Choi Young (Korean: 최영; 1316–1388), also romanized as Choe Yeong, was a

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

general born in

Hongseong Hongseong (''Hongseong-gun'') is a county in South Korea, and the capital of South Chungcheong Province. The current governor is Yeoung Lock Lee. The original name of the city is ''Hongju''. Symbols * The flag represents the Joyang Gate along w ...

Cheorwon Cheorwon County (''Cheorwon-gun'' ), also spelled Chorwon, is a county in Gangwon Province, South Korea. It is located right next to the border with North Korea. History *Goguryeo - First named ''Moeuldongbi''. *Silla Dynasty - name changed to ...

KBS World
"Choe Yeong, the Victorious General of Goryeo Dynasty"
, Koreans in History, 2011-02-04. during the

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificat ...

period. He became a national hero after he put down the Jo Il-shin (조일신) rebellion. He also participated in the

Red Turban Rebellions The Red Turban Rebellions () were uprisings against the Yuan dynasty between 1351 and 1368, eventually leading to its collapse. Remnants of the Yuan imperial court retreated northwards and is thereafter known as the Northern Yuan in historiogr ...

and later allied with the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

to overthrow the Mongol

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fift ...

. In his final years, General Choe was betrayed and executed by his former subordinate

Yi Seong-gye Taejo of Joseon (4 November 1335 – 27 June 1408), born Yi Seong-gye (), was the founder and first ruler of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. After ascending to the throne, he changed his name to Yi Dan (), and reigned from 1392 to 1398. He was ...

, who founded the

Joseon dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and r ...

of Korea, bringing an end to the Goryeo period.

Early years

Choe Yeong was born into the prestigious Cheolwon (more recently known as Dongju) Choe noble clan as the fifth descendant of Choe Yu-cheong, the Grand Scholar of Jiphyeonjeon, the Royal Academy, and the son of Choe Won-jik. He was raised in a strict austere lifestyle, befitting a noble aristocratic family of

. He paid little heed to what he wore and ate, and eschewed fine garments and other comforts even after becoming famous and successful. He disliked men who desired expensive articles, and he viewed simplicity as a virtue. Choe Yeong's motto, left to him by his father, was to regard gold as nothing but mere rocks.

Military career

Jo Il-shin and Japan

Based on his character and beliefs, Choe Yeong was well-suited for the military. In the military, Choe Yeong quickly gained the confidence of both his men and the king due to numerous victories against Japanese pirates (

Wokou ''Wokou'' (; Japanese: ''Wakō''; Korean: 왜구 ''Waegu''), which literally translates to "Japanese pirates" or "dwarf pirates", were pirates who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century to the 16th century.

) who began raiding the

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

n coast around 1350. In 1352, at the age of 36, Choe Yeong became a national hero after he successfully put down a rebellion by Jo Il-shin when insurgents surrounded the royal palace, killed many officials, and proclaimed Jo Il-shin as the new ruler.

Red Turban rebellions

was a tributary, or "Bumaguk (son-in-law nation)", to the Mongol

since 1259, Choe Yeong was sent to help the Yuan forces quash insurgents during the Red Turban Rebellion in northern China. In 1354, at the age of 39, he deployed to northern China with 2,000 Korean mounted archers, and was reinforced in Kanbaluk by 20,000 veterans of the Goryeo Tumens. Together they suppressed the Red Turban Rebellion and returned home to

. However, later the Yuan dynasty was overthrown by the uprisings of

Zhu Yuanzhang The Hongwu Emperor (21 October 1328 – 24 June 1398), personal name Zhu Yuanzhang (), courtesy name Guorui (), was the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty of China, reigning from 1368 to 1398. As famine, plagues and peasant revolts i ...

, who founded the

, and

Chen Youliang Chen Youliang (陳友諒; 1320 – 3 October 1363For those cross-referencing the Mingshi, in the old Chinese calendar 至正二十三年 refers to the year 1363 CE, 七月二十日 refers to 8月29日 or 29 August, and 八月二十六日 r ...

, who founded the

Chen Han Chen Han (; 1360–1364), officially the Great Han (), was a short-lived Chinese dynasty in the middle Yangtze region during the chaotic late Yuan dynasty. It was founded by the Red Turban rebel general Chen Youliang. History Chen Youliang f ...

dynasty. Choe Yeong's success in nearly 30 different battles won him even more fame and favor at home. Upon returning to Korea, he dutifully reported to

Gongmin Gongmin of Goryeo (23 May 1330 – 27 October 1374), also known by his Mongolian name, Bayan Temür., was 31st ruler of Goryeo from 1351 to 1374. He was the second son of King Chungsuk. Biography Early life Goryeo had been a semi-autonomou ...

about the internal problems troubling the waning Yuan dynasty, which gave the king the idea that the time was opportune to reclaim some of the northern territories previously lost to the

Mongols The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal membe ...

. General Choe fought to recover various towns west of the

Yalu River The Yalu River, known by Koreans as the Amrok River or Amnok River, is a river on the border between North Korea and China. Together with the Tumen River to its east, and a small portion of Paektu Mountain, the Yalu forms the border between ...

to the great delight of Gongmin. In 1356, he attacked and received the surrender of the Mongol-Korean

Darughachi ''Darughachi'' (Mongol form) or ''Basqaq'' (Turkic form) were originally designated officials in the Mongol Empire that were in charge of taxes and administration in a certain province. The plural form of the Mongolian word is ''darugha''. They ...

Ssangseong The Ssangseong Prefectures were administrative divisions of the Yuan dynasty established in 1258 in modern-day Kumya County, South Hamgyong Province, North Korea. It was founded as a base for conquest and domination of northern Goryeo territory ...

Chonggwanbu in what is now

Wonsan Wŏnsan (), previously known as Wŏnsanjin (), Port Lazarev, and Genzan (), is a port city and naval base located in Kangwŏn Province, North Korea, along the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula, on the Sea of Japan and the provincial capital. ...

, where the former Goryeo ruling aristocrats had surrendered their fiefdoms to the Mongols prior to Goryeo's national surrender of sovereignty in 1259. The surrendering darughachi of Ssangseong was none other than

Yi Jachun Hwanjo of Joseon (20 January 1315 – 3 June 1361), personal name Yi Ja-chun (Hangul: 이자춘, Hanja: 李子春), Mongolian name Ulus Bukha (吾魯思不花), was a minor military officer of the Yuan Empire, who later transferred his allegian ...

, whose son, the deputy darhughachi, was

, the future founder of the

. In 1360, Choe Yeong defeated the Red Turbans during the Red Turban invasions of Goryeo. Choe Yeong served briefly as the mayor of

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...

, where his efforts at increasing crop production and mitigating famine won him even more attention as a national hero. In 1364, he distinguished himself further when he defeated a powerful minister named Deok Heung-gun who tried to overthrow the government of Goryeo for asserting independence from the

. Choe Yu, appointed by

Empress Gi Empress Gi or Empress Ki (Hangul: 기황후, Hanja: 奇皇后; 1315–1370(?)), also known as Empress Qi () or Öljei Khutuk (Mongolian language, Mongolian: Өлзийхутаг; ), was one of the Khatun, primary empresses of Toghon Temür (Empero ...

of Yuan, invaded Korea with 10,000 Mongol cavalry to overthrow the rebellious king, but Choe Yeong gathered up his forces and defeated the Mongol Tumen of 10,000, solidifying the final defiance and independence of Goryeo dynasty from the Mongols in 1364.

Yuan-Ming dynasties

In 1368, when the new

of China offered an alliance against the Mongols, King Gongmin of Goryeo ordered Choe Yeong to invade the remaining Mongol garrisons in

Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer Manc ...

. Choe Yeong maneuvered north of the

and captured and the city of

Liaoyang Liaoyang () is a prefecture-level city of east-central Liaoning province, China, situated on the Taizi River. It is approximately one hour south of Shenyang, the provincial capital, by car. Liaoyang is home to Liaoning University's College of Fo ...

in 1370, but this did not lead to a permanent settlement.

Betrayal and redemption

Following a dream that he thought predicted that a

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

monk would save his life,

King Gongmin Gongmin of Goryeo (23 May 1330 – 27 October 1374), also known by his Mongolian name, Bayan Temür., was 31st ruler of Goryeo from 1351 to 1374. He was the second son of King Chungsuk. Biography Early life Goryeo had been a semi-autonomou ...

promoted a monk named

Shin Don Sin Don (신돈, 辛旽; 21 January 1322 – 21 August 1371) was a Korean Buddhist monk and scholar during the Goryeo Dynasty; His Dharma name was Pyeonjo and became a teacher and advisor of Gongmin of Goryeo. Summary He was a Buddhist monk. H ...

to a lofty position within his court and allowed him considerable influence. At first,

toiled to improve the lives of the peasants despite great opposition from the ministers; however, with the king's support

grew increasingly ruthless and corrupt. Choe Yeong, who vigorously opposed corruption in the kingdom, found himself at odds with the monk, and subsequently,

engineered false accusations of misconduct against Choe Yeong that resulted in a punishment of six years in exile and brought him dangerously close to execution. However, after

's death in 1374,

restored Choe Yeong to his previous position and immediately asked him to prepare a fleet to fight Japanese pirates and eliminate the remaining Mongol forces on Jeju Island. Choe Yeong engaged the Mongols first, who fought tenaciously, but Choe's forces eventually freed the island. Then, in 1376, the Japanese pirates advanced into

and captured the city of

Gongju Gongju ([]; Gongju-si) is a city in South Chungcheong province, South Korea. History Gongju was formerly named Ungjin and was the capital of Baekje from AD 475 to 538. In this period, Baekje was under threat from Goguryeo. Goguryeo had overrun ...

. With the new gunpowder recipe obtained by scientist

Choe Mu-seon Choe Mu-Seon (1325–1395) was a medieval Korean scientist, inventor, and military commander during the late Goryeo Dynasty and early Joseon Dynasty. He is best known for enabling Korea to domestically produce gunpowder by obtaining a recipe ...

, General Choe and his subordinate,

, routed and defeated the pirates, and reclaimed

Final years

General Choe was betrayed and executed by his former subordinate Yi Seong-gye. In 1388, General Yi Seong-gye was ordered to use his armies to push the Ming forces out of the

Liaodong The Liaodong Peninsula (also Liaotung Peninsula, ) is a peninsula in southern Liaoning province in Northeast China, and makes up the southwestern coastal half of the Liaodong region. It is located between the mouths of the Daliao River (the ...

peninsula. Yi Seong-gye opposed the northern expedition, citing four reasons:국역 고려사 권111 열전 24 # A smaller nation should not attack a larger nation, as it goes against the Confucian order of the world # It is harsh to campaign during the summer farming season, as it will result in a poor harvest for the populace # With the bulk of the men away to the north, Japanese pirates will have free rein in the south # Monsoon rains will reduce the effectiveness of composite bows, the army's main weapon, and will encourage the spread of infectious diseases in the camps. General Choe ordered the invasion nevertheless, supported by the young

King U U of Goryeo (25 July 1365 – 31 December 1389) ruled Goryeo (Korea) as the 32nd king from 1374 until 1388. He was the only son of King Gongmin. Cultural background In the thirteenth century, Mongol forces had invaded China and established the ...

. However, knowing the support he enjoyed from high-ranking government officials and the general populace,

decided to return to the capital,

Gaegyeong Kaesong (, ) is a special city in the southern part of North Korea (formerly in North Hwanghae Province), and the capital of Korea during the Taebong kingdom and subsequent Goryeo dynasty. The city is near the Kaesong Industrial Region close t ...

, and trigger a coup d'état. This incident later became famous as the

Wihwado Retreat Turning back the army from Wihwa Island () refers to the 1388 episode in which General Yi Seong-gye of the Goryeo dynasty was ordered to march north with his army and invade the Liaodong Peninsula (northeast China, which was under the control of ...

and became the first sign of the change of dynasty. When Yi Seong-gye returned to the capital, Choe Young put up a gallant defense at the palace, but was outnumbered and overwhelmed. General Choe was defeated, captured, and banished to

Goyang Goyang (''Goyang-si''; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province in the north of South Korea. It is part of the Seoul Capital Area, making Goyang one of Seoul's satellite cities. It is one of the largest cities in the Seoul Capital Area, with a populatio ...

and was later beheaded by Yi Seong-gye's government. Before the execution, Choe was famously known to have predicted that due to his unjust demise, grass would never grow on his grave. Grass did not grow on his grave until 1976 and it became known as ''Jeokbun'' (적분), which means red grave, because of the red soil.

Family

*Father: Choi Won-jik (최원직, 崔元直) *Mother: Lady, of the Bongsan Ji clan (부인 봉산 지씨, 夫人鳳山智氏) *Wives and children: **Lady, of the

Munhwa Ryu clan The Munhwa Ryu clan or Munhwa Yu clan of Korea (Korean: 문화 류씨 or 문화 유씨, Hanja: 文化柳氏) is one of the great aristocratic houses of Goryeo and Joseon dynasty. Munhwa is the name of the clan seat, a township in modern-day Sin ...

(부인 문화 류씨, 夫人文化柳氏) ***Son: Choe Dam (최담, 崔潭) ****Grandson: Choe Gwi-deok (최귀덕, 崔貴德) ****Grandson: Choe Ju (최주) ****Grandson: Choe Do (최도, 崔渡) ****Grandson: Choe Sik (최식) ****Grandson: Choe Eon (최언, 崔彦) ***Daughter: Lady Choe (부인 최씨, 夫人崔氏) ****Son-in-law: Sa Gong-min (사공민, 司空敏) **Lady Eun (부인 은씨, 夫人殷氏) ***Daughter: Royal Consort Choe Yeong-bi (영비 최씨, 寧妃崔氏) ****Son-in-law: King U of Goryeo (1365 – 1389) (고려 우왕)

In popular culture

* Portrayed by

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in the 1983

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TV series ''

Foundation of the Kingdom ''Foundation of the Kingdom'' () is a 1983 South Korean historical television series. It aired on KBS1 from January 2, 1983 to December 18, 1983. The series revolves around the fall of Goryeo and the foundation of Joseon. Cast Kingdom of Goryeo ...

''. * Portrayed by Kim Gil-ho in the 1983 MBC TV series ''

The King of Chudong Palace ''The King of Chudong Palace'' () is a 1983 South Korean historical television series, the first installment of the drama series ''500 Years of Joseon Dynasty'' by director Lee Byung-hoon and writer Shin Bong-seung. It aired on MBC from March 3 ...

''. * Portrayed by Kim Sung-ok in the 1996-98 KBS1 TV series ''

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''. * Portrayed by Choi Sang-hoon in the 2005-06 MBC TV series ''

''. * Portrayed by

Lee Min-ho Lee Min-ho (, born June 22, 1987) is a South Korean actor, singer, model, creative director and businessman. He gained widespread fame worldwide with his role as Gu Jun-pyo in ''Boys Over Flowers'' (2009) which also earned him the Best New Acto ...

in the 2012 SBS TV series ''

Faith Faith, derived from Latin ''fides'' and Old French ''feid'', is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or In the context of religion, one can define faith as "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". Religious people often ...

''. * Portrayed by

Son Byong-ho Son Byong-ho (born August 25, 1962) is a South Korean actor. Son is known for his role in action films, notably, ''R-Point'' (2004), '' Running Wild'' (2006), ''The Good, the Bad, the Weird'' (2008) and ''Insu, The Queen Mother ''Insu, the Qu ...

in the 2012-13 SBS TV series ''

The Great Seer ''The Great Seer'' (, also known as ''The Great Geomancer'') is a 2012 South Korean historical television series, starring Ji Sung, Ji Jin-hee, Song Chang-eui, Kim So-yeon and Lee Yoon-ji. Set during the turbulent decline of Goryeo, it is about ...

''. * Portrayed by

Seo In-seok Seo In-seok (born February 22, 1949) is a South Korean actor. Seo made his acting debut in 1976, and among his notable television series are the historical dramas '' Emperor Wang Gun'' (2000) and ''Jeong Do-jeon Jeong Dojeon ( Korean: 정도� ...

in the 2014 KBS1 TV series ''

Jeong Do-jeon Jeong Dojeon (Korean: 정도전, Hanja: 鄭道傳, 1342 – October 6, 1398), also known by his pen name Sambong (Korean: 삼봉), was a prominent Korean scholar-official during the late Goryeo to the early Joseon periods. He served as the first ...

''. * Portrayed by Jeon Guk-hwan in the 2015-16 SBS TV series ''

Six Flying Dragons ''Six Flying Dragons'' () is a South Korean television series starring Yoo Ah-in, Kim Myung-min, Shin Se-kyung, Byun Yo-han, Yoon Kyun-sang and Chun Ho-jin. It aired on SBS on Mondays and Tuesdays at 22:00 for 50 episodes beginning on Octobe ...

''.

References

External links

General Choi, Young Shrine
at the Information Network Village {{DEFAULTSORT:Choe, Yeong Korean generals 14th-century Korean people 1316 births 1388 deaths

Early years

Military career

Jo Il-shin and Japan

Red Turban rebellions

Yuan-Ming dynasties

Betrayal and redemption

Final years

Family

In popular culture

See also

References

External links