Kim Bu-sik
| Kim Bu-sik | |
| Hangul | 김부식 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 金富軾 |
| Revised Romanization | Gim Busik |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Pusik |
| Pen name | |
| Hangul | 뇌천 |
| Hanja | 雷川 |
| Revised Romanization | Noecheon |
| McCune–Reischauer | Noech'ŏn |
| Courtesy name | |
| Hangul | 입지 |
| Hanja | 立之 |
| Revised Romanization | Ipji |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ipchi |
Kim Busik (1075–1151) was an official and a scholar during Korea's Goryeo period. He is best known for compiling the Samguk Sagi, the oldest extant record of Korean history.
In 1075 Kim Bu-Sik was born into the family name of Kim in the city of Kyeonju, Goryeo. He was the fourth son of Kim Kun. Kim Busik was also the great-grandson of Kim Wi-yeong, who was submitted to the Goryeo Dynasty court that replaced Unified Silla, becoming the governor of Gyeongju Province. Kim Busik's father and three brothers were also officials of the Goryeo court. Ever since he was a child in Kyeonju he was well known as one of the most brilliant children in the town including his brothers, Kim Bu-Sik passed the governmental test in order to become a politician in the year of 1096. Even after he became a politician, he has passed more governmental tests to accomplish a higher position in the government. While he was a politician, he taught the prince and princesses on Confucianism. He often suggested Juyeok. Juyeok is a Korean philosophy on how to eliminate any possible bad energies, and bring a good fortune and realistic solutions into Korea. Although he was a practicing Buddhist, and he supported Confucianism over Buddhism as the guiding principle of governance.
In 1121 Kim Busik was appointed as Royal Diarist, or ji, to the court of Emperor Yejong. In 1123, along with two other historians, was charged with preparing Yejong's Veritable Records (Sillok). In 1135, when the rebellion led by Myuchung who was a monk, went against his views the king embraced to rule the country of Goryeo. Kim Bu-Sik suppressed the rebellion by using his own military strategy. With this accomplishment, he became the most successful and realistic leader in the Goryeo period. Though in 1142 when revolutionists started taking control over the government, he had no choice but to resign his position of government. Ever since then, he wrote Samguk Sagi which is also known as “The History of the Three Kingdoms of Korea”, which had played a very important role in providing people with the information of early life of Koreans and also the norm of the society, in the ancient period of the three divided countries of Chosun. Which is also known as early Korea.
Kim Bu-Sik, has given descendants the knowledge of the root of Korean history. He also gave the wisdom of how to live through modesty and "Jung”. Jung is the lifestyle of Koreans that refers to the ones who live by taking care of each other genuinely.