Princess Seonhwa of Silla


Princess Seonhwa or Queen Seonhwa was the daughter of King Jinpyeong of Silla and wife of King Mu of Baekje. As such, she was Queen consort of Baekje from 600 CE to an unknown year. Seonhwa's existence is controversial due to the discovery of evidence that points to King Uija's mother as being Queen Sataek, and not Seonhwa as indicated by historical records.

Biography

According to the Legend chapter of Samguk Yusa, she was the third daughter of King Jinpyeong of Silla and his wife Queen Maya of Silla and was famous for her beauty. Seonhwa's sisters were Princess Deokman and Princess Cheonmyeong.
The Prince of Baekje, Seodong who loved her went to Gyeongju, the capital city of Shilla and he taught and made the children in there to sing a nursery rhyme which made by himself while provided Korean yams for them in reward for good performance of it. The children's song is called Seo Dong Yo, which tells a secret love story of a Princess Seonhwa sneaking out to get together with Seodong every night. Soon, hearing the news of all the children in the whole city going around singing the song, the King Jinpyeong goes through the roof and expels the Princess Seonhwa out of Gyeongju.
On her way to a place of exile, the Princess Seonhwa met Seodong and fell in love with him, ending up go over to Baekje to live with him. Later, Seodong became the King Mu of Baekje, and Princess Seonhwa his wife. The Princess Seonhwa asked the King Mu to build Mireuksa in Iksan, North Jeolla Province. And she and the King Mu had a son who was destined to be the last King of Baekjae Dynasty, Uija of Baekje.

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