Hwang, occasionally spelled Whang, and in few cases Whong is a common Korean family name. Hwang is the equivalent of the Chinese surname Huang. Hwangs make up roughly 1.5% of the Korean population; the 2000 South Korean census found 644,294 in that country. The Chinese character for Hwang used most commonly literally means "yellow","golden","brown; however, originally, the Chinese character for Hwang used to be "皇", which means "emperor". The latter character represents the origins of the surname. The character was later changed during the Joseon Dynasty after the ruling family, Yi or Lee, ordered the change due to their newly founded status as the monarch of the Korean peninsula.

People with the surname

• Dennis Hwang, Korean American graphic artist
• Hwang Jang-Lee - South Korean martial artist and film actor
• Hwang Jin-i, a legendary kisaeng of the Joseon Dynasty
• Hwang Jung-Oh - South Korean judoka
• Hwang Sae-Jun - South Korean Celeb
• Hwang Mi-ri, South Korean manhwa artist
• Sang Hwang, Korean American politician in Florida
• Hwang Sun-Hong - South Korean football player
• Hwang Sun-won, South Korean author and a defining figure of modern Korean literature
• Hwang Young-Cho, South Korean athlete
• Tim (singer) Timothy Hwang-Youngmin, aka Tim, a South Korean singer
• Dr. Goldfield Hwang, Toronto health store owner & herbalist often seen on the reality program Kenny Vs Spenny
• Lexy (singer), a South Korean singer
• Hwang Yu Mi, badminton player

Fictional characters with the surname

• Hwang Seong-gyeong, a recurring video game character who first appeared in Soul Edge

See also

• List of Korean family names
• Korean name
• Korean culture

References