Kim Yu-sin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kim Yu-sin |
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Portrait of Kim Yu-sin in the "famous portrait photo book of Joseon" published in 1926
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| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 김유신 |
| Hanja | 金庾信 |
| Revised Romanization | Kim Yu-sin |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Yu-shin |
Kim Yu-shin (595 – 18 August 673), also known as Kim Yu-shin, was a general in 7th-century Silla. He led the unification of the Korean Peninsula by Silla under the reign of King Muyeol of Silla and King Munmu of Silla. He is said to have been the great-grandchild of King Guhae of Geumgwan Gaya, the last ruler of the Geumgwan Gaya state. This would have given him a very high position in the Silla bone rank system, which governed the political and military status that a person could attain.
Early years
He was born in Gyeyang, Jincheon County in 595, became a Hwarang warrior at just 15 and was an accomplished swordsman and a Gukseon (Hwarang leader) by the time he was 18 years old. By the age of 34 (in 629) he had been given total command of the Silla armed forces. Three years later, Kim Yu-shin's cousin, Princess Deokman, became Queen Seondeok of Silla and kept Kim Yu-sin as commander in chief of the royal army. During the reign of Queen Seondeok of Silla (632-647), Kim Yu-shin owned ten thousand private soldiers, won many battles against Baekje and became one of the most powerful man in Silla.
His final years
Throughout his life, Kim Yu-Shin 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 Korean Peninsula, and is the most famous of all the generals in the unification wars of the Three Kingdoms.
Kim Yu-Shin was rewarded handsomely for his efforts in the campaigns. In 668, King Munmu bestowed upon him the honorary title of Taedaegakgan, something like "Supreme Herald of Defense". 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-Shin 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 18 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, near Gyeongju in southeastern Korea, in a tomb as splendid as that of kings.
Legacy
According to Samguk Sagi, Kim Yu-Shin was the descendant of Shaohao.
Today, Kim Yu-Shin 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 time of King Munmu of Silla, and he was essential in unifying Silla.
Images for kids
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His statue in Namsan Park, Seoul, South Korea
See also
In Spanish: Kim Yushin para niños
