Bon-gwan

A bon-gwan (본관, Literally meaning: main family), is the concept of clan in Joseon, which is used to distinguish clans that happen to share the same family name (clan name). A majority of these bon-gwan were mercenary military forces even before the Two Warring Kingdom Period.

Membership in a bon-gwan is usually determined by blood relations and genetics, which is vital in the usage of (koren word for kekkei genkai here) and secret techniques. These attributes and abilities made many bon-gwan feared and renowned throughout many villages. While bon-gwans may be composed of many individuals and extended families, many bon-gwans mentioned and seen are somewhat limited to a nuclear family.