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Gaero of Baekje (?–475, 455–475) was the 21st king of
Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jum ...
, one of the
Three Kingdoms of Korea Samhan or the Three Kingdoms of Korea () refers to the three kingdoms of Goguryeo (고구려, 高句麗), Baekje (백제, 百濟), and Silla (신라, 新羅). Goguryeo was later known as Goryeo (고려, 高麗), from which the modern name ''Kor ...
. He was the eldest son of the 20th king Biyu. He died in battle as Baekje's capital in the present-day
Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...
region fell to the northern rival kingdom
Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled mos ...
.


Reign

He attempted to strengthen royal control of the aristocracy, by selecting officials from his own Buyeo clan, at the expense of the powerful Hae and Jin clans. In 469, he ordered a surprise attack in which the city of Cheongmongnyeon (청목령, 靑木嶺 ; near modern Kaesong) was retaken from
Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled mos ...
. In 472, he sent an embassy bearing tribute to Northern Wei requesting support against Goguryeo’s attacks. However, these advances were rebuffed by the Wei court, which tried to avoid war with Goguryeo which had greater military power at the time, while fighting against
Southern Dynasties The Northern and Southern dynasties () was a period of political division in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589, following the tumultuous era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty. It is sometimes considered as ...
. In the early 470s, according to the ''
Samguk Sagi ''Samguk Sagi'' (, ''History of the Three Kingdoms'') is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The ''Samguk Sagi'' is written in Classical Chinese, the written language of the literati of ancient Korea, ...
'', King
Jangsu of Goguryeo Jangsu of Goguryeo (394–491, r. 413–491) was the 20th monarch of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was born in 394 as the eldest son of Gwanggaeto. He became the crown prince in 408, and upon his father's death in ...
sent 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 named Dorim, who was actually a Goguryeo agent. Dorim used Gaero’s passion for the game of baduk to ingratiate himself, and persuade the king to neglect the country’s defense in favor of public works.


Fall of the capital

In 475, Jangsu launched an attack with 30,000 men and overran Baekje’s defenses in seven days, taking the Han River valley including the capital. Gaero was taken to
Acha Mountain Fortress Achasanseong Fortress is an earthen mountain fortress of the Korean Three Kingdoms period. Originally built by Baekje, it was occupied in turn by each of the Three Kingdoms. It stands on Achasan Mountain, in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, South Korea, at ...
and slain by two men who had defected to Goguryeo from Baekje. Baekje's ally
Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms ...
sent an army of 10,000, but arrived too late. He was the last to rule Baekje from its historic heartland in the Han River valley. After his death,
Hae Gu Hae Gu (? – 478) was a noble of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was a member of the Hae clan (解氏), one of the "Great Eight Families" (''Daeseongpaljok'', 大姓八族). He held the position of Minister of Defense (''Byeong'gw ...
, of the suppressed Hae clan, led a bloody revolt.


Family

* Father:
Biyu of Baekje Biyu of Baekje (died 455, r. 427–455) was the twentieth king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. According to the ''Samguk Sagi'' he was Guisin's son, while other sources name Biyu as the illegitimate son of the 18th king Jeonji. ...
* Mother: unknown ** Queen: unknown *** Buyeo Modo (扶餘牟都, ?–477) – 22nd King of Baekje,
Munju of Baekje Munju of Baekje (?–477, r. 475–477Il-yeon: ''Samguk Yusa: Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea'', translated by Tae-Hung Ha and Grafton K. Mintz. Book Two, page 120. Silk Pagoda (2006). ) was the 22nd king of Baekje, on ...
. ***
Buyeo Gonji Buyeo Gonji (? – July, 477) was a member of the royal family of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was a son of the 21st king, Gaero of Baekje and younger brother of the 22nd king, Munju of Baekje. Life According to the ''Samguk Sa ...
(餘餘昆支, ?–477) – military commander and father of 24th King of Baekje, Dongseong of Baekje. He was sent to Japan in 461 where he had a son with a Japanese woman.


Popular culture

* Portrayed by
Lee Ki-young Lee Ki-young (born August 26, 1963) is a South Korean actor. His notable roles include ''Marathon'' (2005), ''A Bittersweet Life'' (2005), and ''Love Me Not'' (2006). Filmography Film * '' Night in Paradise'' (2020) * ''How to Steal a Dog' ...
in the 2013 MBC TV series ''
The King's Daughter, Soo Baek-hyang ''The King's Daughter, Soo Baek-hyang'' () is a Korean-language historical drama depicting the life of Soo Baek-hyang, the daughter of King Muryeong of Baekje. It was aired on MBC TV from September 30, 2013, to March 14, 2014, on Monday and Fri ...
''.


See also

* History of Korea * List of Monarchs of Korea


References

* Content in this article was copied fro
Samguk Sagi Scroll 23
at the Shoki Wiki, which is licensed under th
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA 3.0) license
{{s-end 475 deaths Baekje rulers Monarchs taken prisoner in wartime Korean military personnel killed in action 5th-century monarchs in Asia Year of birth unknown 5th-century Korean people