[K-Women Talk] The Protagonist of a Romantic Scandal, Kim Yushin's Mother Lady Manmyeong

Niece of King Jinheung, the Highest Royalty of Silla
A Love Beyond Status with Kim Seohyeon of Gaya Descent
Defied Her Family and Raised the Key Figure of Unification

Lee Han, historian and writer

The key figure in the unification of the Three Kingdoms, Kim Yushin's mother, Lady Manmyeong. She is known as a strict mother who opposed and admonished her son's love, but in fact, when she was young, she was the protagonist of a romantic scandal that shocked the nation.

Originally, she was of noble and high status, one of the most distinguished in Silla. Lady Manmyeong's father was Sukheuljong, the younger brother of King Jinheung of Silla. King Jinheung, who greatly developed Silla and expanded its territory to the extent of being featured in national history textbooks. Lady Manmyeong was his niece, thus a member of the royal family, and in the bone rank system country of Silla, her status was high enough to live a life free of worries.

However, an event occurred that drastically changed Lady Manmyeong's life: she met Kim Seohyeon, a nobleman of Gaya descent. Gaya was a country founded by King Kim Suro and his brothers, but as Silla grew stronger during King Jinheung's reign, Gaya gradually collapsed and was annexed by Silla. Kim Seohyeon was the grandson of the last king of Geumgwan Gaya, thus a royal of Gaya. After Gaya's fall, he became a Silla noble, but as a descendant of a fallen kingdom, his status was somewhat diminished.

Yet Lady Manmyeong fell in love with Kim Seohyeon. The two forgot their social statuses and circumstances and shared a passionate love, crossing boundaries that should not have been crossed. Therefore, the Samguk Sagi referred to the relationship between Lady Manmyeong and Kim Seohyeon as "yahap" (野合), meaning a union without parental consent, similar to the relationship between Seong Chunhyang and Lee Mongryong in the later Chunhyangjeon. Moreover, considering Lady Manmyeong's noble status, this was a scandal that could have overturned Gyeongju.

When Lady Manmyeong's father found out, he naturally flew into a rage and confined his daughter at home. Kim Seohyeon was dispatched as the governor of Jincheon County in Chungcheongbuk-do, far from Gyeongju, which was essentially a demotion. Like the stars Altair and Vega separated by the Milky Way, the two young lovers were separated. Their reckless affair seemed to end, but Lady Manmyeong escaped from confinement and ran to Kim Seohyeon's side. Now free from any interference, Lady Manmyeong and Kim Seohyeon became husband and wife, and in Jincheon County, where they were stationed, their first fruit of love was born: Kim Yushin.

There seems to be no need for further explanation about Kim Yushin, the key figure in the unification of the Three Kingdoms. But that was not all; Lady Manmyeong was also the mother of a Silla queen. Her daughter, Munhee, after a complicated romance and premarital pregnancy with King Taejong Muyeol Kim Chunchu, married and eventually became Queen Munmyeong of Silla. Their son was King Munmu. Thus, Lady Manmyeong's various children and descendants played leading roles in unifying the Three Kingdoms and in the Unified Silla period.

It might be an exaggeration to say that the great historical event of the unification of the Three Kingdoms originated from a woman's love, but it is not entirely untrue. Think about it: if Lady Manmyeong had not been blinded by love, if she had not loved someone of lower status, if she had obediently stayed home following her father's wishes and not run away, could Kim Yushin have been born? Could Queen Munmyeong and her son King Munmu have been born? Lady Manmyeong's children left such a great legacy during the unification period that it is hard to imagine history without them.

Thinking about it this way, love truly is powerful. Long ago, there was a noble princess. But she fell in love with a prince from a fallen kingdom, someone not of her rank, defied her parents' opposition, ran away, and married him. They gave birth to the greatest general and queen. A story that sounds like it came from a romance novel is actually historical fact. The love of the naive princess Lady Manmyeong was that strong.

Lee Han, Historian