Suro (수로) or Sureung (posthumous name: 수릉, 首陵, 42?–199), commonly called Gim Suro, was the legendary founder and Hero King of

Geumgwan Gaya Geumgwan Gaya (43–532), also known as Bon-Gaya (본가야, 本伽倻, "original Gaya") or Garakguk (가락국, "Garak State"), was the ruling city-state of the Gaya confederacy during the Three Kingdoms of Korea, Three Kingdoms Period in Korea. ...

(43–532), in southeastern

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

.King Gim Suro
at Britannica Korea

Family

*Wife:

Heo Hwang-ok A commemorative Rs. 25.00 postage stamp on Princess Suriratna (Queen Heo Hwang-ok ) was issued by India in 2019. A commemorative Rs. 5.00 postage stamp on Queen Heo Hwang-ok (Suriratna) was issued by India in 2019. Heo Hwang-ok, also known a ...

(허황옥, 許黃玉) / Suriratna **1st son: King Geodeung (거등왕, 居登王) **2nd son: Prince Geochil of the Heo clan (거칠군 허씨, 居漆君許氏) **3rd son: Prince Seongyeong of the Heo clan (선견왕자 허씨, 仙見王子許氏) **seven other sons (all becomes buddhist: Haejin (혜진, 慧眞); Gakcho (각초, 覺初); Jigam (지감, 智鑑); Deungyeon (등연, 等演); Dumu (두무, 杜武); Jeonghong (정홍, 淨洪); Gyejang (계장, 戒莊)) **1st daughter: Princess Yeongan (영안공주, 永安公主) – married Bae Yeolmun (배열문, 裴烈文). **2nd daughter: Lady Jijinnaerye of the Gim clan (지진내례부인 김씨, 只珍內禮夫人金氏) – married Seok Guchu (석구추, 昔仇鄒).

Legend

According to the founding legend of Geumgwan Gaya, which was recorded in the 13th century texts of the chronicle ''

Garakguk-gi ''Garakguk''-gi ( ko, 가락국기) is a lost book that is referenced in the Korean history book '' Samguk yusa''. Description According to ''Samguk yusa'', it was written by Geumguanjijusa(金官州知事) in the reign of Munjong of the Gorye ...

'' (Hangul: 가락국기, Hanja: 駕洛國記) and was cited in ''

Samguk Yusa ''Samguk yusa'' () or ''Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms'' is a collection of legends, folktales and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla), as well as to other periods and states before, duri ...

'', when the people who were commanded by heaven performed ancestral rites, danced and sang, a gold bowl wrapped in red cloth came down from heaven. There were six eggs in them, and 12 days later six princes were born from the eggs. Suro was the firstborn among them and led the others in setting up six states while asserting the leadership of the

Gaya confederacy Gaya (, ) was a Korean confederacy of territorial polities in the Nakdong River basin of southern Korea, growing out of the Byeonhan confederacy of the Samhan period. The traditional period used by historians for Gaya chronology is AD 42–53 ...

.King Gim Suro
at Encyclopedia of Korean Culture Also according to legend, King Suro's wife, Heo Hwang-ok or Suriratna was a princess from a distant country called Ayuta 아유타, 阿踰, also implied to be in India. The legend as a whole is seen as indicative of the early view of kings as descended from heaven. Notably, a number of Korean Kingdoms besides the Gaya, made foundation legends with ties to chickens and eggs.

Jumong Chumo (Hangul: 추모, Hanja: 鄒牟), posthumously Chumo the Holy (Hangul: 추모성왕, Hanja: 鄒牟聖王), was the founding monarch of the kingdom of Goguryeo, and was worshipped as a god-king by the people of Goguryeo and Goryeo. ''Chumo ...

, the founding King of

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled most ...

, is said to have been born from an egg laid by

Lady Yuhwa Habaengnyeo () or Habaengnyeorang () was the daughter of Habaek (), and the mother of Chumo the Holy of Goguryeo, the founder of the kingdom of Goguryeo. She was also given the name Yuhwa () in ''Samguk Sagi'' and ''Samguk Yusa''. Mythological ...

; Park Hyeokgeose, the first King 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 ...

(or Saro-guk) is said to have hatched from an egg discovered in a well; and

Gim Al-ji 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 ...

, the progenitor of the Gim dynasty of

, is said to have been discovered in Gyerim Forest by

Hogong Hogong was a minister of Silla in the age of nation-building. It is recorded that he was originally from the Wa people of Japan, though his family name or clan name was unknown to the compiler of the Historical Records of the Three Kingdoms. � ...

in a golden box, where a rooster was crowing. Aspects of the legend have been mined for information about the customs of Gaya, of which little is known.

Incorporation of tomb into the Silla ancestor worship

At the time of

King Munmu Munmu of Silla (626–681; reigned 661–681) was the 30th king of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He is usually considered to have been the first ruler of the Unified Silla period. Munmu was the son of King Muyeol and Munmyeong, who was the youn ...

, the spirit tablet of Suro was temporarily respected along with fellow Silla Kings, as Munmu was his 15th grandson. According to Samguk Yusa, Munmu ordered the Jesa (revering ritual in confucian traditions) of King Suro.

In modern culture

Tomb and descendants

A tomb attributed to King Suro is still maintained in modern-day

Gimhae Gimhae () is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the seat of the large Gimhae Kim clan, one of the largest Kim clans in Korea. The Gimhae Kims claim descent from the ancient royal house of Geumgwan Gaya, which was based in Gim ...

. Members of the

Gimhae Gim clan The Gimhae Kim clan () is one of the Korean clans. This clan traces their origin to Suro of Geumgwan Gaya. King Suro was the founder of Gaya confederacy, and his descendant, Kim Yu-sin is renowned for unifying the Silla polity. It was considered ...

, who continue to play important roles in Korean life today, trace their ancestry to King Suro, as do the members of the

Incheon Yi clan The Incheon Yi clan (Hangul: 인천 이씨, Hanja: 仁川李氏) is a Korean clan. Historically known as the Gyeongwon Lee clan or Inju Lee clan, it was one of the most powerful clans in the early Goryeo period due their status as in-laws of the ...

and

Gimhae Heo clan Gimhae Heo clan () is one of the Korean clans. This clan traces their origin to King Suro and his legendary Queen Heo Hwang-ok, who are mentioned in the 13th-century Korean chronicle ''Samguk Yusa''.Ayodhya Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya, also known as Sāketa, Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and ...

, India jointly by

South Korean Government The Government of South Korea is the union government of the South Korea, Republic of Korea, created by the Constitution of South Korea as the executive, legislative and judicial authority of the republic. The president acts as the head of sta ...

and

Indian Government The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the Government, national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy lo ...

to strengthen relationship between both countries on the grounds of history and cultural heritage. Ayodhya and Gimhae became sister cities in 2001.

Television series

* Portrayed by

Ji Sung Ji Sung (born Kwak Tae-geun on 27 February 1977) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television dramas '' All In'' (2003), '' Save the Last Dance for Me'' (2004), ''New Heart'' (2007), ''Protect the Boss'' (2011), ' ...

and

Park Gun-tae Park Gun-woo (born Park Gun-tae on February 5, 1996) is a South Korean actor. He began his career as a child actor in TV series such as ''I'm Sorry, I Love You'' (2004), ''Time Between Dog and Wolf'' (2007) and '' East of Eden'' (2008). The teena ...

in the 2010 MBC TV series '' Kim Su-ro, The Iron King''.

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

Tomb of King Suro
Life in Korea
Gaya Culture FestivalGim Suro
TV drama from MBC {{Geumgwan Gaya Kings Gaya rulers Gimhae Kim clan 2nd-century monarchs in Asia 1st-century monarchs in Asia 199 deaths