Same-clan marriages had been legally banned in our country. For centuries, we had had a law barring couples with the same last name and the same ancestral village from marrying. This was probably originally conceived of as a way of preventing incest, and it has developed into a strong taboo. I have two friends who suffered from the ban. One was a man who was my high school classmate; the other was a woman who lived in an apartment where I lived, too. They met at a private library and fell in love easily. But unfortunately, they had the same surname and the same family origin, the Kim clan from a village called Kimhae. Their parents found out the fact later, so my friends' parents were opposed to their match. Even the man's grandfather had forbidden their going out together. When I heard it I thought that it didn't make sense that same-clan marriages were banned.
        First, there are too many people who have the same surnames in our country. For example, people who are named Kim and Lee are very plentiful, and people who are named Park, Choi, Yu and Chong are also common. So it is easy to meet someone who has the same surname. In the case of my high school, 21 of the 47 students in my class were named Kim or Lee.
        Second, many people changed their last name during the Cho Sun Dynasty. A commoner who earned a lot of money could buy a clan register of a ruined aristocratic family at any time. Then he became an upper-class man. For instance, if a man who was named Park bought a clan register of Lee, he could have Lee as a surname. Therefore, the last name was use now may be different from that our ancestors used.
        Third, there is a disregard for the mother's family name because of the patriarchal system. For example, a newborn child gets his father's last name, Lee, not his mother's last name, Kim. Supposing that the child is a boy, when the man gets married, if his partner has Lee as her surname, they can't marry. But if she has Kim as her surname, it doesn't matter. However, both his mother and his partner have the same surname. Why isn't it banned?
        As a result of the ban, many couples with the same clan name in our country broke up or lived together quietly without getting married. Some couples waited for a chance when the government permitted same-clan marriages about once every 10 years. So many couples with the same clan name married in 1978 and 1988. However, the ban was removed several months ago. I completely agree with the end of the restriction. There is no reasonable basis for the ban in today's industrial society. It is difficult to understand in this complicated and diverse society. I think it's just an outdated custom and it shouldn't be a taboo.