Kim Suro was the founder of the Gimhae Gim clan and the king of Geumgwan Gaya. Before the Three Kingdom period, Korea was ruled by small kingdoms often referred to as feudal states. Many experts claimed that it wasn’t until about the 5th and 6th centuries that the Korean peninsula saw the formation of kingdoms with codes of conduct and laws. Many of the smaller feudal states were either conquered by the larger kingdoms or integrated into them.
Gaya is interesting because there is so much archaeological material. It is hard to imagine that it was forgotten for centuries. It is a combination of economic development and academic studies that allows us to look into the past. When so many other smaller states disappeared, it is nothing short of amazing that we have the opportunity to look at the relics. It is even more incredible is that Kim Suro’s origin story survived along with the rules of Silla, Baekje, and Goguryeo.
The Legend
According to legends, six giant eggs were each placed in a golden bowl and wrapped in red cloth. These baskets descended from heaven as people stared up in wonder. When the six eggs hatched, there were six beautiful baby boys. First to hatch was Kim Suro. When these children grew, Kim Suro decided to divide up the territory among his siblings to rule over the people that live in the land. Later, Kim Suro married Heo Hwang-ok, a princess from a faraway land called Ayuta. This was most likely somewhere in India. Since the king and queen had ten children, they decided to give their children either Kim or Heo as their last names. This is the origin of Gimhae Gim and Gimhae Heo. By the time Kim Suro died, he had ruled for over one hundred years and lived for 157 years (42-199). Geumgwan Gaya surrendered to Silla in 532 and the royal family became True Bone or high-level aristocrats in Silla. The great-grandson of the last king of Geumgwan, Kim Yushin, is a famous general who united the three kingdoms under Silla’s rule. Even King Munmu traced his ancestry to Geumgwan Gaya.
What’s in a name?
Gim or Kim is the most common family name in South Korea with over 10 million people (~20% of the population). A person with the same last name may or may not trace their lineage to the same person. Why? Because last names are also associated with clans. There are several different clan groups associated with the last name.
For example, Gimhae Gim traced their lineage to King Suro while Gyeongju Gim traced their lineage to the Silla royal family. King Munmu, whom I mentioned earlier, traced his lineage to Gyeongju Kim on his father’s side and Gimhae Kim on his mother’s side. Today, Gimhae Gim accounts for almost 4.5 million people, and Gyeongju Gim accounts for nearly 2 million people.
You may be asking why there are so many Gim/Kim in Korea. The answer is rooting in the social change that took place in the 19th and 20th century. Even prior to the Samham period, there was strict social order in place – high social stratification. This meant that there was distinct labeling from royalty, nobility, commoners, merchant class, and slaves. Last names such as Kim, Lee, and Park were common among royalties and nobility.
When the census started, it required everyone to register their last names. This meant that people who had lived all their lives without last names due to their social position had to choose something. It was in some way a great opportunity for those that lived in lower social rung to escape the stigma. Most often than not, they chose Kim, Lee, or Park in hopes of getting better treatments. There were probably people – freed slaves – who took their old master’s last name. Whatever the reason, the number of Kims, Lees, and Parks grew exponentially.
So, where exactly was Gaya?
It was sandwiched between Baekje to the west and Silla to the east. Silla was actually the smallest of the three kingdoms, but aggressive campaigning allowed them to expand quickly. It was Silla that annexed Gaya Confederacy one by one. The last standing Dae Gaya rebelled but surrendered in 562.
Gaya was located in the southern portion of the Korean peninsula. The statelets were divided by the national river lines. If you look at the map, you can see approximately where the six different statelets were located. The maps is labled with numbers 1-6 with approximate cities names.
- Seongsan Gaya, Seongju
- Dae Gaya, Goryeong
- Bihwa Gaya, Changnyeong
- Ara Gaya, Haman
- So Gaya, Goseong
- Geumkwan Gaya, Gimhae
What you can see?
Gimhae is west of Busan and it’s easy to get there using the Busan/Gimhae Light Rail Transit. You can exit on Royal Tomb of King Suro or Gimhae National Museum. There are signs posted for a good 5k self-guided walking tour. The map indicates the famous places to visit. The yellow line is 5km and takes about two hours. It will allow you to get to all the places of interest such as the Royal Tomb of both King Suro and his queen Heo Hwang-ok as well as the Gimhae National Museum (free admission) and numerous burial sites.
