Gyeongsun of Silla (r. 927–935) was the 56th and final ruler of the Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

n kingdom of Silla

Silla

Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...

. A sixth-generation descendant of King Munseong

Munseong of Silla

Munseong of Silla was the 46th ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was the eldest son of King Sinmu and Lady Jeonggye.Munseong's reign was typical of late Unified Silla, with rampant strife and uprisings...

, he was the son of Hyojong by Princess Gyea, who was the daughter of King Heongang

Heongang of Silla

Heongang of Silla was the 49th to rule the Korean kingdom of Silla. According to the Samguk Sagi, he excelled at civil affairs. Heongang was the eldest son of King Gyeongmun; his mother was Queen Munui...

. His wife was Lady Jukbang (죽방부인) Park, his eldest son crown prince Ma-ui, and youngest son Beomgong.

Gyeongsun was placed on the throne by the Hubaekje

Hubaekje

Hubaekje, or Later Baekje, was one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea, along with Hugoguryeo and Silla. It was officially founded by the disaffected Silla general Gyeon Hwon in 900, and fell to Wanggeon's Goryeo army in 936. Its capital was at Jeonju, in present-day North Jeolla province...

 king Gyeon Hwon

Gyeon Hwon

Gyeon Hwon was the king and founder of Hubaekje, one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. Some records render his name as "Jin Hwon" . He was also the progenitor of the Hwanggan Gyeon clan...

 after the Hubaekje forces sacked Gyeongju

Gyeongju

Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. Gyeongju is southeast of Seoul, and east of the...

 in 927. The kingdom was already in an extremely weakened state, so Gyeongsun reigned over a tiny remnant of the former Silla territory until finally abdicating in favour of Taejo of Goryeo

Taejo of Goryeo

Taejo of Goryeo was the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century. Taejo ruled from 918 to 943.-Background:...

 in 935. His abdication completed Taejo's unification of Korea. He remarried Taejo's daughter Princess Nangrang (낙랑공주) and was appointed sasim-gwan (사심관, inspector-general) of Gyeongju

Gyeongju

Gyeongju is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of 269,343 people according to the 2008 census. Gyeongju is southeast of Seoul, and east of the...

, becoming the first of Goryeo

Goryeo

The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...

's sasim-gwan system. He lived out the remainder of his life near the Goryeo capital (modern-day Kaesong

Kaesong

Kaesŏng is a city in North Hwanghae Province, southern North Korea , a former Directly Governed City, and the capital of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty. The city is near Kaesŏng Industrial Region and it contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. It was formally named Songdo while it was the...

).

He died in 978 and his tomb lies in Jangdan-myeon, Yeoncheon County

Yeoncheon County

Yeoncheon County is a county in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. The county seat is Yeoncheon-eup and sits on the Korail railroad line connecting Seoul, South Korea, with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea .-History:...

, Gyeonggi-do

Gyeonggi-do

Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946...

, South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

.

According to Samguk Sagi

Samguk Sagi

Samguk Sagi is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The Samguk Sagi is written in Classical Chinese and its compilation was ordered by Goryeo's King Injong Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of...

, Gyeongsun's son, Prince Ma-Ui objected to his father's submission to Goryeo and became a hermit in Mount Kumgang.

See also

• Gyeon Hwon
  Gyeon Hwon
  Gyeon Hwon was the king and founder of Hubaekje, one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. Some records render his name as "Jin Hwon" . He was also the progenitor of the Hwanggan Gyeon clan...
  
  
• List of Korean monarchs
• List of Silla people
• Later Three Kingdoms of Korea