Korea, Encyclopedias and Dictionaries - FamilySearch Historical Records

North Korea

South Korea

What is in This Collection?
This is a collection of encyclopedias and dictionaries from Korea for the dates 1500-2000. The collection will be published as images become available and may help you with your genealogy.

Reading These Records
These records are in Korean, written using Chinese hanja characters. For help reading the records, see the following resources: General Information: Reading Hangul: (Korean letters) Reading Hanja: (Chinese characters)
 * South Korean Language and Languages
 * Korean Genealogy Guide online
 * Korean names
 * HanGul Letters
 * HanGul Syllables
 * FamilySearch Video Tutorials (for Korean speakers
 * Background on HanJa Characters
 * Translating Hanja and Hangul

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Encyclopedia and dictionary
 * Family name
 * Province
 * City or county
 * Year

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor’s name
 * Other identifying information such as residence, names of other family members and family relationships

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the :
 * 1) Select Country (국가), Province (도, 시), City or County (시,군)
 * 2) Select 제명 (Title), 년 (Year), and 권 (Volume) and/or 페이지 (Page) to view the images.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors.

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor
 * Continue to search the index and records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives
 * If your ancestor used multiple names throughout their life, look for each of their names
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Korea.
 * North Korea Record Finder
 * South Korea Record Finder

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Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.