Munmu of Silla facts for kids

Munmu of Silla (born 626, died 681) was a very important Korean king. He ruled the kingdom of Silla from 661 to 681. Many people think he was the first ruler of the time known as the Unified Silla period.

Munmu was the son of King Muyeol and Queen Munmyeong. His mother was the younger sister of the famous general Gim Yu-sin. Before becoming king, Munmu was a prince named Beopmin. He helped Silla connect with Tang China and managed things related to the sea. After he died, he became known as the Dragon King.

Family Life

• Father: King Muyeol
• Mother: Queen Munmyeong (Hangul: 문명왕후, Hanja: 文明王后)
• Wife: Queen Jaeui
  • Son: King Sinmun, who became the next king of Silla

Uniting the Three Kingdoms

King Munmu became king during a big war. Silla was fighting against two other Korean kingdoms, Baekje and Goguryeo. Silla had a strong helper: Tang China.

In 660, before Munmu became king, Silla and Tang forces defeated Baekje. General Gim Yu-sin led Silla's army to victory.

King Munmu spent the first few years of his rule trying to defeat Goguryeo. They tried in 661, but it didn't work. Finally, in 667, he ordered another attack. This led to Goguryeo's defeat in 668. After this, King Munmu was the first ruler to see the Korean peninsula almost completely united.

Fighting Tang China

After defeating Goguryeo, King Munmu faced a new challenge. Tang China wanted to control the whole Korean peninsula, even Silla. To stop this, Munmu made friends with Goguryeo leaders who were still fighting Tang. He then attacked the Tang forces. This fight lasted for several years in the 670s.

By 674, Silla and Tang were constantly battling. King Munmu had taken back much of the land that used to belong to Baekje and Goguryeo from Tang. The Tang Emperor, Gaozong, was very angry. He even tried to make Munmu's brother, Gim Inmun, the new king of Silla. However, King Munmu formally said sorry and offered gifts. Emperor Gaozong then told his forces to leave and called Gim Inmun back.

In 675, Tang forces fought the Silla army at a place called Maeso fortress. The Silla army won this important battle.

Finally, Emperor Gaozong ordered all Tang forces to leave the Korean Peninsula. This allowed Silla to push Tang out of the peninsula. Silla then united the southern parts of Korea. This victory was a huge moment in Korean history. It meant Silla kept its independence.

After the Wars

King Munmu ruled the united Silla for twenty more years. In 681, he became very sick. On his deathbed, he said that his son, Prince Sinmun, should become king right away. He also asked for his body to be cremated. He wanted his ashes scattered in the sea where whales lived. He said he would become a dragon to protect Korea from invaders.

King Sinmun did exactly what his father asked. He scattered the ashes over Daewangam, a small rocky island near the coast. King Sinmun also built a temple called Gomun Temple for his father. He even made a special waterway for the sea dragon to travel between the sea and land. He built a pavilion overlooking the island so future kings could honor King Munmu.

One day, King Munmu and General Gim Yu-Sin appeared to King Sinmun in a dream. They told him that blowing a special bamboo flute would calm the heavens and the earth. King Sinmun found this flute, named Manpa-sikjeok. People believed that playing this flute would call on the spirits of King Munmu and General Gim Yu-sin. It was said to push back enemies, cure sicknesses, bring rain during droughts, and stop floods.

King Munmu in Popular Culture

• He was played by Baek Seung-hyeon in the 2006 TV series Yeon Gaesomun.
• Moon Hee-won played him in the 2006 TV series Dae Jo Yeong.
• Park Joo-hyeong played him in the 2011 TV series Gyebaek.
• Lee Jong-soo played him in the 2012-2013 TV series Dream of the Emperor.
• In the 2016 DC Comics comic book New Super-Man, King Munmu is the source of power for a character named Ahn Kwang-jo.
• He appears as the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea in the Korean webcomic The Gamer.
• Yoon Hye Seok played him in the 2017 TV series Chronicles of Korea.

See also

In Spanish: Munmu de Silla para niños

• History of Korea
• Silla–Tang Wars
• Three Kingdoms of Korea
• ROKS Munmu the Great (DDH-976)
• Tomb of Munmu of Silla