Korean surnames

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17:26 KST 14°C Cloudy
KOSPI 5,290.53 −0.98%
KOSDAQ 699.66 +0.45%
Samsung Elec. 206,000 −0.96%
SK Hynix 1,216,000 −3.03%
USD/KRW 1,336.48 +0.02%
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New Does North Korea Have Internet? Kwangmyong, Phones and USBs
New Ulzzang Fashion (얼짱): The 2010s Look and How to Wear It Now
New Korean Words in Kdramas: 25 From Oppa (오빠) to Daebak
New Parasite Movie Explained: The Stairs, the Smell, the Ending

Korean Names: Why 1 in 5 Is a Kim and What to Call People

November 13, 2026November 13, 2026 Korean Culture 12 min read

Front view of the Imperial Throne Hall Geunjeongjeon at Gyeongbokgung Palace with blue sky in Seoul (korean names)

Korean names put the family name first, and about 1 in 5 South Koreans is a Kim. Most names have 3 syllables, a one-syllable surname followed by a two-syllable given name, so in Son Heung-min (손흥민) the surname is Son and the given name is Heung-min.