📖 Origin of the Hanja
Korean Bang descends from Bang Ji (方智), who naturalized from Tang China to Silla. Onyang Bang is the largest clan seat. The hanja "方" originally depicted a plow with handles on both sides — extended to "square, direction, all four ways". The most famous bearer is Bang Jeong-hwan (1899-1931), founder of Korea's Children's Day and Saekdong Society — the father of the Korean children's rights movement. The word "어린이" (child as person, not chattel) that he coined remains the everyday term today.
🏯 Main Clans (Bongwan)
※ Bongwan refers to the ancestral home where the founder settled. Same surname, different bongwan = different clan branch.
🌟 Famous Figures
""方" — four directions. One who looks only one way is narrow; one who sees all four is a gentleman."
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