What I’ve discovered

 

Kim Yoo-Sin (595-673 A.D.) was a great general during the Silla dynasty.

 

As the son of a noble family (of the royal house of Kaya, he was said to have been the grand-child of

 the last Kaya king), he was selected for training as a Hwa-Rang at the age of fourteen and made a

Kuk-Son at the age of eighteen.

 

Yoo-Sin was good friends with the crown prince Kim Ch’un-ch’u, who went on to become to become

 King Muyol, and Yoo-Sin’s brother-in-law.

 

At thirty-four years old Kim Yoo-Sin was commander of the Silla armed forces.

 

In 642 Silla suffered a military defeat when Paekche launched a last desperate attack; taking back

some land previously belonging to the Kaya region.

 

It was when Silla asked Koguryo for help against Paekche that Kim Ch’un-ch’u who had been sent to

on a diplomatic mission, found himself the captive of Yon Gae Somoon (see Yon-Gae).

 

 Yoo-Sin was sent to Koguryo to arrange the release of Kim Ch’un-Ch’u.

 

Kim Yoo-Sin and Kim Ch’un-Ch’u secured the help of Tang China in their battle to unify Korea.

 

There are many stories of the great Hwa-Rang Kim Yoo-Sin and one of these tales describes the

sword skills of Yoo-Sin; during an argument with a Chinese general, Yoo-Sin’s sword is said to have

leapt from its scabbard into his hands, the Chinese general was so terrified by this that he

apologised instantly.

 

In 660 A.D. Kim Yoo-Sin and the Chinese general Su Dingfang (also Su Ting-Fang?) met

General Ge-Baek on the Hwangsan field, the 50,000 Silla and Tang forces defeated

Ge-Baek and his 5000 men.

 

This may have been one of the last great battles of Yoo-Sin as it is sometimes reported that

he was too old to do battle against Koguryo in 668 A.D.

 

Silla eventually unified Korea and drove out the Tang forces in 676 A.D.

 

Kim Yoo-Sin lived to be 78 years old and left behind ten children, he is one of Korea’s most famous

generals and was posthumously awarded the honorary title of Heungmu Daewang, his tomb at the foot

 of Mount Song Hwa, is said to be a splendid as that of kings; and tells that he helped Moonmoo-Wang

 defeat Koguryo in 668 A.D. also going on to help repulse the Tang forces in the 670’s A.D.

 

(see also Hwa-Rang & Yon-Gae & Ge-Baek &Moon-Moo)