Hogong was a minister of

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of K ...

in the age of nation-building. It is recorded that he was originally from the

Wa people The Wa people ( Wa: Vāx; my, ဝလူမျိုး, ; ; th, ว้า) are a Southeast Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in Northern Myanmar, in the northern part of Shan State and the eastern part of Kachin State, near and along Myanm ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, though his family name or clan name was unknown to the compiler of the Historical Records of the Three Kingdoms. 三國史記卷第一新羅本紀第一始祖赫居世, 「瓠公者未詳其族姓本倭人初以瓠繫腰渡海而來故稱瓠公」 He was called Hogong (meaning "Duke Bottle Gourd") because he was wearing one or more

bottle gourd Calabash (; ''Lagenaria siceraria''), also known as bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, long melon, birdhouse gourd, New Guinea bean, Tasmania bean, and opo squash, is a vine grown for its fruit. It can be either harvested young to be consumed ...

s on his waist when he first came across the sea. He was a very important person in initial Silla because he appeared in stories of primogenitors of all royal families. *In 20 BC,

Hyeokgeose of Silla Hyeokgeose of Silla (69 BC – 4 AD, r. 57 BC–4 AD), also known by his personal full name as Bak (Park, Pak) Hyeokgeose (朴赫居世), was the founding monarch of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the progenitor of all B ...

(박혁거세) dispatched him to

Mahan confederacy Mahan () was a loose confederacy of statelets that existed from around the 1st century BC to 5th century AD in the southern Korean peninsula in the Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces. Gina Lee Barnes, 《State Formation in Korea: Historical and A ...

. The king of Mahan scolded him on account of the fact that Silla had not sent tribute, but Hogong criticized the king's impoliteness with fortitude. The king became angry at Hogong and tried to kill him, but surrounding subordinates stopped the king, and he was permitted his homecoming. *In 58, he assumed the position of the minister's first rank. *In 65, he discovered

Kim Alji Gim Alji(Kim Alti) (, 金閼智; 65–?) was a historical figure in Korean history. His descendants formed the Gim royal clan of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. His legendary birth is said to have occurred during the reign of Silla's f ...

, who would become primogenitor of the Kim royal clan of Silla, in the forest of

Gyerim The Gyerim is a small woodland in Gyeongju National Park, Gyeongju, South Korea. The name literally means "rooster forest." The grove lies near the old site of the Silla kingdom palace in central Gyeongju. Nearby landmarks include the Banwolseong ...

Popular culture

* Portrayed by

Lee Byung-joon Lee Byung-joon (; born January 27, 1964) is a South Korean actor. Active in film, television and theater since 1985, Lee is best known for his supporting roles in ''A Bloody Aria'' (2006), '' Highway Star'' (2007), and ''Eye for an Eye'' (2008). ...

in the 2016-2017

KBS2 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...

TV series '' Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth''.

References

History of Korea Silla