“Even after my death, I will never cease to protect Silla.”
After reigning over Silla for 21 years, the Great King Munmu sensed his death was near and on his deathbed, he said:

“When I die, cremate my body and scatter my remains on a rock in the East Sea so I can thwart the Japanese raiders from invading our country. After my death, I will become a dragon and never cease to protect Silla.”

The king’s last words came as a surprise to the people of Silla, as it was common for kings and aristocrats to be buried with treasures and valuables in huge royal tombs. The idea of burning the king’s body to ashes was considered traditionally unacceptable and far from being appropriate. Why did the King leave such a will?

A Hero in a Turbulent Age
King Munmu the Great was the thirtieth king of the Kingdom of Silla. In 661, Munmu was born Prince Bubmin, the son of King Muyeol and Queen Munmyeong, who was a younger sister of General Kim Yu-Shin. Even as a young boy, Prince Bubmin was praised for his intelligence and charm, and carried out diplomatic activities in Tang China at the request of Queen Jindeok. After the death of Queen Jindeok in 654, Kim Chun-chu succeeded the throne and Prince Bubmin became the crown prince amid a prolonged political conflict against Baekje and Goguryeo. Prince Bubmin took the name Munmu when he ascended the throne in 661, after Baekje forces were annihilated by General Kim Yu-Shin. King Munmu spent the first years of his reign battling against Goguryeo, which led to the fall of Pyeongyang Fortress in 668.

King Munmu sought to free Silla from Tang domination. Tang China, once an ally of Silla, promised to aid Silla in unifying the three kingdoms. Calling it a military “aid,” Tang created bureaus in the former Baekje and Goguryeo territories and attempted to dominate the entire peninsula. King Munmu ordered General Kim Yu-Shin to drive out Tang forces, and by 677, the invaders were completely defeated by the Silla army, paving way for the unification of the three kingdoms under Silla’s rule.

Although Silla founded a partially unified state in the territory south of the Daedong River and Wonsanman, the first unification of the three kingdoms is widely perceived as a watershed event in the history of Korea. People called Munmu “King Munmu the Great,” praising him for bringing peace on the Korean peninsula.

After achieving a unified state, King Mumu was constantly worried about the Japanese invaders who threatened Korean people and looted their properties. In his last words, King Munmu expressed his will to become a dragon and promised to protect the country against the Japanese invaders even after his death.

Obeying his father’s will, King Sinmun scattered the remains of King Munmu in the East Sea. King Sinmun is said to have frequently visited his father’s underwater tomb, which is the first of its kind in the world. One day, a dragon appeared and told King Sinmun, “Blowing a bamboo flute will bring peace to the heavens and the earth.” King Sinmun did as he was told, and blew a flute called the “Manpashikjeok” (만파식적), or a legendary pipe. It was said that blowing the flute warded off enemies, cured illnesses, brought rain during droughts, and stopped rain during floods. Thanking his father, King Sinmun built the Gameun Temple, and dedicated a passageway under the sanctuary for his father so his father’s spirit, which is believed to be a dragon, could rest in peace.