PersonAD 534 – AD 576

King Jinheung

Twenty-fourth king of Silla, who took the Han River basin and Daegaya, raised border steles and organized the hwarang

In 551 he joined King Seong of Baekje against Goguryeo and won the upper Han River, then in 553 seized the lower Han that Baekje had recovered and set up Sinju Province there. This broke the Silla–Baekje Alliance, and King Seong was killed at the Battle of Gwansan Fortress in 554. Control of the Han basin opened a direct route to China through Danghangseong. In 562 he sent Isabu to conquer Daegaya, and he raised the Jeokseong stele at Danyang and border steles at Bukhansan, Changnyeong, Hwangchoryeong and Maunryeong. He had Geochilbu compile the Guksa in 545, built Hwangnyongsa and used the era names Gaeguk, Daechang and Hongje. In 576 he abolished the wonhwa and made the hwarang a state institution.

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9 related events

1
AD 545Geochilbu compiles the Guksamonarch
Under King Jinheung, on Isabu’s advice, Geochilbu and others compiled the Guksa, a history of Silla.
AD 550 – AD 568King Jinheung’s Expansionmonarch
King Jinheung took the Han River basin, conquered Daegaya and pushed north-east into Hamgyeong, marking his conquests with steles.
2
AD 550Silla Stele of Jeokseong, Danyangmonarch
King Jinheung took Jeokseong (Danyang) from Goguryeo and raised a stele rewarding the locals who had helped.
3
AD 551Baekje and Silla Retake the Han Rivermonarch
King Seong of Baekje and King Jinheung of Silla attacked Goguryeo together; Baekje took six districts on the lower Han and Silla ten on the upper river.
4
AD 553Silla Seizes the Lower Han Rivermonarch
King Jinheung took the lower Han River that Baekje had just recovered and set up Sinju province, ending the 120-year alliance.
5
AD 554Battle of Gwansan Fortressmonarch
King Seong attacked Silla’s Gwansan Fortress with Gaya and Wa allies but was killed in an ambush; some 30,000 Baekje soldiers died.
6
AD 561 – AD 568King Jinheung’s Border Stelesmonarch
King Jinheung toured his new lands and raised steles at Bukhansan, Changnyeong, Hwangchoryeong and Maunryeong.
7
AD 562Fall of Daegayamonarch
King Jinheung sent Isabu and Sadaham to conquer Daegaya, ending the Gaya confederacy.
8
AD 576Hwarang Made a State Institution; Five Precepts for Secular Lifemonarch
King Jinheung abolished the wonhwa and made the hwarang a state institution; later the monk Wongwang gave the hwarang the Five Precepts for Secular Life.

People who appear alongside

Isabu
Silla general who subdued Usan-guk with wooden lions and later conquered Daegaya
Geochilbu
Silla minister and general under King Jinheung who compiled the history Guksa and took ten districts of the upper Han River from Goguryeo in 551
King Seong of BaekjeAD 554
Twenty-sixth king of Baekje, who moved the capital to Sabi and died at Gwansan Fortress
Kim Mu-ryeok
Silla general of Geumgwan Gaya royal descent and grandfather of Kim Yu-sin, who as governor of Sinju defeated Baekje at Gwansanseong
Sadaham
Silla hwarang who was first through the gate in the conquest of Daegaya in 562
Kim Jeong-hui (Chusa)1786 – 1856
Epigrapher and calligrapher who created the Chusa style, identified the Bukhansan stele as King Jinheung’s, and painted Sehando in exile on Jeju
Ureuk
Daegaya musician who composed gayageum pieces for King Gasil and, moving to Silla, passed on the gayageum under King Jinheung
Wongwang
Silla monk who, back from Sui China, gave Gwisan and Chuhang the Five Precepts for Secular Life and drafted the plea for Sui troops

Themes this person appears in

Writing Korean HistoryAD 375 – 1931
From the Seogi, Guksa and Sinjip to the Joseon sanggosa — history-writing as royal display, Confucian record, assertion of independence and nationalist scholarship
Seoul18 BC – 1988
From Hanseong Baekje to the June Democratic Struggle — the Han River land every kingdom fought for, and Joseon’s capital for five centuries