Tomb of General Kim Yusin, Gyeongju

About this place

This is the tomb of General Kim Yusin, located on the ridge of Oknyeobong in Chunghyo-dong, Gyeongju, built in 674 (the 14th year of King Munmu). Kim Yusin was a general and statesman of Silla whose great merit in unifying the Three Kingdoms led King Munmu to bestow 1,000 bolts of silk, 2,000 seok of rice, and 100 military musicians for the funeral, erect a commemorative stele, and assign caretaker villagers — the highest honours of the time. He was later posthumously elevated to the title of King Heungmu by King Heungdeok. The circular mound reaches 30 m in diameter and is surrounded by 24 protective stone panels with stone balustrades; the floor between the panels and balustrades is paved with stone. The tomb's scale and form are equivalent to that of a royal tomb. The twelve zodiac guardian figures carved on the protective stones are distinctive in that, unlike most royal tombs where the guardians wear armour, those at Kim Yusin's tomb are dressed in plain clothes and hold weapons; they face forward but turn their heads to the right, giving an unusually gentle and watchful appearance. Among Gyeongju's tombs, Kim Yusin's is unmatched in the quality of the carving and the grandeur of the figures. Covering 14,143 m² and managed by the city of Gyeongju, it was designated a Historic Site on 21 January 1963. A memorial shrine called Gumsanjae housing the spirit tablet of General Kim Yusin stands in the tomb precinct.