| Kim Suro 金首露 김수로 | |
|---|---|
| King ofGeumgwan Gaya | |
| Reign | 42 – 199[1] |
| Predecessor | Dynasty established |
| Successor | Geodeung of Geumgwan Gaya |
| Died | 199 |
| Spouse | Heo Hwang-ok |
| House | Kim |
| Suro of Geumgwan Gaya | |
 | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 김수로 |
| Hanja | 金首露 |
| RR | Gim Suro |
| MR | Kim Suro |
Suro (Korean: 수로),posthumous nameSureung (수릉;首陵; died 199), commonly calledKim Suro, was the legendary founder and Hero King ofGeumgwan Gaya (43–532), in southeasternKorea.[2]
According to the founding legend of Geumgwan Gaya, which was recorded in the 13th century texts of the chronicleGarakguk-gi and was cited inSamguk yusa, when the 9 Khans (9干) and their people[3] who were commanded by heaven performed ancestral rites, danced and sang, a gold bowl wrapped in red cloth came down from heaven. There were six eggs in them, and 12 days later six princes were born from the eggs.[3] Suro was the firstborn among them and led the others in setting up six states while asserting the leadership of theGaya confederacy.[2][4]
Also according to legend, King Suro's wife,Heo Hwang-ok or Suriratna was a princess from a distant country called Ayuta (아유타, 阿踰), also implied to be in Southern India.[5][6]
The legend as a whole is seen as indicative of the early view of kings as descended from heaven. Notably, a number of Korean Kingdoms besides Gaya, made foundation legends with ties to chickens and eggs.Jumong, the founding King ofGoguryeo, is said to have been born from an egg laid byLady Yuhwa;Park Hyeokgeose, the first King ofSilla (or Saro-guk) is said to have hatched from an egg discovered in a well; andKim Al-chi, the progenitor of the Kim dynasty ofSilla, is said to have been discovered inGyerim Forest byHogong in a golden box, where a rooster was crowing. Aspects of the legend have been mined for information about the customs of Gaya, of which little is known.[4]
At the time ofKing Munmu, thespirit tablet of Suro was temporarily respected along with fellow Silla Kings, as Munmu was his 15th grandson. According to theSamguk yusa, Munmu ordered theJesa of King Suro.[citation needed]
A tomb attributed to King Suro is still maintained in modern-dayGimhae.[7][8] Members of theGimhae Kim clan, who continue to play essential roles in Korean life today, trace their ancestry to King Suro, as do the members of theIncheon Yi clan andGimhae Heo clan; they did not inter-marry until the beginning of the 20th century.[9] A Memorial Park for Kim Suro and his wife Heo Hwang-ok is being built inAyodhya, India jointly bySouth Korean Government andIndian Government to strengthen relationship between both countries on the grounds of history and cultural heritage. Ayodhya and Gimhae became sister cities in 2001.[10]
| Preceded by None | King of Gaya 42–199 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
