Kim Yongchun (김용춘, 金龍春, 578–647) was member 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 ...
Royal Family,
Hwarang
Hwarang, also known as Hwarang Corps, and Flowering Knights, were an elite warrior group of male youth in Silla, an ancient kingdom of the Korean Peninsula that lasted until the 10th century. There were educational institutions as well as social ...
and Gukseon (國仙) from 596 to 603.
He was the son of King Jinji and brother-in-law of
Princess Cheonmyeong through his brother, Kim Yongsu. He served as a minister during
King Jinpyeong's reign and served as a
Sangdaedeung {{Short description, Office of the Silla state in Korea
Sangdaedeung (상대등, 上大等, the First of Daedeungs or Peers, Extraordinary Rank One) was an office of the Silla state. It was considered as the highest and most prestigious office that ...
for
Queen Seondeok
Queen Seondeok of Silla ( ko, 선덕여왕 ; 595~610 – 17 February 647/January 8, Lunar Calendar) reigned as Queen Regnant of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, from 632 to 647. She was Silla's twenty-seventh ruler, and its first re ...
. He went on to marry Princess Cheonmyeong later on, in order to fulfill his brother's dying wish.
It is said that Princess Cheonmyeong was in love with him. When the talk of her marriage had come, the Queen asked her if there is anyone on her mind. Princess Cheonmyeong tried to say "Kim Yongchun" but she stuttered and so, her mother thought that she was talking about Kim Yongsu (Kim Yongchu's older brother). Kim Yonsu was aware of Princess Cheonmyeong's feelings for his brother and asked him to marry her instead. But Kim Yongchun refused out of respect for his brother who might end up a laughing-stock. Queen Maya asked him as well but he still refused with the same reason. And so, Princess Cheonmyeong and Kim Yongsu got married.
Years had passed and Kim Yongsu fell ill and, on his deathbed, asked his brother once again to marry Princess Cheonmyeong as his dying wish and to take care of his son as Kim Yongchu's own. Kim Yongchu agreed, married Princess Cheonmyeong, and took Kim Chunchu as his son.
After Kim Chunchu (the son of Kim Yongsu (金龍樹)) ascended the throne as
King Muyeol of Silla
King Taejong Muyeol (604–661), born Gim Chunchu, was the 29th ruler of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He is credited for leading the unification of Korea's Three Kingdoms.
Background
King Taejong Muyeol was born with the "sacred ...
, Kim Yongchun was given the honorific title of "King Munheung" (문흥대왕, 文興大王) in 654.
Popular culture
* Portrayed by
Jung Dong-hwan
Jung Dong-hwan (born August 5, 1949) is a South Korean actor. Jung began his career in theater, then was most active in Korean cinema in the 1980s, with leading roles in ''Late Autumn'' (1982), ''Jung-kwang's Nonsense'' (1986), and ''A Top Knot ...
in the 2012-2013
KBS1
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 ''
The King's Dream
''Dream of the Emperor'' () is a South Korean television series that aired on KBS1 from September 8, 2012 to June 9, 2013 on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:40 for 70 episodes.
Plot
Kim Chun-chu is the grandson of King Jinji, but when his grandfat ...
''.
References
*Samguk Yusa: Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea, translated by Tae-Hung Ha and Grafton K. Mintz. Yonsei University Press: Seoul, Korea.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Yongchun
Silla people