King Minjung (?–48, r. 44–48Nahm, Andrew C. Korea: Tradition and Transformation — A History of the Korean People, second edition, Elizabeth, NJ: Hollym International (1996). , pp. 573) was the fourth ruler of

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 ...

, the northernmost 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 ...

. According to ''The History of the Three Kingdoms'', he was the younger brother of the country’s third ruler, King Daemusin, and the fifth son of the second ruler, King Yuri.

Background

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, ...

, a 12th-century Korean history of the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...

, Minjung was the fifth and youngest son of Yuri (Goguryeo's second King), as well as the youngest brother of his predecessor Daemusin. His original name was Hae Saek-ju or Hae Eup-ju, and some scholars believe the king’s surname was Hae. The Samguk Sagi states that at the time of Daemusin's death the crown prince was his eldest son Mobon (then known as Hae U), but Mobon was still too young to rule. Thus, Minjung (then known as Haesaekjoo) ascended to the throne with national support.^{/sup> However, an alternative account exists in the Samguk Yusa, stating that Minjung was the son of Daemusin and the younger brother of Mobon.

Reign

During Minjung's five years of reign, he avoided military conflict and maintained peace throughout most of the kingdom.
A massive pardon of prisoners occurred in his first year of reign.
Several natural disasters marked his reign, including a flood during his second year of reign that occurred in the eastern provinces causing several citizens to lose their homes and starve. Seeing this, Minjung opened up the food storage and distributed food to the people.
In his third year of reign, it didn't snow in the capital.
In his fourth year of reign, Minjung found a stone grotto in the Western region of his kingdom and was said to have rested in it after a long hunt.

Death

In the year 48, during the fifth year of his reign, Minjung fell ill and died. On his deathbed, he requested to be buried in a grotto in Minjung-won, where he was eventually laid to rest. As a result, he was given the posthumous name

A posthumous name is an honorary name given mostly to the notable dead in East Asian culture. It is predominantly practiced in East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, and Thailand. Reflecting on the person's accomplishments ...
, Minjung.

See also

* History of Korea
*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 ...

*List of Korean monarchs

This is a list of monarchs of Korea, arranged by dynasty. Names are romanized according to the South Korean Revised Romanization of Korean. McCune–Reischauer romanizations may be found at the articles about the individual monarchs.
Gojoseon ...

Notes

References

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Goguryeo rulers
48 deaths
1st-century monarchs in Asia
1st-century Korean people
Year of birth unknown}