differ by source and should be checked against registers.

Clan Villages and Heritage

Descendants live across the country. Key sites are Wangchang-ri in Yangpyeong (tombs of Kim Ja-ji and Kim Yeo-ji), Wonheung-dong in Goyang (tomb and stele of Kim Jeon, Local Cultural Heritage No. 12), Anchang-ri in Wonju (tomb and stele of Kim Je-nam), the Maegandang old house at Donggan-ri, Yeonggwang (National Folklore Cultural Heritage No. 234), and in Yeongju the Goeheon old house (No. 262) and Manchwidang (Gyeongbuk Cultural Heritage Material No. 451). The Goeheon house was built in 1779 by an eighth-generation descendant of the settling ancestor and has been relocated because of the Yeongju Dam. Namuwiki also lists Gunpo, Gapyeong, Yesan, Changwon, Yangyang, Pyeongchang, Imsil and Jeju (Hamdeok-ri) among villages.

Clan Association and Generation Names

The clan association is the Yeonan Kim Daejonghoe, with the motto 'Honor ancestors, unite kin, enlighten descendants'. It has a clan hall, the Yeonan Building, in Seoul, and the Gyeongwonjae shrine in Yangpyeong. Generation-name characters listed by Wikipedia start at the 21st generation: Yeon (淵), Su (秀), Sa (思), Gi (基), Jong (鍾), Yeong (泳), Ju (柱), Seong (性), Jung (重), Hyeon (鉉), Won (源), Sik (植), Heon (憲), Gyu (圭), Jin (鎭), Taek (澤), Geun (根), Hui (熙), Bae (培), Gyun (鈞), Cheol (澈), Pyo (杓), Hang (恒). They vary by branch, so check your own register.

Telling Them Apart From Other Kim Clans

The Kim surname has very many seats and namesakes are often misattributed. Compare the Gimhae, Gyeongju, Gangneung, Gwangsan and Andong Kim pages. For instance the brothers Kim An-guk and Kim Jeong-guk belong to a different clan from Kim An-ro. The Yeonan Lee clan is also unrelated despite the shared seat name. Only people whose seat was confirmed in their Wikipedia articles are listed here.

How to build your 연안 김씨 tree

1. Start with yourself — sign in to get your own tree. Enter your name, birth year and clan seat (연안).
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

연안 김씨 clan association

The 연안 김씨 clan association can be found in the Korean E-Jokbo Library clan-association directory.