Korea, Social Life and Customs - FamilySearch Historical Records

North Korea South Korea

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records for the years 100-2015.

These records include a collection of social life and customs from Korea. The text is in Korean, written with Chinese hanja characters. For translation tools, see the section titled For Help Reading These Records. 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. Marriage also is thought of as a union of two families and a means to ensure the continuity of the husband's family line. This collection is being published as images become available.

Reading These Records
These records are in Korean. For help reading these records, see the following resources:
 * South Korean Language and Languages
 * Korean names
 * Korean Genealogy guide

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

Social life and customs records
 * Family name of your ancestor (성)
 * Town, Village or City location for your ancestor (동, 면 or 시)
 * Province and County names to assist you in identifying your ancestor (도, 시 or 군)

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it would be helpful if you knew the following information
 * Your ancestor’s family name
 * Other identifying information such as residence
 * Names of other family members
 * Family relationships

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?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the location to search for other records in that area
 * Use the age to approximate a birth date
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupation, rank or status within the community

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

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

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Korea Civil Service Examinations and Records of Officials and Employees - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Korea Collection of Genealogies - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Korea, Census Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Korea, Directories - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Korea, Encyclopedias and Dictionaries - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Korea, Legal Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Korea, Local History - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Korea, Military Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Korea, Obituaries and Cemetery Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Korea, Public Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
 * Korea, School Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

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.

Coreia, Vida Social e Costumes (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)