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Recording Adoption in a Korean Family Tree

Korean family trees include ties that are not by blood. Here is how to record adoption correctly.

Yangja (adopted heir) & chulgye (adopted-out)

A yangja is a son brought in from another household to continue the family line. The mirror term, chulgye, describes a person who leaves to continue a different household's line. This traditional succession kept a head family from dying out.

Modern adoption & foster ties

Modern legal adoption creates a new parent–child relationship in law, while foster care is a raising relationship. Distinguishing these keeps a lineage clear.

How it appears in a jokbo

Traditional jokbo record an adopted person in both the birth and adoptive households, marking the one who left as "adopted-out" so the same person links across two families.

Record it on JokboWorld

On JokboWorld you choose a relationship type — biological, adopted heir, adoption, foster, or adopted-out — for each parent–child link. Lines render solid or dashed by type, and you can jump between the same person in the birth and adoptive records.

FAQ

What is the difference between yangja and chulgye?

Yangja is a son who comes "in" to continue a line; chulgye is going "out" to continue another line. They are the two sides of one adoption.

Can I include an adopted child in the tree?

Yes. JokboWorld lets you pick biological, adoption, yangja, or foster as the relationship type, so modern adoptive families fit naturally.

Related guides

Bon-gwan, Pa & Hangnyeol — Korean Clan Names ExplainedUnderstand the core concepts of Korean genealogy: bon-gwan (ancestral seat), pa (branch), and hangnyeol (generational name / dollimja), and how they organize a family tree.How to Make a Korean Family Tree Online (Free)A step-by-step guide to building your Korean family tree online for free: add people, link parents/children/spouses, record bon-gwan and hangnyeol, export a PDF, and invite family.
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