# Im (surname)

Im or Lim (Korean: 임) is a common Korean family name. The surname is identical to the Chinese character of the same name. According to the initial law of the Korean language, both "Im" and "Lim" are interchangeable.

## History

The first clan branch is the Supul Rim (수풀 림, meaning "Forest-Rim") and its Hanja character is 林. The Supul Rim or Lim or Im branch consists of two large clan houses; the first is Naju (early Hoijin) and the second, which is the elder branch, is Pyeongtaek. Members of this branch often write their names as both 임 (Im; more common) and 림 (Rim or Lim; initial law). The character 林 means "forest".
The second clan branch is the Matgil Im (맡길 임) or Mateul Im (맡을 임) and its Hanja character is 任. The Matgil Im/Mateul Im branch consists of one large clan house called Pungcheon Im clan and a smaller clan house called Jangheung (장흥). Members of this clan branch both write and pronounce their names as 임 (Im). The character 任 means "trusted/to bear, duty".

## Romanization

When 林 (림 or 임) is romanized, it is spelled as "Rim" or "Im" in McCune–Reischauer and Revised Romanization of Korean, as "Lim".
When 任 (임) is romanized, it is spelled as "Im" both in McCune–Reischauer and Revised Romanization of Korean, or sometimes spelled "Yim".
Statistics from the year 2000 show that there were 762,767 수풀 림 (林, Rim) and 172,726 맡길 임 (任, Im) in South Korea.

## Notable people of the past

The following is a list of notable people of the past with the Korean family name Im/Lim/Rim.
* Im Sa-hong (1445–1506), Korean scholar official
* Im Kkeokjeong (1521–1562), leader of the Hwanghae peasant rebellion
* Im Che (1549–1587), Korean Confucianist nobleman
* Im Gyeong-eop (1594–1646), Korean general
* Im Yunjidang (1721–1793), Korean writer and neo-Confucian philosopher
* Im Sang-ok (1779–1885), Korean trader

## Notable people of the recent times

* I.M (born Im Chang-kyun, 1996), South Korean rapper, member of boy band Monsta X
* Im Chang-jung (born 1973), South Korean singer-songwriter and actor
* Dami Im (born 1988), Australian-Korean singer and songwriter
* Taebin (born Danny Im, 1980), Korean-American singer
* Im Do-hwa (born 1996), South Korean singer and actress
* Im Dong-hyun (born 1986), South Korean archer
* Im Heung-soon (born 1969), South Korean artist and director
* Im Hyun-sik (singer) (born 1992), South Korean singer, member of boy band BtoB
* Im Jae-hyuk (born 1994), South Korean actor
* Nana (entertainer) (born Im Jin-ah, 1991), South Korean singer, actress, and model
* Im Kwon-taek (born 1934), South Korean film director
* Nayeon (born Im Na-yeon, 1995), South Korean singer, member of girl group Twice
* Im Sang-soo (born 1962), South Korean film director
* Im Se-mi (born 1987), South Korean actress
* Im Si-wan (born 1988), South Korean singer and actor, member of boy band ZE:A
* NC.A (born Im So-eun, 1996), South Korean singer
* Im Soo-hyang (born 1990), South Korean actress
* Im Soo-jung (born 1979), South Korean actress
* Im Sung-han (born 1960), South Korean television screenwriter
* Im Sung-jae (born 1988), South Korean professional golfer
* Im Won-sik (1919–2002), Korean conductor, composer, and educator
* Im Yoon-ah (born 1990), South Korean singer and actress, member of girl group Girls' Generation
* Lim Chang-yong (born 1976), South Korean baseball player
* Dong-Hyek Lim (born 1984), South Korean classical pianist
* Lee Do-hyun (born Lim Dong-Hyun, 1995), South Korean actor
* Lim Dong-won (born 1934), retired South Korean politician
* Lim Eun-ji (born 1989), South Korean pole vaulter
* Lim Hyo-jun (born 1996), South Korean-born Chinese short track speed skater
* Lim Hyung-joo (born 1986), South Korean operatic pop tenor and classical crossover singer
* Jay B (born Lim Jae-beom, 1994), South Korean singer and actor, member of boy band Got7
* Lim Ji-yeon (born 1990), South Korean actress
* Lim Jeong-hee (born 1981), South Korean singer
* Lim Jeong-hyun (born 1984), South Korean guitarist
* Lim Ju-hwan (born 1982), South Korean actor
* Lim Na-young (born 1995), South Korean singer
* Lim Seul-ong (born 1987), South Korean singer and actor, member of boy band 2AM
* Beenzino (born Lim Sungbin, 1987), South Korean rapper
* Lim Sung-jin (born 1999), South Korea volleyball player
* Lim Yo-hwan (born 1980), South Korean former professional StarCraft player
* Lim Young-woong (born 1991), South Korean singer
* Yunchan Lim (born 2004), South Korean pianist
* Rhim Ju-yeon (born 1976), South Korean comics writer
* Rim Jong-sim (born 1993), North Korean retired weightlifter
* Sunhae Im (born 1976), South Korean opera soprano
* Yim Bang-eun (born 1978), South Korean badminton player
* Yim Soon-rye (born 1961), South Korean film director
* Yim Sung-ah (born 1984), South Korean professional golfer