King Jinpyeong

King Jinpyeong (actor Jo Min-Ki)579-632 was king of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.

History
King Jinpyeong succeeded King Jinji (576–579) and since he had no sons, was succeeded by his youngest daughter Queen Seondeok (632–647). He had additional two daughters, Princess Cheonmyeong who was the mother of Kim ChunChu, who becomes King Muyeol of Silla. His third daughter was Sonhwa, legends (e.g. in Samguk Yusa) has it, debated, married King Mu of Baekje of the neighboring country. During his reign, many conflicts with Baekje and Goguryeo arose, and Jinpyeong sent emissaries to Tang to improve relations with China and pressurize Goguryeo and Baekje. Due to this fact, Silla's relations with the other Korean nations deteriorated, but gained more of China's support which later contributed to the Unification of Silla.

Personality
Jinpyeong is generally a level-headed and an even-tempered king. However, most of the power of the Royal House is mostly in Lady Misil and Deokman's hands.

Jinpyeong is also not opposing of Deokman's rule, unlike the sexist notions at that time.

He can be a loving husband, but sometimes in dire situations, he starts losing his temper. He had rather poor health, presumably because of no exercising, as that was the habit of the upper class.

In Queen Seondeok
King Jinpyeong was the successor to King Jinheung the Great, but was cheated out of his rule by Lady Misil, who put his uncle, Geumryun(later the deposed King Jinji) on the throne instead. He witnessed Misil's true nature, as she tried to poison King Jinheung, but he had already passed.

When King Jinji is deposed, he ascends to the throne, Maya as his queen. However, Misil aspires to be Queen herself, despite being his aunt.

Lady Misil attempts to drown Maya with Munno, by tying them together and throwing them into the ocean, but Maya saves herself, her unborn children, and Munno, by cutting the rope with the small dagger King Jinpyeong gave her. Misil seizes the chance to become queen, but at the Council of the Nobles, Maya unexpectedly appears. When Maya's children are born, Jinpyeong remembers the prophecy, passed down from the founder of Silla;

When twins are born to the royal family, the male line will die out.

A second child is born, and Jinpyeong and Maya hand the baby to Sohwa, Jinpyeong's childhood maid.

Sohwa first begs to find a different person, but soon, Misil knows about the twins, and sends Chilsuk after Munno and Sohwa.

King Jinpyeong names the remaining child Chunmyung, and keeps the secret of the second baby hidden.

When Deokman comes to the palace as a Hwarang trainee, Jinpyeong does not know about her existence in the capital.

But when the solar eclipse happened, Deokman announces her heritage as princess, and is eventually princess.

King Jinpyeong leads a relatively normal life until his health starts to decline, and when Deokman announces that she will be king herself, he is surprised, but does not object. However, the nobles are not in favor of the idea, and insist they find a male heir. The main male heir is Kim Chunchu, the son of Chunmyeong and Yongsu, the son of King Jinji. However, his bone rank is in discussion, as he is not of royal bone rank, because his grandfather is deposed.

When King Jinpyeong dies, Deokman eventually takes the throne, as Great Queen Seondeok.