Hwang

Hwang is a Korean surname. In Hangul, it is 황, and the most common hanja used for this name is 黃, meaning yellow or gold. In English, the name is usually romanized as Hwang under the Revised Romanization of Korean; alternative spellings such as Whang or Whong appear in various contexts, reflecting different romanization systems and personal preference.

The surname is borne by many Koreans and members of the Korean diaspora. It comprises multiple bon-gwan (clan origins), indicating ancestral seats rather than geographic descent alone. Because of this, lineages are diverse, and the Hwang surname is not tied to a single origin.

Notable people with the surname include Hwang Dong-hyuk, a film director and screenwriter known for creating the television series Squid Game; Hwang Woo-suk, a scientist involved in stem cell research controversy; and Hwang Kyo-ahn, a politician who served as prime minister and acting president. These figures illustrate the surname’s presence across various fields in Korean society.

As with many Korean surnames, romanization varies in the diaspora, and individuals with the surname may spell it differently in English. The Hwang surname is related in cross-cultural contexts to other East Asian surnames that are romanized as Wang or Wong in different languages, but the Korean form remains distinct.