Queen Seondeok of Silla: Korea's First Reigning Queen, the Star Observatory and the Rebellion Against Her

Queen Seondeok (died 647) was the first queen regnant of Silla, one of Korea's Three Kingdoms, ruling from 632 until her death in 647; she is remembered for caring for her people, for the Cheomseongdae observatory built early in her reign, for the great nine-storey pagoda of Hwangnyongsa, and for laying the first foundations of Silla's later unification of the Korean Peninsula. She ruled at a time when many doubted that a woman could govern, and the final crisis of her reign was a rebellion launched precisely on that claim.

Princess Deokman

Seondeok was born Princess Deokman, the daughter of King Jinpyeong of Silla and Queen Maya. King Jinpyeong had no son. Silla's strict "bone rank" system limited the throne to people of the highest royal bloodline, and Deokman was chosen as heir. According to a disputed later text, she had to prove herself against other possible successors. In January 632 she became Silla's first ruling queen.

A ruler for the people

Right after she was crowned, Seondeok explained her policies to her people and sent royal inspectors across the kingdom to improve care for widows, orphans, the elderly and the poor. In the second year of her reign, Cheomseongdae, an astronomical observatory, was built to help farmers by tracking the seasons.

Cheomseongdae: the star-watching tower

Cheomseongdae, still standing in Gyeongju, is a bottle-shaped stone tower about nine metres tall. It is often described as the oldest surviving astronomical observatory in East Asia. Scholars debate exactly how it was used, but the tower has become a symbol of Silla's interest in science and of Seondeok's reign. It is one of the best-known sights in Gyeongju today.

War on two fronts

Seondeok's reign was full of danger. Silla was squeezed between its rivals Baekje and Goguryeo. In 642 King Uija of Baekje personally led a campaign that took 40 fortresses in western Silla, and the important Daeya Fortress fell, with the deaths of the daughter and son-in-law of Kim Chunchu, a royal relative who would later become king. To meet the crisis, Seondeok worked to build an alliance with Tang China, a decision that would shape the peninsula's future.

The nine-storey pagoda

The monk Jajang, who had studied in Tang China for seven years, returned to Silla in 643. He advised the queen to build a great nine-storey wooden pagoda at Hwangnyongsa temple, both to strengthen Buddhism and to unite the country against its enemies. The pagoda, one of the tallest structures of its time in East Asia, was later destroyed during the Mongol invasions, but its huge stone foundations can still be seen in Gyeongju.

Bidam's rebellion

In early 647, a group of high officials led by Bidam rebelled, declaring that a female ruler had failed and that women should stop ruling. A famous story says that a star fell near the palace during the revolt and Bidam claimed it as a sign of the queen's coming death; the general Kim Yu-sin is said to have sent a burning kite into the sky so people would believe the star had returned. Seondeok died during the rebellion, and the revolt was crushed. Her cousin Jindeok succeeded her as Silla's second reigning queen.

Legend and legacy

Later Korean collections of tales credit Seondeok with uncanny foresight, including the story that she predicted a peony painting from Tang would have no scent because it showed no bees or butterflies. Such stories are legends, but they show how she was remembered: as wise and perceptive. A popular 2009 TV drama made her famous across Korea again.

Learn with Queen Seondeok: Korean words

Korean	Meaning	Example
여왕 (yeowang)	queen	선덕여왕은 신라의 여왕이었어요.
별 (byeol)	star	밤하늘에 별이 많아요.
탑 (tap)	pagoda, tower	큰 탑을 세웠어요.
백성 (baekseong)	the people (historic)	백성을 아꼈어요.
지혜 (jihye)	wisdom	지혜로운 왕이었어요.

Try this: Write three English sentences about a leader you admire, then one simple Korean sentence using 여왕 or 지혜.