Park (Korean surname)


Park or Bak, is the third-most-common surname in Korea, traditionally traced back to King Hyeokgeose Park and theoretically inclusive of all of his descendants. The name Park or Bak is usually assumed to come from the Korean noun Bak, which means "gourd." As of the South Korean census of 2015, there were 4,192,074 people by this name in South Korea or roughly 8.4% of the population.

Founding legend

All the Park clans in Korea trace their ancestry back to the first king of Silla, Hyeokgeose. According to a legend, the leaders of the six clans of the Jinhan confederacy were gathering on a hilltop to choose a king, when they looked down and saw lightning strike at the foot of the Yangsan mountain and a white horse bow at the same place. When they went there to check, they found a red egg, which hatched a baby boy. They bathed the boy in the nearby stream and he was emitting bright light and the sun and the moon rose at the same time, indicating the divine birth of the child. Thus the child was named Hyeokgeose, meaning "ruling with a bright light" and his clan name became Bak or "gourd" after the round shape of the egg he hatched from. At age 13 he was given the title geoseogan, the equivalent of "king" at the time. The birth legends of early Korean kings were necessary to validate the "divine" nature of their rule.

Clans

As with other Korean surnames, different lineages, known as bon-gwan or clans, are inherited from a father by his children. These designate the region of Korea or paternal ancestor, from which they claim to originate. Out of the kings of Silla, ten had the Park surname. During the rule of King Pasa, the Park clans became divided and during the reign of King Gyeongmyeong they became even more fractured, creating several lineages. This is when the nine Park clans named after the nine sons of Gyeongmyeong came into existence.
70–80% of the current bearers of the surname belong to the Miryang Bak clan. In 2015, there were 314 Bak clans in South Korea, with about 4.19 million people altogether.
The clans which produced the most number of notable people in Korean history are collectively called the "8 Parks", these are: the Miryang Park clan, the Bannam Park clan, the Goryeong Park clan, the Hamyang Park clan, the Juksan Park clan, the Suncheon Park clan, the Muan Park clan and the Chungju Park clan.
Clan name Clan progenitorPercentage
MiryangGrand Prince Eon-chim of Milseong, ultimately from Hyeokgeose of Silla74.04
HamyangBak Seon, ultimately from Hyeokgeose of Silla3.9
OthersUltimately from Hyeokgeose of Silla3.8
Bannam Lord Hojang, ultimately from Hyeokgeose of Silla3.8
SuncheonBak Yeong Kyu, Gyeon Hwon's son-in-law, ultimately from Hyeokgeose of Silla3.8
Juksan Grand Prince Eunnip of Juksan, ultimately from Hyeokgeose of Silla1.5
GoryeongPark Eun-seong, Grand Prince of Goyang, ultimately from Hyeokgeose of Silla1.0
Yeonghae Park Je-sang, ultimately from Hyeokgeose of Silla0.7
ChungjuPark Sang, ultimately from Hyeokgeose of Silla0.8

Marriage within a clan

Traditionally, a man and a woman in the same clan could not marry, so the combination of the bon-gwan and the family name of a husband had to differ from those of his wife. Until 1997, this was also the law, but this was ruled unconstitutional.

Position in society

King Hyeokgeose was said to have founded the Korean kingdom of Silla at the age of thirteen in 57 BC. Bak was one of three houses of the Korean kingdom of Silla. Among the houses of Bak, Gim, and Seok, princes rotated on the throne of Silla. According to historical records, all three houses have been recorded as having worshipped the founding father, Bak Hyeokgeose as their ancestral shrine. For example, the 4th king Talhae of Silla, the 9th king Beolhyu of Silla, the 10th king Naehae of Silla, the 11th king Jobun of Silla, the 12th king Cheomhae of Silla, the 14th King Yurye of Silla and the 15th king Girim of Silla were house of Seok, but according to the Samguk sagi Silla bongi, all of them worshipped Bak Hyeokgeose as their progenitor. In addition, the 13th king Michu of Silla, the 16th king Heulhae of Silla, the 17th king Naemul of Silla, the 18th king Silseong of Silla, the 19th king Nulji of Silla, the 20th king Jabi of Silla, the 21st king Soji of Silla, the 22nd king Jijeung of Silla, the 40th king Aejang of Silla, the 41st king Heondeok of Silla and the 42nd king Heungdeok of Silla are descendants of Gim Al-ji, but according to the Samguk sagi Silla bongi, all of them worshipped Bak Hyeokgeose as their progenitor. In addition, according to Samguk sagi, the Shrine Shingung was founded in the birthplace of the progenitor Bak Hyeokgeose and every king has been recorded as paying their respects at this shrine. All of these historical records imply that the three lineages of Bak, Seok, and Gim worshipped Bak Hyeokgeose as their founding ancestor.
When Seonggols have died out followed by two consecutive queens, Kim Chun-Chu from Jingol began to monopolize the throne, which lasts 258 years. However, even during this period, the Kims did not fully occupy the throne. In the later period of Silla, the Bak clan from Jingol succeed in restoring the throne. During the last century of the dynasty, the Bak clan from Jingol regained the ruling house position in 728 years. However, the Bak dynasty was cut off when Gyeongae of Silla was forced to commit suicide by Gyeon Hwon of the Hubaekje Kingdom. The reign of the Bak clan lasted only 15 years. After that, Gim Bu became the last king of Silla, but soon surrendered to the Wang Geon of Goryeo and Silla finally collapsed in 992 years.
During the Unified Silla the Miryang Bak Clan, along with Gimhae Gim clan became the most prominent of the aristocracy, based on the bone rank system. Within the bone rank system, the two clans of Gimhae Gims and Miryang Baks were considered the most Jingol, or "True Bone". As Seong gol, or Divine bones died out through intermarriage, these two clans became the dominant noble houses on the peninsula following the conquest of rival dynasties.
After the fall of Silla, it continued as a major noble house of Goryeo. During the Goryeo dynasty, many of the people who passed the highest-level state examination, which was implemented to recruit ranking officials during the Goryeo dynasty, were Parks. The first General to defeat the Mongols in world history was General Park Seo, who commanded the successful defense of the fortress of Guju in 1231 against the forces led by Mongol General Sartaq.
During Joseon dynasty, Parks continued to thrive as one of the main Yangban households. With the Gabo Reform of 1894, when the caste system was abolished, some peasants adopted the surname of Park, bloating the population of the Park family. Simultaneously with the abolition of the Gwageo national service examination, the Yangban system came to an end. During the Japanese Occupation Period, three of the ten :ko:귀족원 #조선인 귀족원 의원|Korean aristocrats admitted into :ko:일본 제국의회|Japanese House of Peers were of the Park Clan.
According to Kojiki, Nihon Shoki and, one of Bak Princes, recorded in various names as Amenohiboko, Amenohihoko, Hiboko, Amenohibokonomikoto, Amenohibokonomikoto and Amanohiboko migrated to Japan in 27 BC and clan, Miyake clan, clan, clan, clan and Tajimamori are recorded as descendants of Amenohiboko. Also, according to Kojiki, Nihon Shoki,, and Shinsen Shōjiroku, Amenohiboko and Emperor Ōjin are depicted as the same person and Emperor Jimmu, the first Emperor of Japan is recorded as 's younger brother.

Family lineage

Notable people

Kings

Kings of Silla in order of their reign: