Monument to Kye Wol-hyang (Pyongyang)

Korea (North) / Pyongyang / Pyongyang / Taedongmun-dong
 monument, place with historical importance

(桂月香碑/계월향비)
Kye Wol-hyang was a famous Kisaeng (female entertainer) who lived Pyongyang during the 16th century. She is remembered for her heroic role in the battle of Pyongyang during Toyotomi Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea in the 16th century (known in Korea as the Imjin Wars). Under the orders of General Kim Ung So, she seduced and drugged the Japanese commander of Pyongyang, Konishi Hidanokami, in Ryongwang Pavilion. She then led General Kim to the sleeping commander, where he beheaded him; though Kim escaped, Kye was later executed for her role in the plot. Kim Ung So later returned to liberate Pyongyang in 1593 with the help of the Ming Chinese Army, and built a shrine to Wolhyang next to the pavilion (the neighborhood in Moranbong-guyok where she lived was also named after her).
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Coordinates:   39°1'23"N   125°45'26"E
This article was last modified 14 years ago