Hyegong (758–780), personal name Kim Kŏn-un, was the 36th ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. Being the only child between King Gyeongdeok and Lady Manwol (Queen Gyeongsu), Hyegong was the last descendant of King Muyeol to sit on the throne. Because of this, Hyegong's reign is often regarded as the end of the middle period of the Silla state.
| King Hyegong 혜공왕 惠恭王 | |
|---|---|
| King of Silla | |
| Reign | 765–780 |
| Coronation | 765 |
| Predecessor | Gyeongdeok of Silla |
| Successor | King Seondeok of Silla |
| Born | 758 |
| Died | 780 (aged 21–22) Silla |
| Father | Gyeongdeok of Silla |
| Mother | Queen Gyeongsu |
| 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 Geonun |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Kŏnun |
Hyegong became king at the age of 8, and did not adapt well to the role.[1] According to the Samguk sagi, Hyegong's dissolute life as a young monarch kept the palace in disarray. They faced rebellions led by high officials (Kim Daegong and others) in 768, 770 and 775. Faced in 780 with another rebellion led by his ichan Kim Chi-jŏng, the monarch dispatched sangdaedeung Kim Yang-sang to put down the uprising, but the rebel forces managed to storm the palace and assassinated Hyegong and other royal family members.[2] Kim Yang-sang, who was an eleventh-generation descendant of King Naemul, then took the throne as King Seondeok.[3]
Records show that Hyegong's behaviour was effeminate and showed either homosexual or bisexual tendency.[4] Records have traditionally described the monarch as "a man by appearance but a woman by nature". In Dongsa Gangmok, Ahn Jeong-bok described Hyegong's reign as "peculiar, for it was said that the king became a man as a woman, and for the king played with girl's toys as a child."[5] Today's historians often speculate that Hyegong was a trans woman.[6]
Family
edit- Grandfather: Seongdeok of Silla (reigned 702–737)
- Grandmother: Queen Sodeok (소덕왕후 김씨), of the Kim clan
- Father: Gyeongdeok of Silla
- Mother: Queen Gyeongsu, of the Kim clan
- Wife:
- Queen Wi, of the Wi clan (신파부인 위씨)
- Queen Changchang, of the Kim clan ( 창창부인 김씨), daughter of Kim Chang (김장)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ 김, 동완 (July 30, 2021). [삼국유사 오디세이] 34. 황복사탑이 혜공왕을 점지한 천궁이었을까. 경북일보. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ 김, 동완 (July 30, 2021). [삼국유사 오디세이] 34. 황복사탑이 혜공왕을 점지한 천궁이었을까. 경북일보. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ^ 혜공왕(惠恭王). Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-05-13.
- ^ 김, 부식. 삼국사기·삼국유사(이병도 역) (in Korean).
- ^ 한국고전종합DB. db.itkc.or.kr. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
- ^ 누가 혜공왕을 시해했을까. h21.hani.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2021-05-20.
 | This Korean history-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |