Korea Civil Service Examinations and Records of Officials and Employees - FamilySearch Historical Records

South Korea



Title in the Language of the Record
공공기록 (간찰, 통문, 기타), 900-2012

What is in the Collection?
This collection will include records from Jeollabuk-do and Jeonju-si, South Korea. The records are in Korean and Chinese, dated from 1390 to 1900, and include Korean civil service examinations from the Joseon Dynasty, as well as records of officials and employees. For translation help, see the section titled For Help Reading These Records.

The civil service examinations under the Joseon dynasty were known as the gwageo. These difficult tests were central to most education during the Joseon dynasty and assessed the applicant’s knowledge of Chinese classics and, occasionally, technical skills. Passing the tests qualified individuals to enter into the higher governmental or aristocratic positions.

Local History
The Joseon Dynasty came to power in the late 1300’s, after the overthrow of the Goryeo Dynasty. The Korean kingdom experienced numerous conflicts through the mid 1600’s, but afterwards the Korean area experienced peace for about 200 years. In the latter part of the 1800’s, the Joseon Dynasty weakened due to increasing foreign influence, and the Korean area was annexed by Japan in 1910.

Collection Contents
Civil service examinations may contain the following information:


 * Name of Employee
 * Date and Place of Birth
 * Names of Parents
 * Name of Spouse
 * Residence

How Do I Search the Collection?
To search by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the "Province (도, 시)" category ⇒ Select the "City or County (시,군)" category ⇒ Select the "Town or Village (동 or 면)"' category ⇒ Select the "Title (제명) and Volume (권) and/or Page (페이지)" category which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image 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.

When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, as well as some identifying information such as residence, age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times. Be sure to check the spelling of any names you research as there may be multiple spellings of the same name.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in Korean and Chinese. For help with reading these records see the following resources:


 * South Korean Language and Languages
 * Korean names
 * Korean Genealogy Guide online
 * English-Chinese Symbols Collection
 * Chinese Research Helps

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Use the birth date to calculate an approximate marriage date.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Use the residence to search for other records in the area.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.

Related Websites

 * Korean Genealogy
 * Korean Genealogical Table (website is in Korean)
 * Korean History and Political Geography
 * South Korea Maps

Related Wiki Articles

 * South Korean Family History and Genealogy
 * South Korean History
 * South Korea
 * Korea, Collection of Genealogies (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Advanced Korean Genealogical Sources

 * YouTube video: Mark Peterson on Korean Genealogy Books
 * YouTube video: Mark Peterson on Reading Korean Genealogy
 * YouTube video: Mark Peterson on the Structure of Korean Genealogy

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

Collection Citation:

Image Citation: