South Korea Probate Records

Inheritance Documents and Wills (Tongsaeng Hwahoemun'gi or Yusan)
These records are inheritance documents used to allocate property (including slaves) among siblings. They are of particular value for identification of slaves, their birth dates, and family relationships. In addition to instructions regarding the distribution of property, wills generally included moral instruction and advice for offspring. Records are generally available from about 1500 to present.

They contain the names of the deceased, family members and slaves, birth dates, relationships. Also arrangements for property distribution, notes of meritorious service, and more detailed biographical information. Location: Scattered in public and private collections; the largest assemblage is in Kyujanggak collection, Seoul National University Library. Probably less than 5% of the population are identified in these records. Only a few inheritance documents survive and the coverage is small. Wills are also rare. These are one of only a few sources for the names of enslaved persons.

Records are available in public libraries and private family papers, but not easily accessible to the general population. Most pre-1800 documents have been lost; many later records are also lost. Many of the remaining records are preserved in libraries and archives but are, nevertheless, subject to loss by fire or natural disasters; records in private family possession are even more susceptible to loss.