Korea Collection of Genealogies - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Languages of the Record
편집 한국, 족보의 콜렉션

Record Description
This collection will include records from 1500 to 2012.

These records include family biographies, genealogies, and histories. The text is in Korean and Chinese.

Ancestors are based on the male family line. Children are raised to believe they can never repay their debt to their parents, hence the popularity of ancestor worship and the importance of genealogy records. They hold ancestral ceremonies for the previous three generations (parents, grandparents, and great grandparents) several times a year, particularly on Chusok and New Year's Day.

Genealogies and family histories are created because of the great cultural importance of family and lineage. Children are taught that the actions of one family member reflect on the rest of the family and the debt to their parents can never be repaid, hence the popularity of ancestor worship. Ancestral ceremonies are held for the previous three generations (parents, grandparents, and great grandparents) from the male family line several times a year, particularly on Chusok and New Year's Day. Marriage also is thought of as a union of two families and a means to ensure the continuity of the husband's family line.

For a list of family names currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
Records may contain the following information:


 * Family name
 * Town or village
 * Province
 * City or county
 * Country
 * Year

How to Use the Record
To begin your search, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Name of ancestor
 * Place of birth
 * Province

Search the Collection
To search the collection image by image ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page: ⇒Select “Family Name" ⇒Select “Country" ⇒Select “Province” ⇒Select “City or County” ⇒Select “Town or Village” ⇒Select “Title, Year, Volume/Page” which will take you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

Related Websites

 * Korean Genealogy Guide
 * Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter
 * South Korea Genealogy &amp; Family History Resources
 * South Korea Ancestry Archives
 * Culture of South Korea

Related Wiki Articles

 * North Korea
 * South Korea
 * South Korean History
 * South Korean Family History and Genealogy

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
Citations for individual image records are available for this collection. Browse through images in this collection and click on the "Show Citation" box: Korea, Collection of Genealogies, 1500-2012

When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation for This Collection
The citation below refers to the original source of the data and images published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.