Kim Yu-sin
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Kim Yushin | |
---|---|
Born | 595 |
Died | 21 August 673 |
Burial place | Gyeongju, South Korea |
Other names | King Heungmu |
Spouse | Lady Jiso |
Children | 10, including Kim Won-sul |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 김유신 |
Hanja | |
Revised Romanization | Gim Yu-sin |
McCune–Reischauer | Kim Yu-sin |
Kim Yu-sin (595 – 21 August 673) was a Korean military general and politician in 7th-century
Much of what is known about Kim's life comes from the detailed account in the
Early years
Kim Yu-sin was the son of General Kim Seohyeon (the second son of General
Military accomplishments
Kim Yu-sin's first military engagement in command is believed to have occurred around 629 AD, and through it he quickly proved his capabilities as a warrior. Silla was in a constant struggle with its neighbor to the west, Baekje, over territory. There had been gains and losses on both sides, and the struggle lasted for many years. It was during this period that Yu-sin rose through the ranks of the military, rising to the position of general and becoming a skilled field commander.
Baekje and Silla had formed an alliance to counter Goguryeo's power and its intentions to push southwards, and together they launched a successful attack on it, Silla taking the northern territory and Baekje the one south of the Han river. But Silla broke the alliance and attacked Baekje in order to claim both territories for itself. After this betrayal, Baekje allied with Goguryeo. When Goguryeo and Baekje attacked Silla in 655, Silla joined forces with Tang dynasty China to battle the invaders. Although it is not clear when Kim Yu-sin first became a general, he was certainly commanding the Silla forces by this time. Eventually, with the help of a 50,000 man Silla army and some 130,000 Tang forces, Yushin attacked the Baekje capital, Sabi, in 660, in the Battle of Hwangsanbeol.
The Baekje defenders were commanded by General Gyebaek, but the Baekje forces only consisted of about 5,000 men and were no match for Yu-sin's warriors, which numbered about ten times as many. Baekje, which had already been experiencing internal political problems, crumbled. Kim Yu-sin's Silla forces and their Tang allies now moved on Goguryeo from two directions, and in 661 they attacked the seemingly impregnable Goguryeo kingdom, but were repelled. The attack had weakened Goguryeo, though. In 667 another offensive was launched which, in 668, finally destroyed Goguryeo.
Silla still had to subdue various pockets of resistance, but their efforts were then focused on ensuring that their Tang allies did not overstay their welcome on the peninsula. After some
Legends
Many legends exist about Kim Yu-sin. One legend states that Kim was once ordered to subdue a rebel army, but his troops refused to fight as they had seen a large star fall from the sky and took this to be a bad omen. To regain the confidence of his troops, the General used a large kite to carry a fire ball into the sky. The soldiers, seeing the star return to heaven, rallied and defeated the rebels. Other legends mention how General Kim ingeniously used kites as a means of communication between his troops when they had become divided between islands and the mainland.
Kim Yu-sin once spent the night at a courtesan's tavern, and when his mother learned of this, she cried and asked Kim Yu-sin to never again set his foot in that kind of place. One night, Kim Yu-sin was very drunk, and his horse took him to the courtesan's house. When Kim Yu-sin woke, he was angry at having broken his promise to his mother and slit the horse's throat.
His final years
Throughout his life, Kim Yu-sin felt that Baekje, Goguryeo, and Silla should not be separate countries but rather united as one. He is regarded as the driving force in the unification of the
Kim Yu-sin was rewarded handsomely for his efforts in the campaigns. In 668, King Munmu bestowed upon him the honorary title of Taedaegakgan (태대각간; 太大角干), something like "Supreme Herald of Defense" (literally "greatest-great-trumpet-shield"). He reportedly received a village of over 500 households, and in 669 was given some 142 separate horse farms, spread throughout the kingdom. He died four years later, leaving behind ten children.
Kim Yu-sin lived to the age of 79 and is considered to be one of the most famous generals and masters of Korean swords in Korean history. He is the focus of numerous stories and legends, and is familiar to most Koreans from a very early age. Following his death on 21 August (the 1st day of the 7th lunar month) 673, General Kim was awarded the honorary title of King Heungmu, and was buried at the foot of Songhwa Mountain, 35°50′44″N 129°11′28″E / 35.8456477°N 129.1911292°E near Gyeongju in southeastern Korea, in a tomb as splendid as that of kings.
Family
Kim Yu-sin had two sisters, Kim Bo-hee and Kim Mun-hee. Kim Mun-hee, later known as
Kim Yu-sin's third wife, Lady Jiso (Hanja:智炤夫人), was the third daughter of King Muyeol of Silla. Yu-sin had ten children. His second son, Kim Won-sul, would later play a central role in completing the independence of Silla from the Tang dynasty.
- Wife: Lady Jiso, daughter of King Muyeol of Silla and Queen Munmyeong
- Son: Kim Sam-gwang (김삼광)
- Son: Kim Won-sul
- Son: Kim Won-jeong (김원정)
- Son: Kim Jang-yi (김장이)
- Son: Kim Won-mang (김원망)
- Daughter: Lady Kim of the Gimhae Kim clan (김해 김씨)
- Daughter: Lady Kim of the Gimhae Kim clan (김해 김씨)
- Daughter: Lady Kim of the Gimhae Kim clan (김해 김씨)
- Daughter: Lady Kim of the Gimhae Kim clan (김해 김씨)
- Wife: Cheon Gwan-nyeo – Courtesan
- Son: Kim Gun-seung (김군승) or Kim Si-deuk (김시득)
- Grandson: Kim Am (also Gim Am, Korean: 김암)[1]
Legacy
According to
Today, Kim Yu-sin is remembered by Koreans as one of the greatest generals in Korean history. His ultimate legacy is the first unification of the Korean nation. One of his ten children, his second son Kim Won-sul, became a general during the reign of King Munmu and was essential in unifying Silla.
Popular culture
- Portrayed by Yoon Seung-won, Lee Jong-soo and Lee David in 2006–2007 SBS TV series Yeon Gaesomun.
- Portrayed by Lee Hyun-woo in the 2009 MBC TV series Queen Seondeok.
- Portrayed by Park Sung-woong in the 2011 MBC TV series Gyebaek.
- Portrayed by KBS1 TV series Dream of the Emperor.
- Appeared in a Korean MMORPG Atlantica Online as a playable mercenary character Hwarang.
- Portrayed by Jang Tae Wong in the 2017 KBS TV series Chronicles of Korea.
Sources
- McBride, Richard D., II. “Hidden Agendas in the Life Writings of Kim Yusin.” Acta Koreana 1 (August 1998): 101–142.
- McBride, Richard D., II. “The Structure and Sources of the Biography of Kim Yusin.” Acta Koreana 16, no. 2 (December 2013): 497–535.
See also
- Korean history
- Three Kingdoms of Korea
- Queen Seondeok (TV series)
Notes
- ^ Chinese Wikisource has original text related to this article: 三國史記/卷41『三國史記』列傳 第一:金庾信 上
- 金庾信 王京人也 十二世祖首露 不知何許人也 以後漢建武十八年壬寅 登龜峯 望駕洛九村 遂至其地 開國 號曰加耶 後改爲金官國 其子孫相承 至九世孫仇亥 或云仇次休 於庾信爲曾祖 羅人自謂少昊金天氏之後 故姓金 庾信碑亦云 軒轅之裔 少昊之胤 則南加耶始祖首露 與新羅同姓也
References
- ^ Hanʼguk Yŏnʼguwŏn (Seoul, Korea) (1977). Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities. Korean Research Center. p. 75.
- ^ "Gilsangsa Shirne in Jincheon". Jincheon-Gun. Retrieved 10 January 2021.