Tomb of King Naemul, Gyeongju

This is the tomb of King Naemul (r. 356–402), the 17th king of Silla. King Naemul was the second monarch of the Kim clan to take the throne, and from his reign onward succession to the throne became the exclusive preserve of the Kim clan. He was the first to use the royal title maripgan, and through diplomatic relations with the Chinese state of Former Qin he imported advanced culture and technology. When a combined force of Baekje and Wa invaded, he requested aid from King Gwanggaeto the Great of Goguryeo and averted the crisis; his reign was a period in which the strength of the state grew dramatically. It is a round earthen mound tomb 5.3 m high and 22 m in diameter, with retaining stones of natural rock encircling its base. Traces of a rectangular wall enclosing the surrounding area survive, suggesting that the tomb was given special protection from an early period. While the interior form typical of Silla tombs of the period was the large-scale stone-mound wooden-chamber tomb, this tomb is smaller and has retaining stones, suggesting instead that it may be a corridor-style stone chamber tomb. Some scholars, however, hold the view that the tomb of King Naemul is in fact Hwangnamdaechong Tomb (Tomb No. 98). The tomb's official designation was renamed from "Silla Tomb of King Naemul" to "Tomb of King Naemul, Gyeongju" on 28 July 2011.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Gyeongju, Gyeongbuk

Designation

Historic Site · 사적