The Pyeongsan Sin clan or Pyeongsan Shin clan () is one of the great aristocratic houses which originated from

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

. The clan was key in the foundation of the

Goryeo dynasty Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificati ...

and gained its power during this time. However, it became less prominent during the following

Joseon dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

. Not all Koreans with the family name ''Sin'' belong to the Pyeongsan Sin clan; only about 600,000 (about 70%) hail from this clan. Others belong to other unrelated clans, such as the Goryeong Sin clan, who produced 19th and 20th century notables as

Sin Chaeho Sin Chaeho, or Shin Chae-ho (; November 7, 1880 – February 21, 1936), was a Korean independence activist, historian, anarchist, nationalist, and a founder of Korean nationalist historiography (민족 사학, ''minjok sahak''; sometimes shorte ...

Clan history during the Goryeo period (918-1392)

The Pyeongsan Sin clan is a Korean noble family, which took its root during the 10th century, at the time of the foundation of the Goryeo Dynasty. At the beginning of the Goryeo period, the country was divided in several kingdoms fighting for supremacy over the peninsula. The founder of the clan is generally accepted to be General

Sin Sung-gyeom Sin Sung-gyeom (; d. 927) was a Korean general during the turbulent Later Three Kingdoms period in the early 10th century. Born in Gwanghaeju (present-day Chuncheon), he became a general in the kingdom of Taebong. He was instrumental in helping ...

, who helped

Wang Geon Taejo of Goryeo (31 January 877 – 4 July 943), also known as Taejo Wang Geon (; ), was the founder of the Goryeo dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century. Taejo ruled from 918 to 943, achieving unification of the Later Thre ...

found the kingdom by dethroning the tyrant

Gung Ye Gung Ye ( – 24 July 918, r. July 901 – 24 July 918) was the king of the short-lived state of Taebong (901–918), one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. Although he was a member of the Silla royal family, he became a victim of the power s ...

, alongside Hyeon Gyeong, Hong Yu, and Bok Ji-geom in 918. As described on an official description plate at his memorial shrine in the province of

Gangwon Gangwon or Kangwŏn may refer to: * Gangwon Province (historical), the Goryeo, Joseon Dynasty and the Japanese Korean province * Gangwon Province (South Korea), a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Kore ...

died around 927 in a battle in present-day

Daegu Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...

, fighting bravely to save

(also referred to as King Taejo), while dressed in the King's clothes. After his death, the King bestowed upon Sin's son and Sin's brother the high aristocratic title of ''Jangjolgong''. According to the legend, the clan name of Pyeongsan Sin was given to

before his death, during a hunting trip with

. A skillful archer, Sin successfully hit "the left wing of the third goose among the flying geese".

was impressed and bestowed Sin with the land area, Pyeongsan, over which the geese had been flying, hence the family line originated there.평산신씨 평산닷컴
/ref> The area is currently situated in the

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

n province of

Hwanghae Hwanghae Province (''Hwanghae-do'' ) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon era. Hwanghae was located in the northwest of Korea. The provincial capital was Haeju. The regional name for the province was Haeseo. History In 139 ...

Clan history during the Joseon period (1392-1910)

During the

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

era, the Pyeongsan Sin family developed into one of many ''

yangban The ''yangban'' () were part of the traditional ruling class or gentry of dynastic Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The ''yangban'' were mainly composed of highly educated civil servants and military officers—landed or unlanded aristocrats ...

'' families. As other ''yangban'' of the time, members of the Pyeongsan Sin clan successfully passed the ''

gwageo The ''gwageo'' or ''kwago'' were the national civil service examinations under the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea. Typically quite demanding, these tests measured candidates' ability of writing composition and knowledge of the Chinese cla ...

'', or the national civil service examinations. There was no hereditary aristocracy in Korea during the Joseon era, as the bureaucracy was filled by tested and certified professionals. Having peaked during the Goryeo era, the Pyeongsan Sin clan produced fewer individuals of national prominence during this era.

Clan history during the Goryeo period (918-1392)

Clan history during the Joseon period (1392-1910)

References

Further reading