김수로왕 金首露王
Founding ancestor of the Gimhae Kim clan; founding king of Garakguk (Geumgwan Gaya)
| Era | 가야 (전승) |
| Clan | 김해 김씨 |
Life & career
King Suro is the founding king of Gaya's Geumgwan (Garak) kingdom and the progenitor of the Gimhae Kim clan. According to the Garakguk-gi chapter of the Samguk Yusa, in 42 CE he was the first to hatch from six eggs that descended on Guji Peak and became king; his reign is recorded as lasting from 42 to 199 CE, an extraordinarily long span in the traditional account. Early in his rule he is said to have contested the throne with Talhae, who had come from Silla, in a legendary shapeshifting duel — when Talhae became a hawk, Suro turned into an eagle, and when Talhae became a sparrow, Suro became a sparrowhawk, ultimately forcing Talhae's submission.
He married Heo Hwang-ok, said to have come from the Indian kingdom of Ayodhya, and had several sons with her; tradition holds he built the temples Jinguksa for his queen, Singuksa for the crown prince, and Heungguksa for himself. His descendants formed the Gimhae Kim clan, and the famed Silla general Kim Yu-sin is also said to descend from the Geumgwan Gaya royal line. The Gimhae Kim clan is today the most populous surname group in Korea.
Grave
The Tomb of King Suro (a Historic Site) is located in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province.
Descendants
His descendants carried on as the Gimhae Kim clan, and Kim Yu-sin is also handed down as being of that line.