Wonseong of Silla

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wonseong of Silla
Hangul 원성왕
Hanja 元聖王
Revised Romanization Wonseong Wang
McCune-Reischauer Wŏnsŏng Wang
Birth name
Hangul 김경신
Hanja 金敬信
Revised Romanization Gim Gyeong-sin
McCune-Reischauer Kim 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 913-917
  25. Gyeongmyeong 917-924
  26. Gyeongae 924-927
  27. Gyeongsun 927-935

Wonseong of Silla (r. 785-798, d. 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 Pak Chang-do. Wonseong's queen was Lady Yeonhwa, the daughter of Gakgan Kim Sin-sul.

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.

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, the king was buried south of Bongdeoksa.

[edit] See also