King Seondeok of Silla | |
Hangul | 선덕왕 |
---|---|
Hanja | 宣德王 |
Revised Romanization | Seondeok wang |
McCune–Reischauer | Sŏndŏk wang |
Birth name | |
Hangul | 김양상 |
Hanja | 金良相 |
Revised Romanization | Gim Yang-sang |
McCune–Reischauer | Kim Yangsang |
King Seondeok of Silla (died 785) (r. 780–785) was the successor to King Hyegong and the 37th to rule the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was an eleventh-generation descendant of King Naemul, and the Daughter of haechan Kim Hyo-bang by King Seongdeok's daughter Lady Saso. He married Lady Gujok, the daughter of gakgan Kim Yang-pum.
Seondeok served under King Hyegong in the position of sangdaedeung. When the rebellion of Kim Ji-jeong broke out in 780, he led the royal forces against the rebels. However, the rebels stormed the palace and slew the king, and Seondeok was obliged to take the throne for himself. Some historians speculate that Seondeok might have killed Hyegong himself, as he stood to benefit the most from his death.
After his death in 785, Seondeok was cremated and his ashes scattered on the Sea of Japan (East Sea). Seondeok's successor was King Wonseong.