More than six million present day Koreans, especially from Gimhae Kim, Heo and Lee (Yi) clans associate their bon-gwan (geo-biological lineage roots) to Gimhae, in the South Gyeongsang Province of South Korea, and these clans place restrictions on marriage with each other due to the shared ancestors. Today, the Gimhae Kim clan is the largest clan group among them. Also, it is the largest clan group in South Korea. The Gimhae Kim and Gimhae Heo clans, descend from the two sons of King Suro where the latter used their mother, Queen Heo Hwang-ok's surname, instead of their father's.
One of the dominant branch of Gimhae Kim clan is Samhyunpa-branch.
The Gimhae Kim clan experienced extreme shifts in political prominence, peaking in power through royal intermarriage during Silla and Goryeo, but facing severe decline in the Joseon dynasty due to political purges and lingering loyalty to the previous regime.[citation needed]
Middle Progenitor Kim Yu-sin: Kim Yu-sin was the great-grandson of Guhyeong of Geumgwan Gaya, the last king of Geumgwan Gaya. As a brilliant general (Korean:명장), he achieved the great task of unifying the Three Kingdoms of Korea alongside King Muyeol of Silla. He married Lady Jiso (King Muyeol's daughter), reached the highest official rank of Taedaegakgan (Korean:태대각간], and was posthumously honored as King Heungmu (Korean:흥무대왕), becoming the middle progenitor of the Gimhae Kim clan.[citation needed] In addition, the Gimhae Kim clan stele in Jinju is a historical structure built to protect commemorative steles associated with members of the Gimhae Kim clan.
Silla Dynasty, Rise and Fall
Through intermarriage with the Silla royal family, the clan was treated exceptionally well as aristocrats and flourished. However, when King Hyegong of Silla was assassinated, and the Muyeol royal line ended, the clan was alienated by other aristocrats and even demoted to Yukdupum (Head Rank Six of the Jingol, Silla's aristocratic ranking).[citation needed]
Goryeo Dynasty, Resurgence
The clan wielded great power as a premier family (Korean: 삼한갑족 三韓甲族), producing distinguished civil and military officials. In the Goryeo period alone, they produced 15 state councilors, over 10 meritorious officials, 8 generals, and 11 top scholars.[citation needed]
Joseon Dynasty, Decline
Upon entering the Joseon era, many clan members remained loyal to Goryeo and opposed Joseon's founding. They became embroiled in political incidents such as the Muo Literati Purge (Korean: 무오사화) and suffered decline. Among successive state councilors, Kim U-hang (Korean: 김우항) during King Sukjong's reign was the sole representative from the clan.[citation needed]
↑"김해김씨 비각 (Gimhae Kim Clan Stele)" (in Korean). Encyclopedia of Korean Culture. Retrieved 2026-03-30. The structure was built to protect steles commemorating individuals related to the Gimhae Kim clan.
↑Peterson, Mark; Margulies, Phillip (2010). A Brief History of Korea. New York, NY: Facts On File. p.21. ISBN0816050856.
↑"(1)김해김씨". 중앙일보 (in Korean). 1 January 1982. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
