Hyegong of Silla

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Hyegong of Silla
Hangul:	혜공왕
Hanja:	惠恭王
Revised Romanization:	Hyegong Wang
McCune-Reischauer:	Hyegong Wang
Birth name
Hangul:	김건운
Hanja:	金乾運
Revised Romanization:	Gim Geon-un
McCune-Reischauer:	Kim Kŏnun

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 913-917 54. Gyeongmyeong 917-924 55. Gyeongae 924-927 56. Gyeongsun 927-935

Hyegong of Silla (756-780, r. 765-780) was the 36th ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was the son of King Gyeongdeok by Lady Manwol. Hyegong was the last descendant of King Muyeol to sit on the throne. Because of this, his reign is often regarded as the end of the middle period of the Silla state.

Hyegong became king at the age of 8, and did not adapt well to the role. According to the Samguk Sagi, as a young man Hyegong's dissolute life kept the palace in disarray. He faced rebellions led by high officials in 768, 770 and 775. Faced in 780 with another rebellion, by his ichan Kim Ji-jeong, the king dispatched sangdaedeung Kim Yang-sang to put down the uprising. However, the rebel forces stormed the palace and slew the king and queen. Kim Yang-sang, who was an eleventh-generation descendant of King Naemul, then took the throne as King Seondeok.