Wonseong of Silla

Not to be confused with the mid-late Goryeo Queen Consort as the third wife of Hyeonjong of Goryeo, Queen Wonseong.
King Wonseong
원성왕
元聖王
Bunhwangsa Hogukyongbyeoneojeong
King of Silla
Reign785–798
Coronation785
PredecessorKing Seondeok of Silla
SuccessorSoseong of Silla
Bornc.730s
DiedFebruary 12, 799/December 29 798, Lunar Calendar
Silla
Burial
Tomb of King Wonseong, Gyeongju
Posthumous name
King Wonseong (元聖王, 원성왕)
Temple name
Liezu (烈祖, 열조)
FatherKim Hyo-yang
MotherLady Gye-o
Wonseong of Silla
Hangul
원성왕
Hanja
元聖王
Revised RomanizationWonseong Wang
McCune–ReischauerWŏnsŏng Wang
Birth name
Hangul
김경신
Hanja
金敬信
Revised RomanizationGim Gyeongsin
McCune–ReischauerKim Kyŏngsin
Monarchs of Korea
Silla
(Post-unification)
  1. Munmu 661–681
  2. Sinmun 681–691
  3. Hyoso 692–702
  4. Seongdeok 702–737
  5. Hyoseong 737–742
  6. Gyeongdeok 742–765
  7. Hyegong 765–780
  8. Seondeok 780–785
  9. Wonseong 785–798
  10. Soseong 798–800
  11. Aejang 800–809
  12. Heondeok 809–826
  13. Heungdeok 826–836
  14. Huigang 836–838
  15. Minae 838–839
  16. Sinmu 839
  17. Munseong 839–857
  18. Heonan 857–861
  19. Gyeongmun 861–875
  20. Heongang 875–886
  21. Jeonggang 886–887
  22. Jinseong 887–897
  23. Hyogong 897–912
  24. Sindeok 912–917
  25. Gyeongmyeong 917–924
  26. Gyeongae 924–927
  27. Gyeongsun 927–935

Wonseong (r. 785–798,[1] died 798) was the 38th to rule the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was a twelfth-generation descendant of King Naemul. His father was Kim Hyo-yang, and his mother was Lady Gye-o, the daughter of Park Chang-do. Wonseong's queen was Lady Yeonhwa, the daughter of Gakgan Kim Sin-sul.

Wonseong of Silla ruled out the Resolution of the Ji-jeong with the Yang-sang in 780 before becoming king. He killed Hyegong of Silla and contributed to the throne. From this point of view, he is a figure closely related to his appearance and has been opposed to the monarchy of the royal family since King Gyeongdeok. Hyegong of Silla was appointed to Sangdaedeung in 780 (King Seongdeok 1) for his work to calm down the turmoil at the end of King Hyegong's reign.[2]

In 780, Wonseong fought alongside his kinsman Kim Yang-sang to defeat the rebellion of Kim Ji-jeong. The rebellion left King Hyegong dead, and Kim took the throne as King Seondeok. The new king gave Wonseong the title of sangdaedeung. After Seondeok died without an heir, the nobles chose Wonseong as the new king.[3]

In 787, Wonseong sent tribute to Tang China and requested a title. In 788, he established the national civil service examination for the first time, on the Tang model.

After his death in 798,[4] the king was buried south of Bongdeoksa.

  1. ^ 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 96. Silk Pagoda (2006). ISBN 1-59654-348-5
  2. ^ 원성왕(元聖王). Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-06-24.
  3. ^ 김, 동완 (July 22, 2020). [삼국유사 오디세이] 10. 원성왕의 무혈쿠테타. 경북일보. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  4. ^ "[Visual History of Korea] Sogdian traders in Silla, the eastern end of the Silk Road". Korean Herald. October 22, 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2024.