View source for Kim Yu-sin

{{Short description|Silla-era Korean general (595–673)}}
{{Multiple issues|{{More citations needed|date=July 2023}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=July 2023}}
{{Tone|date=February 2025}}}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{family name hatnote|Kim|lang=Korean}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Kim Yushin
| image              = Portrait of Kim Yushin in the famous portrait photo book of Joseon.jpg
| alt                = 
| caption            = Portrait of Kim Yu-sin in the "famous portrait photo book of Joseon" published in 1926
| birth_name         = 
| birth_date         = 595
| birth_place        = [[Jincheon County|Manno]], [[Silla]] <br />({{small|present-day}}<br>[[Jincheon County]], [[South Korea]])
| death_date         = 21 August 673
| death_place        = 
| burial_place       = [[Tomb of Kim Yu-sin]] (believed), [[Gyeongju]], South Korea
| other_names        = King Heungmu
| spouse             = Lady Jiso
| children           = 10, including [[Kim Won-sul]]
| module             = {{Infobox Korean name/auto
|child          = yes
|hangul         = %김유신
|hanja          = 金庾信
}}
}}
[[File:진주 남악서원 김유신 초상.gif|thumb|Portrait of Kim Yu-sin at Namak Seowon, Jinju]]
'''Kim Yu-sin''' ({{Korean|hangul=김유신|hanja=金庾信}}; 595 – 21 August 673) was a Korean military general and politician in 7th-century [[Silla]]. He led the unification of the [[Korean Peninsula]] by Silla under the reign of King [[Muyeol of Silla|Muyeol]] and King [[Munmu of Silla|Munmu]]. 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.

Much of what is known about Kim's life comes from the detailed account in the ''[[Samguk Sagi]]'', Yeoljeon 1-3, and the much briefer record in the ''[[Samguk Yusa]]'', vol. 1.

== Early years ==
Kim Yu-sin was the son of General Kim Seohyeon (the second son of General [[Kim Mu-ryeok]]) and [[Lady Manmyeong]], who was a daughter of Kim Sukheuljong ({{korean|hangul=김숙흘종|hanja=金肅訖宗}}), who was the younger brother of [[King Jinheung]]. He was born in Manno county ({{korean|hangul=만노군|hanja=萬弩郡|labels=no}}; present-day [[Jincheon County]]) in 595, became a [[Hwarang]] warrior at just 15 and was an accomplished swordsman and a Gukseon ({{Korean|hangul=국선|hanja=國仙}}; 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-sin's cousin, Princess Deokman, became [[Queen Seondeok]] 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-sin owned ten thousand private soldiers, won many battles against [[Baekje]] and became one of the most powerful men in Silla.

== Military accomplishments ==
[[File:Statue of Kim Yushin.jpg|thumb|right|His statue in [[Namsan (Seoul)|Namsan]] Park, Seoul, South Korea]]

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 (Korea)|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 [[Silla-Tang War|difficult conflicts]], Silla eventually forced out the Tang troops and united the peninsula under their rule.

== 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 ==
[[File:Encykorea-경주 김유신묘 정면.jpg|thumb|[[Tomb of Kim Yu-sin|Tomb that is believed to belong to Kim]]]]
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 [[Korean Peninsula]], and is the most famous of all the generals in the unification wars of the [[Three Kingdoms of Korea|Three Kingdoms]].

Kim Yu-sin was rewarded handsomely for his efforts in the campaigns. In 668, King Munmu bestowed upon him the honorary title of ''Taedaegakgan'' ({{Korean|hangul=태대각간 |hanja=太大角干|labels=no}}), 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 sword]]s 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.

[[Tomb of Kim Yu-sin|A tomb]] in Gyeongju is believed to belong to Kim, although its owner is debated by academics.<ref name=":02">{{Citation |last=김 |first=선숙 |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] |script-title=ko:경주 김유신 묘 (慶州 金庾信 墓) |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0010087 |access-date=2025-02-08 |publisher=[[Academy of Korean Studies]] |language=ko}}</ref>

== Family ==
Kim Yu-sin had two sisters, Kim Bo-hee and Kim Mun-hee. Kim Mun-hee, later known as [[Queen Munmyeong]], married Yu-sin's friend Kim Cheon-chu, [[Muyeol of Silla|King Taejong Muyeol of Silla]], who is credited for having led the unification of the Korean peninsula under [[Silla]]. Muyeol and Munmyeong were the parents of [[Munmu of Silla|King Munmu of Silla]] and [[Kim Inmun]].

Kim Yu-sin's third wife, Lady Jiso ([[Hanja]]: 智炤夫人), was the third daughter of [[Muyeol of Silla|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''', {{langx|ko|김암}})<ref name="Korea1977">{{Cite book |author=Hanʼguk Yŏnʼguwŏn (Seoul, Korea) |date=1977 |title=Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zRlCAQAAIAAJ |publisher=Korean Research Center |page=75}}</ref>

== Legacy ==
According to the ''[[Samguk sagi]]'', Kim Yu-sin and his clan were called "Kim/[[Gold]] (金)" due to the [[Heaven|heavens]] bestowing them a gold chest.<ref group="notes">{{Wikisourcelang-inline|zh|三國史記/卷28}}『三國史記』卷二十八：百濟本紀 第六

論曰：《新羅古事》云：「天降金樻，故姓金氏。」其言可怪。</ref> In another account, it also states that he was a descendant of the god [[Shaohao]].<ref group="notes">{{Wikisourcelang-inline|zh|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</ref> However, the author of ''Samguk sagi'', [[Kim Pusik]] stated that he was only adding it as a sidenote<ref group="notes">{{Wikisourcelang-inline|zh|三國史記/卷28}}『三國史記』卷二十八：百濟本紀 第六

其言可怪而不可信，臣修史，以其傳之舊，不得刪落其辭。</ref> as much of these legends are considered as an attempt of aggrandization on the basis of claiming favoritism from the heavens or being a descendent of a god. In actuality, Kim Yu-sin and his [[Gimhae Kim clan|clan]] descend from [[Suro of Geumgwan Gaya|King Suro]] and Queen [[Heo Hwang-ok]], a supposed [[Indian people|Indian]] princess. However, her unique background is also believed to be an embellishment similar to the claim surrounding Kim and the heavens or Shaohao<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2018-09-10 |title='허왕후 설화'는 어떻게 실제 역사로 둔갑했나 |url=http://www.newstof.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=937 |access-date=2020-05-18 |website=뉴스톱 |language=ko}}</ref> as it was a common practice in pre-modern history.

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.

[[Jincheon Gilsangsa]] is a shrine dedicated to his portrait in Jincheon-eup, [[Jincheon-gun]], [[North Chungcheong Province]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Gilsangsa Shirne in Jincheon|url=https://www.jincheon.go.kr/site/eng/sub.do?menukey=2680|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=10 January 2021|website=Jincheon-Gun}}</ref>
== Popular culture ==
* Portrayed by Yoon Seung-won, [[Lee Jong-soo]] and [[Lee David]] in 2006–2007 [[Seoul Broadcasting System|SBS]] TV series ''[[Yeon Gaesomun (TV series)|Yeon Gaesomun]]''.
* Portrayed by [[Uhm Tae-woong]] and [[Lee Hyun-woo (born 1993)|Lee Hyun-woo]] in the 2009 [[Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation|MBC]] TV series ''[[Queen Seondeok (TV series)|Queen Seondeok]]''.
* Portrayed by [[Park Sung-woong]] in the 2011 MBC TV series ''[[Gyebaek (TV series)|Gyebaek]]''.
* Portrayed by [[Kim Yu-seok]] and [[Noh Young-hak]] in the 2012–2013 [[KBS1]] TV series ''[[Dream of the Emperor]]''.
*Appeared in a Korean [[Massively multiplayer online role-playing game|MMORPG]] [[Atlantica Online]] as a playable mercenary character [[Hwarang]].
*Portrayed by Jang Tae Wong in the 2017 [[Korean Broadcasting System|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 ==
{{Portal|History|Biography}}
*[[Korean history]]
*[[Three Kingdoms of Korea]]
*[[Queen Seondeok (TV series)]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group=notes}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://hwarangdo.com/hrd-history/ancient-hwarang/26-chinpyong-wang-579-632/#yusin Kim Yusin]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Yu-sin}}
[[Category:595 births]]
[[Category:673 deaths]]
[[Category:Gimhae Kim clan]]
[[Category:Korean folk religion]]
[[Category:Silla generals]]
[[Category:Hwarang]]
[[Category:Military history of Korea]]
[[Category:People from Gyeongju]]
[[Category:People from Jincheon County]]
[[Category:Silla Buddhists]]
[[Category:Silla people]]