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)
Munmu 661-681 Sinmun 681-691 Hyoso 692-702 Seongdeok 702-737 Hyoseong 737-742 Gyeongdeok 742-765 Hyegong 765-780 Seondeok 780-785 Wonseong 785-798 Soseong 798-800 Aejang 800-809 Heondeok 809-826 Heungdeok 826-836 Huigang 836-838 Minae 838-839 Sinmu 839 Munseong 839-857 Heonan 857-861 Gyeongmun 861-875 Heongang 875-886 Jeonggang 886-887 Jinseong 887-897 Hyogong 897-912 Sindeok 913-917 Gyeongmyeong 917-924 Gyeongae 924-927 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.