Gim Yu-sin

Gim Yu-sin
Portrait of Gim Yu-sin in the "famous portrait photo book of Joseon" published in 1926
Korean name
Hangul	김유신
Hanja
Revised Romanization	Gim Yu-sin
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Yu-sin

Gim Yu-sin (595 – 18 August 673), also known as Kim Yu-sin, was a general in 7th-century Silla. He led the unification of the Korean Peninsula by Silla under the reign of King Muyeol of Silla and King Munmu of Silla. He is said to have been the great-grandchild of King Guhae of Geumgwan Gaya, the last ruler of the Geumgwan Gaya state. This would have given him a very high position in the Silla bone rank system, which governed the political and military status that a person could attain.

Much of what is known about Gim's life comes from the detailed account in the Samguk Sagi, Yeoljeon 1-3, and the much briefer record in the Samguk Yusa, vol. 1.

Gim Yu-sin was the son of General Gim Seohyeon (the second son of General Gim Mu-ryeok) and Lady Manmyeong, who was a daughter of Gim Sukheuljong (Hangul: 김숙흘종; Hanja: 金肅訖宗, King Jinheung of Silla's younger brother). He was born in Gyeyang, Jincheon County in 595, became a Hwarang warrior at just 15 and was an accomplished swordsman and a Gukseon (Hangul: 국선; Hanja: 國仙; Hwarang leader) by the time he was 18 years old. By the age of 34 (in 629) he had been given total command of the Silla armed forces. Three years later, Gim Yu-sin's cousin, Princess Deokman, became Queen Seondeok of Silla and kept Gim Yu-sin as commander in chief of the royal army. During the reign of Queen Seondeok of Silla (632-647), Gim Yu-sin owned ten thousand private soldiers, won many battles against Baekje and became one of the most powerful man in Silla.