Gyeongmun of Silla

48th monarch of Silla (r. 861–875)

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King Gyeongmun
경문왕
景文王

King of Silla
Reign| 861–875
Predecessor| Heonan of Silla
Successor| Heongang of Silla

Born| 846
Died| 875
Silla
Issue| Heongang of Silla
Jinseong of Silla
Jeonggang of Silla
Kung Ye (alleged)
House| Kim
Father| Kim Kye-myŏng
Mother| Lady Gwanghwa
Korean name
Hangul|

경문왕

Hanja|

景文王

RR| Gyeong Munwang
MR| Kyŏng Munwang
Birth name
Hangul|

김응렴

Hanja|

金膺廉; 金凝廉

RR| Gim Eungryeom
MR| Kim Ŭngnyŏm
Monarchs of Korea

Silla
(Post-unification)

30. Munmu 661–681
31. Sinmun 681–691
32. Hyoso 692–702
33. Seongdeok 702–737
34. Hyoseong 737–742
35. Gyeongdeok 742–765
36. Hyegong 765–780
37. Seondeok 780–785
38. Wonseong 785–798
39. Soseong 798–800
40. Aejang 800–809
41. Heondeok 809–826
42. Heungdeok 826–836
43. Huigang 836–838
44. Minae 838–839
45. Sinmu 839
46. Munseong 839–857
47. Heonan 857–861
48. Gyeongmun 861–875
49. Heongang 875–886
50. Jeonggang 886–887
51. Jinseong 887–897
52. Hyogong 897–912
53. Sindeok 912–917
54. Gyeongmyeong 917–924
55. Gyeongae 924–927
56. Gyeongsun 927–935

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Gyeongmun (846–875), personal name Kim Ŭngnyŏm, was the 48th ruler of the Koreanic kingdom Silla.[1]

## Biography

[edit]

King Gyeongmun was the grandson of King Huigang, and the son of the ichan Kim Kyemyŏng, who was also a director of the Chancellery (집사성 시중; 執事省侍中; chipsasŏng sijung). His mother was Lady Gwanghwa, the daughter of King Sinmu.

According to the Samguk yusa, when he was eighteen, he became a kukson of the hwarang.[1] In 860, when he was 15 (according to the Samguk sagi) or 20 (according to the Samguk yusa), Gyeongmun impressed King Heonan at a banquet after making a report on his travels. King Heonan gave the young hwarang an opportunity to marry one of his two daughters. On the advice of a Buddhist monk who promised he would receive three auspicious things, Gyeongmun married Queen Munui, who was the less-attractive, elder daughter. The three auspicious benefits were that he would make King Heonan and his queen happy, that he would succeed King Heonan on the throne, and finally that he would also receive the younger daughter of King Heonan, as a consort.[2]

Gyeongmun's reign saw intensifying internal strife and rebellion. In 866, ichan Yunhŭng (윤흥; 允興) and his brothers, Sukhŭng (숙흥; 叔興) and Kyehŭng (계흥; 季興) rebelled against Gyeongmun. Yunhŭng and his brothers supported the right of the descendants of Kim Kyun-jŏng (김균정; 金均貞) to the throne. Yunhŭng and his brothers were defeated and killed. In 868, ichan Kim Ye, the younger cousin of King Munseong and a descendant of Kim Kyun-jong, plotted rebellion along with Kim Hyŏn (김현; 金鉉) but they were caught and killed.[3][4] Gyeongmun sought to strengthen the kingdom within and without, but was generally unsuccessful. Famine was widespread. In 869, he sent the Crown Prince (who would become King Heongang) to Tang China together with Kim Yun.

The Samguk yusa also portrays a story about King Gyeongmun which is similar to that of King Midas' ears.[5] The Samguk yusa's mythical story claimed that King Gyeongmun had donkey-like ears, and only his crownmaker knew of the king's condition, as the king deliberately hid his ears from everyone. Unable to keep the secret, the king's crownmaker shouted the secret at a bamboo forest.[5] Following the crownmaker's death, the king noticed that when the wind blows, his secrets echo from the forest. He immediately felt unpleasant and destroyed the bamboo forest and planted dogwoods.[5]

His daughter, Jinseong, would later become Silla's 51 ruler and its 3rd and last reigning queen in 887.

## Family

[edit]

1. Queen Munui [ko] of the Kim clan (문의왕후 김씨), eldest daughter of King Heonan
1. Son: Heongang of Silla (c.861–886)
2. Son: Jeonggang of Silla (c.863–887)
3. Daughter: Jinseong of Silla
2. Secondary Consort Kim [ko] (차비 김씨; 次妃 金氏), second daughter of King Heonan

## In popular culture

[edit]

* Portrayed by Lee Seung-Yong in the 2000–2002 KBS1 TV series Taejo Wang Geon

## See also

[edit]

* King Gyeongmun's ear tale
* List of Korean monarchs
* List of Silla people
* Unified Silla

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Il-yeon: Samguk Yusa: Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea, translated by Tae-Hung Ha and Grafton K. Mintz. Book Two, page 104. Silk Pagoda (2006). ISBN 1-59654-348-5
2. ^ McBride, Richard D. (1 January 2020). "Blaming the Victim: Reconsidering Queen Chinsŏng and the Decline of Silla". The Dong Gook Sa Hak. 69 (69): 603–649\. doi:10.22912/dgsh.2020..69.603. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
3. ^ Riotto, Maurizio (2020). "The Allegory of King Kyŏngmun in the Samguk yusa". Seoul Journal of Korean Studies. 33 (1): 127–154\. doi:10.1353/seo.2020.0005. S2CID 226700388. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
4. ^ 김예. Doopedia (in Korean). Retrieved 22 December 2023.
5. ^ a b c Im, Felix (November 6, 2014). "The King Has Donkey Ears!: Even bamboo trees can't keep secrets". Korea Net. Retrieved 16 February 2024.

Gyeongmun of Silla

House of Kim

Born: 841 Died: 875

Regnal titles
Preceded by

Heonan

|  King of Silla
Silla
861–875  | Succeeded by

Heongang

Authority control databases

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