Royal Tomb of Queen Heo

The Royal Tomb of Queen Heo in Gusan-dong, Gimhae is the final resting place of Queen Heo, the wife of King Kim Suro, the founder of Garak. The tomb dates all the way back to the Gaya Era and has been officially designated National Historic Site No. 74. Unlike many other ancient tombs located on Korea’s flatlands, the large earthen mound sits high upon a hill. Reinforced in the front with stone and surrounded by a low stone fence, the tomb is marked with a headstone and stone tablets erected in 1647 (25th year of King Injo’s reign). Some of the stone used at the tomb is said to have come all the way from India.

Together with the Tomb of King Suro, the tomb area was expanded in the 28th year of King Sejong’s reign (1446) to include several auxiliary buildings: Sungboje, Oesammun, Naesammun, and Hongsalmun. Records indicate that the tombs were robbed over a century later during the Imjin War (Japanese Invasion, 1592-1598).