View source for Korean nobility

'''Korean monarchy''' existed in [[Korea]] until the end of the [[Korea under Japanese rule|Japanese occupation]] and the defeat of Japan. After the independence and the installation of the Constitution that adopted republic system, the concept of nobility has been abolished, both formally and in practice.

==Sources==
As the [[Benedictines]] and other monastical orders did during Europe's [[Dark Ages (historiography)|Dark Ages]], the Buddhist monks became the purveyors and guardians of Korea's literary traditions while documenting Korea's written history and legacies from the [[Silla]] period to the end of the [[Goryeo]] dynasty. Korean Buddhist monks also developed and used the first movable metal type printing presses in history—some 500 years before [[Johannes Gutenberg|Gutenberg]]{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}—to print ancient Buddhist texts. Buddhist monks also engaged in record keeping, food storage and distribution, as well as the ability to exercise power by influencing the Goryeo royal court.

==Ruler and princely styles==
===Original titles===
The monarchs of [[Goguryeo]] adopted the title of "[[Taewang]]" (태왕; 太王), which placed them on the same level as the Chinese emperors. The literal translation of the title is the ''Greatest King''.

The early monarchs of [[Silla]] have used the title of "Geoseogan" (거서간; 居西干), "Chachaung" (차차웅; 次次雄), "Isageum" (이사금; 尼師今), and finally "Maripgan" (마립간; 麻立干) until 503. This follows from an earlier tradition when Korean kings were styled either ''Han'' or ''Kan'', which are cognates of the Turkic ''[[Khan (title)|khan]]''. ''Marip'' originally meant the highest, and ''gan'' meant rulers.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Lee |first1=Soyoung |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mpanKmU_ckYC&pg=PA32 |page=32|title=Silla: Korea's Golden Kingdom |last2=Leidy |first2=Denise Patry |date=2013 |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art |isbn=978-1-58839-502-3 |language=en}}</ref>

In addition, [[Baekje]] used the title of "Eoraha" (어라하; 於羅瑕), "Ha" meaning "rulers" and "Eora" meaning "the largest".<ref>이도학, 백제사 (''History of Paekje''), 2005, {{ISBN|89-89899-57-5}}</ref><ref>도수희, 백제왕칭어에 대하여: 어라하, 건길지, 구드래, 구다라를 중심으로 (''Concerning the title of Baekje's rulers: Ŏraha, Kŏgilji, Kudŭrae and Kudara''), ''한국언어문학'', '''11''', 244-247 (1973)</ref><ref>도수희, 백제어 연구 II (''Study of Pakeje Language II'', 백제문화개발연구원(1989)</ref><ref>도수희, 백제어 연구 III (''Study of Paekje Language III'') (1994), 백제문화개발연구원</ref><ref>도수희, 존칭의 비(卑)칭화에 대하여 (''Concerning honorific titles and humble names''), 한국현대언어학회 특강논문 (1998)</ref>

===Imperial titles===
{{Main|Korean imperial titles}}

[[Goguryeo]] monarchs adopted the title "[[Taewang]]" ({{Korean|태왕|太王|lit=greatest king}}).

[[Goryeo]] monarchs adopted the title(s) ''Seonghwang'' ({{Korean|성황|聖皇|lit=holy emperor}}) or emperor.<ref name="aju">{{Cite web |author=강효백 |date=2020-12-11 |title=[강효백의 新 아방강역고-7] 고려는 황제국 스모킹건12(3) |url=https://m.ajunews.com/view/20201210165552253 |access-date=2025-01-18 |website=[[Aju Business Daily]] |language=ko}}</ref> However, unlike the Goguryeo, the imperial titles were not used in diplomatic campaigns with the prominent Chinese Dynasties of that time. Goryeo dropped its Imperial title for a short period after the peace treaty with the Mongols. It was later reinstated for a short while after the Goryeo dynasty defeated the Mongols in the 1360s.

The title ''Hwangje'' ({{Korean|황제|皇帝|lit=emperor}}) was revived for less than two decades during the [[Korean Empire]] that came after [[Joseon]].

===Royal titles===
''Wang'' ({{Korean|hangul=왕|hanja=王|lit=king}}) was a Chinese royal style used in many states rising from the dissolution of [[Gojoseon]], [[Buyeo kingdom|Buyeo]], [[Goguryeo]], [[Baekje]], [[Silla]] and [[Balhae]], [[Goryeo]]. In late Goryeo (918-1392) and the [[Joseon Dynasty]] (until 1897) the rulers of Korea were still known as "wang", as evident in the title of [[King Sejong the Great]]. However, they were referred to by their [[temple name]]s.

Although often translated in English as "[[king]]", this title also applied to a female ruler. Female rulers, equivalent to [[queen regnant]] in English, were informally referred to as ''yeowang'' ({{Korean|hangul=여왕|hanja=女王|lit=female king}}).

''Wangbi'' ({{Korean|hangul=왕비|hanja=王妃|labels=no}}) was title for the wife of the reigning king, equivalent to [[queen consort]] in English.

The title ''Daewang'' ({{Korean|대왕|大王|lit=great king}}) was also used in many Korean states.<ref>{{Citation |title=대왕(大王) |website=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0014612 |access-date=2024-08-11 |language=ko}}</ref>

[[Balhae]] monarchs adopted the title ''Seongwang'' ({{Korean|성왕|聖王|lit=holy king}}).<ref>{{Cite web |title=발해(渤海) |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0021626 |access-date=2025-02-02 |website=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] |language=ko}}</ref>

===Prince===

''Gun'' ({{Korean|군|君}}) has the common meaning of 'monarch', however in this specific context, it can also mean 'prince'. Before the Joseon era, the regulations behind the entitlement of royals and nobles were unclear and inconsistent. In the early Goryeo Dynasty, the  sons of the king who were not the crown prince, were entitled as ''gun''s, ''wongun''s, ''gunggun''s, while after 1031, royals began to be entitled using five ranks,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=12 February 1031 |title=왕기를 개성국공으로 책봉하다 |url=https://db.history.go.kr/goryeo/level.do?levelId=kr_005r_0090_0020_0020&types=r |website=Goryeosa - Database of Korean History}}</ref> which were: ''gongjak'' - Duke, ''hujak'' - Marquess, ''baekjak'' - Count, ''jajak'' - Viscount, and ''namjak'' - Baron. It is after the establishment of the Joseon Dynasty that this becomes solid.

In the Joseon Dynasty, solid regulations about investiture were established, for both royals and non-royals. Legitimate sons of the king (those born of the queen consort) were entitled as a d''aegun'' ({{Korean|대군|大君|lit=grand prince}}). The princes born of concubine was given the title ''gun'', distinguished from ''daeguns'' with the term ''wangjagun'' ({{Korean|왕자군|王子君}}), combining the word meaning 'king's son' - prince and ''gun''. The ''gun'' title could be succeeded up to the great-grandsons of a ''daegun'', grandsons of the crown prince and ''wangjagun''s, <ref>{{Cite web |date=1785 |title=Daejeon Tongpyeon § 종친부(宗親府) |url=https://db.history.go.kr/joseon/item/level.do?levelId=jlawa_301r_0040_0430_0010 |website=Joseon Dynasty Legal Data - Database of Korean History}}</ref> The father of the king who himself has never reigned was given the special title of ''daewongun'' ({{Korean|대원군|大院君|lit=grand internal prince}}).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008 |title=대원군 |url=https://stdict.korean.go.kr/search/searchResult.do?pageSize=10&searchKeyword=대원군 |website=Standard Korean Language Dictionary -  National Institute of Korean Language}}</ref>

Non-royal servants could also receive the princely title as well. ''Buwongun'' ({{Korean|부원군|府院君|lit=internal prince of the court}}), was the title of the father of the queen consort, or ''gongsin''s who have reached the first rank. A ''gongsin'' ({{Korean|공신|功臣|lit=meritorious servant}}) was the title of a servant who had distinguished himself in the service of the king and court. They were eligible to be invested as a ''gun'' after they reached the second rank.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1785 |title=Daejeon Tongpyeon § 封君 |url=https://db.history.go.kr/joseon/item/level.do?levelId=jlawa_301r_0040_0020 |website=Joseon Dynasty Legal Data - Database of Korean History}}</ref> (And even if they did not in their lifetime, they would be raised to the second rank posthumously, therefore qualifying them for entitlement.)<ref>{{Cite web |date=1785 |title=Daejeon Tongepyeon § 總論 |url=https://db.history.go.kr/joseon/item/level.do?levelId=jlawa_301r_0260_0010 |website=Joseon Dynasty Legal Data - Database of Korean History}}</ref>

When one became a ''gongsin'', his ancestors up to his paternal great-grandparent would be posthumously promoted in rank, with his father especially being named different classes of ''gongsin'' depending on the class of the ''gongsin'' title of his son (first to third class). He would also be entitled as a ''gun'', all posthumously.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1785 |title=Daejeon Tongpyeon § 總論 |url=https://db.history.go.kr/joseon/item/level.do?levelId=jlawa_301r_0260_0010 |website=Joseon Dynasty Legal Data - Database of Korean History}}</ref>

All ''gun'' titles had a prefix attached to them, the name of that servant's ''bon-gwan''. For example, Yoon In-Gyeong, a 16th century politician, was named a ''gongsin'' in the aftermath of the [[Korean literati purges|Fourth Literati Purge of 1545]], among thirty others. Because of this, he was raised to the first rank and therefore was invested as the Paseong Buwongun ({{Korean|파성부원군|坡城府院君|lit=Internal Prince of Paseong}}).<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 September 1545 |title=홍언필·윤인경·이기 등에게 공신을 제수하다 |url=https://sillok.history.go.kr/id/kma_10009016_007|website=Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty}}</ref> Paseong is the name of his bon-gwan, Papyeong ({{Korean|파평|坡平}}), with the second character altered into ''seong''. This was done in order to avoid confusions between guns that had the same bon-gwan and therefore the same title name, a practice done with other characters commonly attached to place names as suffixes, such as ''san'' ({{Korean|산|山|lit=mountain}}), ''cheon'' ({{Korean|천|川|lit=river}}), ''ahn'' ({{Korean|안|安|lit=calm}}), etc. Though designed as a titular appointment as a lord of the area, the title was purely honorific.

The gun title could only be entitled upon the eldest descendant of the gongsin when he reached the second rank. Those who had their titles inherited would be referred to as ''seungseupgun'' ({{Korean|승습군|承襲君|lit=inherited prince}}), similarly to the concept of ''wangjagun''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=1867|title=Yukjeon Jorye § 承蔭|url=https://db.history.go.kr/joseon/item/level.do?levelId=jlawb_110_0010_0040_0040|website=Joseon Dynasty Legal Data - Database of Korean History}}</ref> The inheritance was called ''seungseup'' ({{Korean|승습|承襲|lit=succession}}). ''Buwongun'' titles earned by being the father of the queen consort could not be inherited.

The dethroned rulers of Joseon Dynasty that did not receive a temple name are presently referred to as their gun title from when they were princes. There were three dethroned kings known as ''gun''s in the Joseon Dynasty ([[Danjong of Joseon|one]] restored to the dignity of king and given a temple name posthumously).

Under the [[Korean Empire]] (1897-1910), the close male relatives of the Emperor were given the title of ''chinwang'' ({{Korean|친왕|親王}}). While the literal translation of the title is 'imperial king of the blood', the meaning that fits here is 'imperial prince of the blood', as 'king' is one step down from 'emperor'. Only four ''chinwang'' were appointed; the three sons and one brother of [[Gojong of Korea|Gojong]].

==Aristocracy before Joseon==
===Silla===
In [[Silla]], the nobility was categorized by the [[Bone rank system]].

Royal families split into two classes: [[sacred bone]], which meant eligibility for the royal succession, and [[true bone]], until the former was extinguished.

Non-royal nobles split into three classes: the 6th head rank, the 5th head rank and the 4th head rank; the 6th being the highest.

===Goryeo===
Servants that were not royals would be given titles and land that had the words ''gaeguk'' ({{Korean|개국|開國|lit=}}). This word meant founding of a state, but this was a system transferred from China during the [[Later Three Kingdoms|Later Three Kingdoms Period]], and by that time the feudal system related to the distribution of land as separate fiefs as implied in the word ''gaeguk'' had mainly faded. In Goryeo, this feudal system remained in place until 1436. These titles had a two character prefix that represented the land that the recipient was affiliated to/was from - land that would be distributed to them in the system called ''sigeup'' ({{Korean|식읍|食邑|lit=}}).
* '''Gukgaegukgong (국개국공, 國開國公)''', [[Duke]] of a state
* '''Gungaegukgong (군개국공, 郡開國公)''', [[Duke]] of a county
* '''Hyeongaegukhu (현개국후, 縣開國侯)''', [[Marquis]] of a town
* '''Hyeongaegukbaek (현개국백, 縣開國伯)''', [[Count]] of a town
* '''Gaegukja (개국자, 開國子)''', [[Viscount]]
* '''Hyeonnam (현개국남, 縣開國男)''', [[Baron]] of a town
Starting from 1031, Goryeo princes began to be invested in 6 different classes of titles, the same way as nobles not of the royal family, but with the ''gaeguk'' fixes removed.<ref name=":0" />

Also the title Taeja ({{Korean|hangul=태자|hanja=太子|labels=no}}) was given to sons of emperor not like other east Asian countries. In other countries, this title meant [[crown prince]]. Taeja was similar to Chinwang ({{Korean|hangul=친왕|hanja=親王|labels=no}}) of the [[Korean Empire]].

==Noble families in Korea==

{{Category see also|Category:Korean clans}}

Some clans whose social rank throughout Korean history could be considered equivalent to [[nobility]] are as follows (this is merely a sample and nowhere near the total list of families who attained and/or retained such social rank over the duration of Korea's lengthy history; families on this list are often also recognizable via their status during the Joseon era as [[yangban]] families).

List of Noble families in Korea, such as:
* [[House of Yi|House of Yi (Joseon Dynasty)]]
* [[List of people with the Korean family name Moon|House of Moon (East Tamna Dynasty, Jeju Island)]]
* [[Ko (Korean surname)|House of Ko (West Tamna Dynasty, Jeju Island)]]
* [[Park (Korean surname)|House of Park (Silla Dynasty)]]
* [[Papyeong Yoon clan|Papyeong Yoon]]
* [[Cheongju Han clan|Cheongju Han]]
* [[Gyeongju Yi clan|Gyeongju Yi]]
* [[Andong Kim clan|Andong Kim]]
* [[Gimhae Kim clan|Gimhae Kim]]
* [[Miryang Park clan|Miryang Park]]
* [[Yeoheung Min clan|Yeoheung Min]]
* [[Dalseong Seo clan|Dalseong Seo]]
* [[Gyeongju Seok clan|Gyeongju Seok]]
* [[Pyeongyang Ko clan|Pyeongyang Ko]]

==Foreign noble families in Korea==
The Chinese [[Ming Xia]] emperor [[Ming Yuzhen]]'s son Ming Sheng was given the noble title Marquis of Guiyi by the [[Ming dynasty]]  [[Hongwu Emperor]] after his surrender. Ming Sheng was then exiled to Korea  at the age of 17 in 1372 by the Ming dynasty. The Korean official Yun Hui-chong's married his daughter off to Ming Sheng in March 1373. The emperor asked the Korean king to treat Ming Sheng as a foreign noble by giving his descendants and family corvée and taxation exemptions. These were granted by a patent from the Korean king which lasted until the invading soldiers in the [[Qing invasion of Joseon]] destroyed the Ming family's patents.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Goodrich |first1=Luther Carringto |title=Dictionary of Ming Biography, 1368-1644, Volume 2 |date=1976 |publisher=Columbia University Press |isbn=023103833X |page=1072 |edition=illustrated |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JWpF-dObxW8C&pg=PA1072}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting |date=2000 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=3540656308 |page=1072 |edition=illustrated |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xrGAXH_ne4IC&pg=PA1072}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Farmer |editor1-first=Edward L. |title=Zhu Yuanzhang and Early Ming Legislation: The Reordering of Chinese Society Following the Era of Mongol Rule |date=1995 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=9004103910 |page=22 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TCIjZ7l6TX8C&pg=PA22}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Serruys |first1=Henry |title=The Mongols in China During the Hung-wu Period (1368-1398). |date=1959 |publisher=Impr. Sainte-Catherine |page=31 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=46GPAAAAMAAJ&q=ming+sheng+korea}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Serruys |first1=Henry |title=Sino-Mongol Relations During the Ming, Volume 1 |date=1967 |publisher=Institut belge des hautes études chinoises |page=31 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GEQvAAAAYAAJ&q=ming+sheng+korea}}</ref> The Chinese Ming family exists as the [[Korean clan]]s, [[Yeonan Myeong clan]], [[Seochok Myeong clan]] and [[Namwon Seung clan]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Academy of Korean Studies 서촉명씨 西蜀明氏|publisher=[[Academy of Korean Studies]]|url=http://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=290979&cid=42835&categoryId=42835&mobile}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |author=Jin Guanglin |author-link=:ja:金光林 (歴史学者) |date=2014 |title=A Comparison of the Korean and Japanese Approaches to Foreign Family Names |journal=Journal of Cultural Interaction in East Asia |volume=5 |via=[[Society for Cultural Interaction in East Asia]] |url=http://www.sciea.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/03_JIN.pdf |page=20}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Rulers of Korea]]
*[[Bone rank system]]
*[[Yangban]]
*[[House of Yi]]
*[[Styles and titles in the Joseon dynasty]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links ==
* Almanach de Bruxelles (now a paying site)

{{Nobility by nation}}

[[Category:Korean nobility| ]]
[[Category:Heads of state]]
[[Category:History of Korea]]