Korean Studies: Korean Family History

FamilySearch South Korea Genealogy Wiki Guide

This guide will give you a basic understanding of what Korean genealogy work is and how to use 족보 records. 

FamilySearch – Korea Genealogy Collection

This free online collection includes digitized Korean 족보 (jokbo), family registries, and other historical documents from the late 1800s to early 1900s. A FamilySearch account is required to access most documents.

How to Use:

• Click the image to access the Korea collection.
• Search using Korean names (Hangul or Hanja) or Romanized surnames.
• Browse record images or family trees from the results page.
• If search yields no result, use the “Browse through” link to manually explore locations or record types.

National Library of Korea Digital Archives

The National Library of Korea hosts a searchable digital archive that includes many scanned 족보 (family books), available online. Most materials are in Korean, but English search is partially supported.

How to Use:

• Click the image to open the NLK English search portal.
• Search using keywords like 족보 or Korean surnames.
• Use filters for format, subject, or publication date to narrow results.
• Click any record to see full bibliographic information or scanned pages (PDF/Image Viewer).
• Tip: Use Google Chrome's "Translate Page" feature if you need help reading Korean interface elements.

Inje University Digital Genealogy Library

This is one of the largest digitized collections of Korean 족보 in the world. Students can search by surname or ancestral hometown (bon-gwan) and view fully scanned jokbo volumes directly in the browser.

How to Use:

• Click the image to open the homepage.
• Select 족보 열람 (View Jokbo) or use 검색 (Search) to enter a Korean surname (e.g., 김, 이, 박).
• Browse the digitized jokbo volumes and click to view inside the book.
• Use zoom controls in the e-book viewer to read more clearly.
• Note: Most of the site is in Korean—use browser translation or ask a Korean speaker for help if needed.

Click this button to recommend a book you think the library should purchase.