Tomb of General Kim Yusin

The tomb of General Kim Yusin (595-673) is Historic Site No. 21. It is located in a scenic area thick with pine trees, on the eastern hill of Songhwasan Mountain.

Known as the Hero of the Silla Kingdom, General Kim Yusin was the great grandson of King Guhae, the last king of the Geumgwan Gaya Dynasty, and the son of Seo Hyeon, a great general of the Silla Kingdom. Yusin joined the Hwarang (aristocratic youth military corps) at 15 and began dreaming of ways to unify the peninsula’s three kingdoms.

Kim Yusin gained his political foothold by establishing a strong relationship with nobleman Kim Chunchu and made a name for himself through his valor on the battlefield.

When Kim Chunchu eventually succeeded to the throne as the 29th king of the Silla Kingdom (changing his name to King Muyeol), Kim Yusin rose through the ranks and was eventually promoted to the extraordinarily high-ranking position of Sangdaedeung in the year 660 (7th year of King Muyeol’s reign). Kim Yusin then went on to defeat the Baekje Kingdom in cooperation with the Tang Dynasty, also later conquering the Goguryeo Kingdom in the year 668.

The Tang Dynasty turned against Silla after the collapse of Goguryeo, but was defeated by Kim Yusin’s army in cooperation with the armies of Goguryeo and Baekje. With the fall of the Tang, Kim Yusin finally realized his dream of unifying the three kingdoms and was appointed the highest government post in Silla in honor of his heroic achievement.

The tomb of General Kim Yusin is a large tomb measuring roughly 30m in diameter. The relief carvings of 12 Oriental zodiac gods (half man, half animal) stand guard around the tomb, brandishing weapons. The elaborately decorated tomb is second in grandeur only to those of royalty, further underscoring Yusin’s major contribution in unifying the three kingdoms.

The path to this tomb is also a sight not to be missed. The street leading up to the tomb is called Heungmu-ro, and has been selected as one of the 100 Most Beautiful Streets in Korea. The street is full of cherry blossoms in spring and is famous for being a great place to take a walk or go for a drive.

Individual: Adults 1,000 won / Teens 600 won / Children 400 won
Group: Adults 800 won / Teens 500 won / Children 300 won
* Group: 30 people or more

[Gyeongju Day Pass]
Entry to 6 sites: Daereungwon Tomb Complex, Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond, Poseokjeongji Pavilion Site, Oreung Royal Tomb, Tomb of Kim Yu-sin, Tomb of King Muyeol
Individual: Adults 8,000 won / Teens 4,800 won / Children 2,800 won
Group: Adults 6,400 won / Teens 4,000 won / Children 2,200 won

* Note
- Ticket can be purchased at Donggung Palace & Wolji Pond, Poseokjeongji Pavilion Site, Oreung Royal Tomb, Tomb of Kim Yu-sin and Tomb of King Muyeol.
- The ticket remains valid for 3 days after purchase. (Non-refundable after first use.)
- Only one ticket will be issued to a single visitor.

Free wheelchair rental services, designated restrooms (next to the ticket booth), reserved parking spaces, wheelchair ramp to the entrance.