Muyeol of Silla
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King Taejong Muyeol (602 – 661, Birth name: Kim Chunchu), was the 29th monarch of the southern Korean kingdom of Silla and ruled from 654 to 661. He is credited for leading the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was a childhood friend of Kim Yusin, who eventually became his brother-in-law after his marrying the latter's sister.
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[edit] Background
King Taejong muyeol, was born with the "sacred blood." He was born with the rank, seonggol. His father, Kim Young-Chun, was the son of Silla's 25th ruler, King Jinji. When King Jinji was overthrown, all royalty from his line were deemed unfit to rule over the kingdom. This fate was brought down upon Kim Young-Chun and Kim Chunchu. However, he was one of the few remaining Seonggols. He married a princess, and since she was a Seonggol as well, their child, Kim Chunchu, became Seonggol. Kim Youngchun was a powerful figure in the government. However, he lost all of his power to Kim Bekban, the brother of the king. In order to survive, he had to become a jingol, the rank that was right below seonggol. Therefore, he lost his chance of becoming the king, and so did his child, Kim Chunchu. However, when all the Seounggols were dead, somebody with the royal blood in the Jinggol rank had to succeed the throne. The people in the government wanted Kim Alchun to succeed the throne. His dad was a seonggol, who married a jingol wife so that his son would not be a seonggol and suffer from the fight for the throne. However, Kim Yusin supported Kim Chunchu, and Kim Alcheon refused the throne and supported Kim Chunchu. As a result, Kim Chunchu succeed the throne.
[edit] Reign
He was well acquainted with the Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, for he and the Emperor were "friends" before the Emperor became an Emperor. King Muyeol was a great support to the Emperor, and the Emperor returned the support to King Muyeol. He constantly pleaded with the Tang for reinforcements to destroy Baekje, to which the Tang finally acquiesced in 660, sending 130,000 troops under General Su Dingfang. Meanwhile, Kim Yusin set out from Silla with 50,000 soldiers and fought the bloodly battle of Hwangsanbeol leaving Baekje devastated and unprotected. King Uija of Baekje finally surrendered, leaving only Goguryeo to face Silla as an adversary on the Korean peninsula.
In June of the following year King Muyeol died, leaving his son Kim Beopmin to assume the throne as King Munmu.
