As discussed, most personal names in Korean are composed of two characters. Traditionally, Korean families choose one common character for their same-gender children to share. So the children would have a common character running throughout their names, accompanied by a unique character to differentiate themselves.
One of the two characters in a given name is unique to the individual, while the other is shared by all people in a family generation. In both North and South Korea, generational names are usually no longer shared by cousins, but are still commonly shared by brothers and sisters.
In 1909, a year before the Japanese colonial era began, every Korean picked their last name regardless of their status. 4. It was because the Civil Registration Act was implemented and needed to check people's identity and population.
The first is the family name while the second and third are the given name. For example, in the name KIM Min Su (김민수), KIM is the family name. The family name (or 'surname') is inherited patrilineally from one's father and shared with other siblings.
The enduring popularity of the Kim family name can be traced back to its royal origins. Kim has its roots in two separate royal families; the Silla dynasty (57BC — 935AD) and the Gaya confederacy (42AD-562AD). When these two kingdoms united, the resulting merger led to Kim becoming one of the most popular family names.
Nevertheless, there was long a law in place to forbid marriage between people with the same surname and ancestral paternal origin. In 1997, however, South Korea's Constitutional Court ruled the law unconstitutional, and the civil code was amended in 2005 to forbid only marriage between closely related people.
Korean names consist of two parts: a family name and a given name. Traditionally, a child takes their father's surname like in many other cultures, but Korean women do not take their husband's surname after marriage.
“Sister” in Korean
For males, an older sister is addressed as 누나 (nuna). For females, an older sister is called 언니 (eonni). 누나 (nuna) and 언니 (eonni) can also be used when talking about one's older sister to others.
Rules restricting marriage
In Korea, a child inherits his or her father's surname. Traditionally, men and women who have the same surnames and "ancestral homes", called dongseong dongbon (Hangul: 동성동본, Hanja: 同姓同本), are not permitted to marry.
Because family names such as Lee and Kim were among those used by royalty in ancient Korea, they were preferred by provincial elites and, later, by commoners when plumping for a last name.
The most common Korean surname (particularly in South Korea) is Kim, followed by Lee and Park.
Kim, Lee and Park were once again the top three. Kim, Lee and Park have traditionally been the most common surnames in Korea. Korean family names are typically one syllable in length, with a few exceptions.
The word 애기 (aegi) is a cute way of saying 아기 (agi), which means “baby. This Korean term is used as a sweet way of saying “baby”.
And a few more important Korean words you should know: Siblings: 형제 자매 (hyeongje jamae) Brothers: 형제 (hyeongje) Sisters: 자매 (jamae)
누나 (noona) to address a female friend who is older. Nuna is the opposite of oppa. While oppa is used exclusively by females when addressing older males, nuna is used exclusively by males when addressing older females. You may also see 누나 spelled as “Nuna.” Nuna is used in place of a person's name.
You can use unnie to refer to an elder sister or an older female acquaintance if you're a girl. If you're a man, you use hyung to refer to an elder brother or an older male buddy. Also, if you're a man, you use noona to refer to an older female companion. Now let's move on to other Korean Terms!
Is There Still a Royal Family in Korea? There is still an Imperial royal family of Korea. His Imperial Highness King Yi Seok has lived his entire life in Korea.
Boo - Korean singer/songwriter BOO Seungkwan hails from Jeju Island. His last name is as rare as his birthplace. Only about 10,000 Koreans sport the surname.
Han is the oldest name in Korea.
Red dots the size of coins are painted on the bride's cheeks to ward off evil spirits. Today, many Korean American brides opt to wear white and might change into a traditional dress, called a hanbok, for certain ceremonies of the day.
Modern Korean couples often exchange jewellery early on in relationships, with promise rings and couple rings given prior to any engagement. These tend to be fairly simple rings without expensive stones or too much embellishment. The 100-day mark is when many couples decide to get a ring.
“Adultery” is a criminal offence (actually it's not anymore, we'll get to it later) while “act of unchastity” is a ground for divorce in Korea. “Act of unchastity” is a broader concept than adultery.