Jinseong of Silla

Jinseong of Silla
Hangul	진성여왕
Hanja	眞聖女王
Revised Romanization	Jinseong yeowang
McCune–Reischauer	Chinsŏng yŏwang
Birth name
Hangul	김만, also 김원
Hanja	金曼, also 金垣
Revised Romanization	Gim Man, also Gim Won
McCune–Reischauer	Kim Man, also Kim Wŏn

Monarchs of Korea Silla (Post-unification)

Munmu 661–681 Sinmun 681–691 Hyoso 692–702 Seongdeok 702–737 Hyoseong 737–742 Gyeongdeok 742–765 Hyegong 765–780 Seondeok 780–785 Wonseong 785–798 Soseong 798–800 Aejang 800–809 Heondeok 809–826 Heungdeok 826–836 Huigang 836–838 Minae 838–839 Sinmu 839 Munseong 839–857 Heonan 857–861 Gyeongmun 861–875 Heongang 875–886 Jeonggang 886–887 Jinseong 887–897 Hyogong 897–912 Sindeok 912–917 Gyeongmyeong 917–924 Gyeongae 924–927 Gyeongsun 927–935

Queen Jinseong of Silla (c.865-897) (r. 887–897) was the fifty-first ruler of the Korean kingdom, Silla. She was also Silla's third and last reigning queen (after Seondeok and Jindeok). Her reign saw the end of Unified Silla and the beginning of the Later Three Kingdoms period.

Jinseong was the daughter of King Gyeongmun and Queen Munui. The younger sister of Heongang and Jeonggang, she rose to the throne when both of her brothers died without issue. Though Seondeok and Jindeok's successful reigns were invoked to help Jinseong secure the throne, Silla's third queen regnant ultimately did not live up to the expectations of her predecessors.

Jinseong is noted in the Samguk Sagi for her immoral and licentious conduct, ranging from taking bribes to bringing attractive men into the palace and committing lewd acts with them. She also carried on an affair with the high commander (Gakgan) Wihong. The Samguk Sagi was written by Confucianists, who held a negative view of female rule, so the precise details therein should perhaps not be taken at face value.

In contrast, according to the records of Choe Chiwon, she was a good-hearted monarch with no greed.

During her reign, public order collapsed. Taxes could no longer be collected and the military conscription system failed. Taking advantage of this domestic disarray, Yang Gil in the northwest and Gyeon Hwon in the southwest rebelled and founded their own kingdoms.

In 895, Jinseong appointed Heongang's illegitimate son Kim Yo as Crown Prince. On July 4, 897, she abdicated the throne and later died on December 31, 897. She was buried to the north of Sajasa temple in Gyeongju.

She ordered the first compilation of hyangga works, Samdaemok, to be created.

See also

• List of Korean monarchs
• List of Silla people
• Unified Silla
• Later Three Kingdoms of Korea

References