여산 송씨(礪山 宋氏) — A major Song clan seated at Yeosan-myeon in Iksan, North Jeolla, descended from the Goryeo jinsa Song Yu-ik and, through the middle founder Song Song-rye (Prince Yeoryang), five branches. It produced Queen Jeongsun, Song Sang-hyeon, Song In-myeong and others.
A major Song clan seated at Yeosan-myeon in Iksan, North Jeolla, descended from the Goryeo jinsa Song Yu-ik and, through the middle founder Song Song-rye (Prince Yeoryang), five branches. It produced Queen Jeongsun, Song Sang-hyeon, Song In-myeong and others. In the 2015 Census the 여산 송씨 clan numbered about 298,231 people, one of Korea's major surnames and clans. Even among people surnamed 송, a different clan seat (bon-gwan, 여산) means a different lineage. New to these terms? See the bon-gwan, pa & hangnyeol guide.
The Yeosan Song clan (礪山 宋氏) takes Yeosan-myeon in Iksan, North Jeolla as its seat and counted 298,231 members in the 2015 census. The Song surname as a whole had 683,494 people that year, ranking 18th, with 172 recorded seats; the largest are the Yeosan and Eunjin Song clans. In Joseon the clan produced two chief or left state councillors, Song Jil and Song In-myeong, and a queen, Queen Jeongsun, and is described as a lineage with 357 successful civil examination candidates.
The founder Song Yu-ik (宋惟翊) is said to have been a Goryeo jinsa who rendered service and was enfeoffed as Lord of Yeosan, and to have been posthumously granted the rank of Eunchong Gwangnokdaebu and the post of Chumilwon busa. Genealogical texts trace his ancestry to Song Ju-eun, a Tang Minister of Revenue from Gyeongjo, counting him an 11th-generation descendant, but Song Ju-eun does not appear in the official Tang histories and cannot be verified. The lineage before the founder is safest read as clan tradition.
Yeosan was formed from the old Yeoryang and Nangsan counties. Sources differ on whether this was the renaming to Yeosan-hyeon in 1399 or the merger of the two in 1402 (Taejong 2). Yeoryang was raised to a county in 1436 (Sejong 18) as the maternal home of Queen Wongyeong, consort of Taejong, and was merged into Iksan in 1914. It is said that her maternal grandfather was Song Seon of the Yeosan Song clan, but I could not confirm this in other sources.
Song Song-rye (宋松禮, 1207-1289), the founder's fourth-generation descendant, was enfeoffed as Prince Yeoryang for helping end the military regime in late Goryeo and laid the foundation of the clan, so he is honored as its middle founder. The descendants of his eldest son Song Yeom are divided into the Wonyun-gong, Miljik-gong and Soyun-gong branches, and those of his second son Song Bun into the Jisin-gong and Jeongga-gong branches, for five in all. See the branch cards below.
The Song surname has many seats, so the name alone is not enough. Clan tradition holds that Song Yu-ik, Song Cheon-ik and Song Mun-ik, sons of Song Ja-yeong, founded the Yeosan, Eunjin and Seosan Song clans, but the Eunjin clan traces its line from Song Dae-won, a Goryeo Pan-wonsa enfeoffed as Lord of Eunjin, and it is pointed out that there is no separate evidence for the brother theory. The Eunjin Song clan produced Song Si-yeol and Song Jun-gil, and the Jincheon Song clan is known for Song In, a Goryeo Munha pyeongjangsa and Lord of Jincheon. The Seosan, Yaro (冶爐), Yeonan, Sinpyeong, Namyang, Hongju and Cheongju Song clans are smaller, and Song Yu-gyeong, founder of the Cheongju Song clan, belongs to an entirely different house. Even for the same name Song In, the Goryeo Song In of the Jincheon clan and the Joseon royal son-in-law Song In of the Yeosan clan are different people, so check the seat first. I could not find material on a "Yaseong Song" clan; Wikipedia writes it as "Yaro Song."
Wonyun-gong-pa, Miljik-gong-pa, Soyun-gong-pa, Jisin-gong-pa, Jeongga-gong-pa
The Wonyun-gong branch descends from Song Un (宋惲), who served as Gaeseong wonyun. He was a son of Song Yeom (宋琰), eldest son of Song Song-rye, who was enfeoffed as Prince Yeoryang under King Chungnyeol of Goryeo; it is one of the three branches of Song Yeom's line, with the Miljik-gong and Soyun-gong.
Song Un's sixth-generation descendant Song Gan (宋侃) served as vice minister of punishments under Sejo and is said to have given up office and lived in seclusion mourning when Danjong was killed. The mid-Joseon scholar Song Ik-pil (pen name Gubong) is also placed in this branch: he overcame the limits of illegitimate birth through scholarship and was a pioneer of ritual studies who taught Kim Jang-saeng.
In the Imjin War the brothers Song Dae-rip and Song Hui-rip of Goheung (old Heungyang) are said to come from this branch, which is remembered for generals who fought under Yi Sun-sin and at Cheomsan in their home. Clan villages are said to lie around Goheung, South Jeolla.
The Wonyun-gong and Soyun-gong branches are recorded as sharing one generation-name table. The exact characters differ by source, so check your branch genealogy.
The Miljik-gong branch descends from Song Bang-yeong (宋邦英, ?-1307), who served as deputy commissioner of the Security Council (miljik busa) in late Goryeo. He was a son of Song Yeom (宋琰), eldest son of Prince Yeoryang Song Song-rye, and his line split off in the same generation as the Wonyun-gong and Soyun-gong branches. The Security Council (Miljiksa) was an important late Goryeo office in charge of royal orders and military secrets.
Song Bang-yeong is recorded as having died in Dadu (today Beijing), the Yuan capital, in 1307. In the period of Yuan interference many officials stayed long in the Yuan as envoys or in the king's retinue, and his death is read in that light.
The branch is known to have a clan village in the Yeongdeok area of North Gyeongsang. I could not confirm much material on notable figures after the founder, and can add more if descendants share it.
Unlike the Wonyun-gong and Soyun-gong branches, the Miljik-gong is recorded as using its own generation-name table. Check the exact characters with the branch genealogy or clan association.
The Soyun-gong branch descends from Song Won-mi (宋元美), who served as an assistant magistrate (soyun). He too was a son of Song Yeom (宋琰), eldest son of Prince Yeoryang Song Song-rye, and his line split off in the same generation as the Wonyun-gong and Miljik-gong branches. Soyun was the post that assisted the head of a prefecture such as Gaegyeong in Goryeo.
It is one of the three branches of Song Yeom's sons. Its clan villages are said to lie around Buan and Iksan, and stories of the ancestral hall in Yeosan-myeon and of settlement in Geumma-myeon are told in this area.
The Wonyun-gong and Soyun-gong branches are recorded as sharing one generation-name table, meaning the two branches share the same generation characters. The characters differ by source, so check them against the genealogy.
Soyun was a post assisting the head of a prefecture in Goryeo, and the exact dates and deeds of the founder Song Won-mi could not be confirmed. I could not confirm much material on notable figures of this branch either. If descendants exist, it would be good to add to it from the branch book and clan association.
The Jisin-gong branch descends from Song Rin (宋璘), who served as royal secretary (jisinsa) in Goryeo. He was a son of Song Bun (宋玢), second son of Song Song-rye, and is recorded as having passed the Goryeo civil service examination. Jisinsa was a key post that handled royal orders, corresponding to Joseon's seungji.
It is a branch that produced many figures in Joseon, including Song Hyeon-su, father-in-law of Danjong who was enfeoffed as Prince Yeoryang and executed over the restoration plot, and his daughter Queen Jeongsun; the brothers Song Se-rim and Song Se-hyeong; Song Sang-hyeon (1551-1592, pen name Cheongok), who died defending Dongnae as its magistrate in the Imjin War, and his younger brother Song Sang-in; the brothers Song Seong-myeong and Song Jin-myeong; and Song In-myeong, who led the policy of impartiality under Yeongjo.
Song Sang-hyeon is enshrined at Chungnyeolsa and Songgongdan in Dongnae, Busan, and at places such as Cheongju and Jeongeup. Song Hyeon-su's tomb was found on the family hill at Gwacheon, Gyeonggi and repaired under Sukjong, and he was enshrined at the supplementary altar of Jangneung in Yeongwol under Jeongjo. Around Chungnyeolsa in Cheongju are said to be a shrine to Song Sang-hyeon, an altar for Song Hyeon-su and the clan hill.
The branch uses its own generation-name table. Ask the Jisin-gong clan association for clan villages and contacts.
The Jeongga-gong branch descends from Song Seo (宋瑞), known as Jeongga-gong. He was a son of Song Bun (宋玢), second son of Song Song-rye, and a brother of Song Rin, founder of the Jisin-gong branch.
Alongside the Jisin-gong branch it produced many figures: Song Jil (1454-1520), a Jungjong Restoration merit subject who became Chief State Councillor; his grandson, the calligrapher Song In (1517-1584), who married Jungjong's daughter Princess Jeongsun; Song Mun-rim, made a second-class Jwari merit subject for his part in Seongjong's accession; and Song Eon-sin, who made the draft of the Yeosan Song genealogy. Song Jil's daughter married Chief State Councillor Hong Eon-pil, and their son Hong Seom also became Chief State Councillor, showing the family's marriage ties to the early Joseon elite.
In modern times Song Yo-chan, Army Chief of Staff and head of cabinet, is known from this branch, and it has clan villages in Gyeonggi Province. Songdong village in Yangjae-dong, Seoul is also introduced in connection with the clan, but I could not confirm which branch's family hill it was.
The branch uses its own generation-name table, said to begin at the 24th generation. Check the exact characters in the branch genealogy.
Branch divisions vary by lineage and jokbo; confirm your own branch in your family's records.
송유익(Founder of the Yeosan Song clan), 송송례(Late Goryeo general enfeoffed as Prince Yeoryang, the "middle founder" of the Yeosan Song clan), 송현수(Father-in-law of King Danjong and Prince Yeoryang), 정순왕후(Queen consort of King Danjong and daughter of Song Hyeon-su), 송질(Meritorious subject of the Jungjong Restoration and Chief State Councillor), 송인(Royal son-in-law of King Jungjong and calligrapher skilled in regular script), 송상현(Magistrate of Dongnae who died defending the fortress in the Imjin War), 송익필(Scholar who laid the foundation of Seoin ritual learning), 송대립(Military officer who fought under Yi Sun-sin and at Goheung in the Imjin War), 송희립(Naval officer and direct aide to Yi Sun-sin who fought at Hansan, Myeongnyang and Noryang), 송인명(Left State Councillor who drove the policy of impartiality under King Yeongjo), 송언신(Mid-Joseon official who compiled the draft of the Yeosan Song genealogy), 송요찬(Army officer and politician who served as Army Chief of Staff and martial-law commander, then Defense Minister and head of cabinet after the May 16 coup)
Tap a name for the full profile (life, career, grave, descendants).
In Joseon the Yeosan Song clan produced many figures especially in the Jisin-gong and Jeongga-gong branches. Song Hyeon-su, father-in-law of Danjong who was executed in connection with the restoration plot, Song Sang-hyeon, who defended Dongnae in the Imjin War, and Song In-myeong, who led Yeongjo's policy of impartiality, are said to come from the Jisin-gong branch; Song Jil, a Jungjong Restoration merit subject who became Chief State Councillor, and the calligrapher and royal son-in-law Song In from the Jeongga-gong branch. From the Wonyun-gong branch come Song Ik-pil, who built Neo-Confucian and ritual scholarship beyond the limits of illegitimate birth, and the brothers Song Dae-rip and Song Hui-rip, who fought under Yi Sun-sin. Song Gan, vice minister of punishments under Sejo, is said to have given up office and lived in seclusion mourning after Danjong was killed, and Song Mun-rim was made a second-class Jwari merit subject for his part in Seongjong's accession.
In the 2000 Statistics Korea count the Yeosan Song clan had about 72,763 households and 232,753 people, rising to 298,231 in the 2015 census. Members are said to live widely, from Iksan, the clan seat, to Goheung in South Jeolla, Yeongdeok in North Gyeongsang and the Gyeonggi, Seoul and Chungcheong areas. Census figures differ by survey year, so treat them as a rough guide.
The five branches are easy to confuse. The most reliable way is to check, in your family genealogy or branch book, how many generations you are from the founder Song Yu-ik and whether your line goes through Song Yeom (Wonyun, Miljik, Soyun) or Song Bun (Jisin, Jeongga). The Jeongga-gong generation table is said to begin at the 24th generation, so generation characters are a clue too. If you have no genealogy, ask an elder or the Yeosan Song clan association. It is easiest to confirm the clan seat first by the hanja of your name and then look for the branch.
In Joseon the clan is introduced as having produced two state councillors (Song Jil and Song In-myeong), one queen (Jeongsun), many ministers and 357 civil examination passers. The main flow of the house runs from merit subjects and in-laws such as Song Song-rye and Song Hyeon-su in late Goryeo and early Joseon, through loyalty in the Imjin War as with Song Sang-hyeon and Song Hui-rip, to officials of the impartiality policy such as Song In-myeong in the later period.
The clan had dense marriage ties with the royal house. Besides Queen Jeongsun, wife of Danjong, the wives of Prince Yeongeung (Sejong's eighth son), of Prince Sudo (a son of Jeongjong by a concubine) and of Prince Inheung (a son of Seonjo by a concubine) were Yeosan Song women, and royal sons-in-law of Taejong's daughter Princess Sungnyeong and of Jungjong's daughter Princess Jeongsun also came from this house.
In modern times the leading name is Song Yo-chan, Army Chief of Staff and head of cabinet; others introduced include Song Jeong-ho, 52nd Minister of Justice, Song Ha-jin, mayor of Jeonju and governor of North Jeolla, the calligrapher Song Seong-yong, the Korean-style painter Song Gye-il, Song Ju-in, president of Jeonbuk Bank, and Song Sam-seok, president of Monami. Song Ho-rim served as an army lieutenant general and a ninth-term National Assembly member. The clan seat of each person should be checked against the genealogy.
The Yeosan Song genealogy matters first for its first edition (Gyeongsulbo): after the family record was burned in the Imjin War, Song Eon-sin wrote a handwritten draft with a 1606 preface, and in 1610 his kinsman Song Il, as magistrate of Cheongju, published it. The edition published by Song Hui-eop in 1653 (Hyojong 4) records the clan from founder Song Yu-ik to the 19th generation with two appendix volumes, is valued as a rare source because genealogies before the 17th century are few, and was designated Provincial Tangible Cultural Property No. 139 in 1991 (the location is given as Yeoju, but the holding institution could not be confirmed). The genealogy lists children in birth order, distinguishes legitimate from illegitimate sons, and has almost no adoption records up to the 14th generation. The genealogy is said to be managed by the Yeosan Song clan association.
In Yeosan-myeon, the seat, stands a Yeosan Song ancestral hall, and Geumma-myeon in Iksan is introduced as where Song Seok-son lived in seclusion. Near Chungnyeolsa in Cheongju are the shrine to Song Sang-hyeon and the clan's family hill, and Songdong village in Yangjae-dong, Seoul is known as the former site of the clan hill and clan village. Sites honoring Song Sang-hyeon include Chungnyeolsa and Songgongdan (Busan Monument No. 11) in Dongnae and Jeongchungsa in Jeongeup, and in Goheung a shrine honoring the brothers Song Dae-rip and Song Hui-rip is said to stand. Yeosan Hyanggyo (Daeseongjeon) is also a typical site of the seat.
Generation-name characters differ by branch. The Wonyun-gong and Soyun-gong branches are recorded as sharing one table, the Miljik-gong, Jisin-gong and Jeongga-gong branches each use their own, and the Jeongga-gong table is said to begin at the 24th generation. Sources differ on the exact characters, so they are not printed here; please confirm with your branch's genealogy or clan association.
The 여산 송씨 clan association can be found in the Korean E-Jokbo Library clan-association directory.
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