Taejo (; 31 January 877 – 4 July 943), personal name Wang Kŏn (), also known as Taejo Wang Kŏn (), was the founder of the

Goryeo Dynasty Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

. He ruled from 918 to 943, achieving unification of the

Later Three Kingdoms The Later Three Kingdoms period (; c. 890s – 936 AD) of ancient Korea saw a partial revival of the old three kingdoms which had dominated the peninsula from the 1st century BC to the 7th century. After the Unified Silla kingdom had ruled Kor ...

in 936.

Background

Wang Kŏn was born in 877 to a powerful maritime merchant family of

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC – 668 AD) (; ; Old Korean: Guryeo) also later known as Goryeo (; ; Middle Korean: 고ᇢ롕〮, ''kwòwlyéy''), was a Korean kingdom which was located on the northern and central parts of the Korea, Korean Peninsula an ...

descent based in Songak (modern

Kaesong 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 cl ...

) as the eldest son of

Wang Ryung Wang Ryung (died May 897), also known as Wang Yung, was a Korean ''hojok'', or local regional lord of Song-ak, who lived during the Later Three Kingdoms period. He was the father of Wang Kŏn, the founder of the Goryeo dynasty. He was later pos ...

. According to the ''Pyeonnyeon tongnok'' (), quoted in the ''Goryeosa'', Wang Kŏn's grandfather Chakchegon was the son of

Emperor Suzong of Tang Emperor Suzong of Tang (''yihai'' day, 711 – 16 May 762; r. 756 – 762), personal name Li Heng, né Li Sisheng (), known as Li Jun () from 725 to 736, known as Li Yu () from 736 to 738, known briefly as Li Shao () in 738, was an emperor of ...

. According to the ''

Encyclopedia of Korean Culture The ''Encyclopedia of Korean Culture'' () is a Korean-language encyclopedia published by the Academy of Korean Studies and DongBang Media Co. It was originally published as physical books from 1991 to 2001. There is now an online version of the ...

'' and the ''

Doosan Encyclopedia ''Doosan Encyclopedia'' () is a Korean-language encyclopedia published by Doosan Donga (). The encyclopedia is based on the ''Dong-A Color Encyclopedia'' (), which comprises 30 volumes and began to be published in 1982 by Dong-A Publishing (). ...

'', this is hagiographical. The ''Pyeonnyeon tongnok'' (c. late 12th century) said: While on a sea voyage to meet his father, Emperor Suzong of the Tang dynasty, 16-year-old Chakchegon encountered a dragon king, slayed a shape-shifting fox, and married a dragon woman; the dragon woman later transformed into a dragon and went away. According to the ''Seongwollok'' (), quoted in the ''Goryeosa'', the "dragon woman" was a daughter of Tu Ŭn-chŏm from Pyongju (modern-day

Pyongsan County P‘yŏngsan County is a county in North Hwanghae Province, North Korea. Etymology During the Korea under Japanese rule, Japanese occupation of Korea, the county was called Heizan () and was a part of the now-defunct Kōkai-dō, Kokai Province. A ...

). The story that Wang Kŏn was descended from either Suzong or Xuanzong was dismissed by the Joseon compilers of the

Goryeosa ''Goryeosa'' (), or ''History of Goryeo'', is an extensive historical record of the Goryeo dynasty, compiled by the officials of Goryeo's successor state, Joseon. Its compilation started during the reign of Taejo of Joseon, Taejo (the founding ...

. Modern historians believe that Wang Kŏn's ancestors were influential Goguryeoic ''hojoks'' (lords) that conducted maritime trade with China for generations. According to the ''Gaoli tujing'' (c. early 12th century) written by the

Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...

envoy Xu Jing, Wang Kŏn's ancestors were Goguryeo nobility. According to Jang Deokho, his ancestors were Goguryeo refugees who settled around Songak, accumulating great wealth through maritime trade and gaining control of the region, including the Ryesong River. During the

Later Silla Unified Silla, or Late Silla, is the name often applied to the historical period of the Korean kingdom of Silla after its conquest of Goguryeo in 668 AD, which marked the end of the Three Kingdoms period. In the 7th century, a Silla–Tang all ...

period, the northern regions, including Songak, were the strongholds of Goguryeo refugees, and Wang Kŏn's hometown of Songak would become the original capital of Later Goguryeo in 901. According to a document created during the reign of King

Uijong of Goryeo Uijong (23 May 1127 – 7 November 1173), personal name Wang Hyŏn, was the 18th king of the Goryeo, Goryeo dynasty of Korea. He honoured his civilian advisors with many ceremonies but discriminated against the military officials, often forcing ...

, the Sillan monk Doseon prophesied that Wang Kŏn would rise to power and become king after visiting Wang Kŏn's father.

Rise to power

Wang Kŏn began his career in the turbulent

. In the later years of

Silla Silla (; Old Korean: wikt:徐羅伐#Old Korean, 徐羅伐, Yale romanization of Korean, Yale: Syerapel, Revised Romanization of Korean, RR: ''Seorabeol''; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) was a Korean kingdom that existed between ...

, many local leaders and bandits rebelled against the rule of Queen Jinseong, who did not have strong and wise enough leadership or policies to improve the poor condition of the people. Among those rebels,

Kung Ye Kung Ye (; – 24 July 918) was the king of the short-lived state of Taebong (901–918), one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. Kung Ye is alleged to have been a son of either King Heonan of Silla or Gyeongmun of Silla, though the accuracy ...

of the northwestern region and

Kyŏn Hwŏn Kyŏn Hwŏn (; 867 – 27 September 936, ruled from 892 – March 935) was the king and founder of Later Baekje, one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea, and reigned from 892 to 935. Some records render his name as Chin Hwŏn (). He was also t ...

of the southwest gained more power. They defeated and absorbed many of the other rebel groups as their troops marched against local Silla officials and bandits. In 895, Kung Ye led his forces into the far northwestern part of Silla, where Songdo was located. Taejo's father, Wang Ryung, along with many local clans, quickly surrendered to Kung Ye. Wang Kŏn followed his father into service under

, the future leader of

Taebong Taebong (; ) was a state established by Kung Ye () on the Korean Peninsula in 901 during the Later Three Kingdoms. Name The state's initial name was Goryeo, after the official name of Goguryeo, a previous state in Manchuria and the northern ...

, and he began his service under Kung Ye's command. Wang Kŏn's ability as a military commander was soon recognized by Kung Ye, who promoted him to general and even regarded him as his brother. In 900, he led a successful campaign against local clans and the army of

Later Baekje Later Baekje (, ) was one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea, along with Taebong and Silla. Later Baekje was a Korean dynastic kingdom founded by the disaffected Silla general Kyŏn Hwŏn in 900, whom led the local gentry and populace tha ...

in the

Chungju Chungju () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Uamsan is a mountain located within the outskirts of the city. The city is famous for the annual martial arts festival held in October. Al ...

area, gaining more fame and recognition from the king. In 903, he led a famous naval campaign against the southwestern coastline of Later Baekje at Keumsung, later Naju, while Kyon Hwon was at war against Silla. He led several more military campaigns, and also helped conquered people who lived in poverty under Silla rule. The public favored him due to his leadership and generosity. In 913, he was appointed as prime minister of the newly renamed Taebong. Its king, Kung Ye, whose leadership helped found the kingdom but who began to refer to himself as the Buddha, began to persecute people who expressed their opposition against his religious arguments. He executed many monks, then later even his own wife and two sons, and the public began to turn away from him. His costly rituals and harsh rule caused even more opposition.

Rise to the throne and founding of Goryeo

In the night of July 24, 918, four top-ranked generals of Taebong— Hong Yu (홍유; 洪儒), Pae Hyŏn-gyŏng (배현경; 裵玄慶), Sin Sung-gyŏm and Pok Chigyŏm (복지겸; 卜智謙)—met secretly and agreed to overthrow Kung Ye's rule and crown Wang Kŏn as their new king. Wang Kŏn first opposed the idea but later agreed to their plan. Kung Ye was overthrown in a coup and killed near the capital, Cheorwon. On the sunrise of the next day, the generals installed Wang Kŏn as the new king. Taejo renamed the kingdom

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

, thus beginning the Goryeo Dynasty. The next year he moved the capital back to his hometown, Gaegyeong. He promoted Buddhism as Goryeo's national religion, and laid claim to the northern parts of the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria, which he considered his rightful legacy as the successor of Goguryeo. According to the

, in 918, the ancient capital of

Pyongyang Pyongyang () is the Capital city, capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is sometimes labeled as the "Capital of the Revolution" (). Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. Accordi ...

had been in ruins for a long time and foreign barbarians were using the surrounding lands as hunting grounds and occasionally raiding the borders of Goryeo; therefore, in his first year as king, Wang Kŏn ordered his subjects to repopulate the ancient capital, and soon sent his cousin Wang Sing-nyŏm to defend it. Afterward, he decreed Pyongyang as the Western Capital. He also sought alliances and cooperation with local clans rather than trying to conquer and bring them under his direct control.

The War of the Later Three Kingdoms

In 927, Kyon Hwon of Later Baekje led his forces into Silla's capital,

Gyeongju Gyeongju (, ), historically known as Seorabeol (, ), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, covering with a population of ...

, capturing and executing its king, King Gyeongae. Then he established King Gyeongsun as his puppet monarch before he turned his army toward Goryeo. Hearing of the news, Taejo planned a strike with 5,000 cavalrymen to attack Kyon's troops on the way back home at Gongsan near

Daegu Daegu (; ), formerly spelled Taegu and officially Daegu Metropolitan City (), is a city in southeastern South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; the fourth-largest List of provincial-level ci ...

in the Battle of Gongsan. He met the Later Baekje army and suffered a disastrous defeat, losing most of his army including his generals Kim Nak and Sin Sung-gyom, the very same man who crowned Wang as a king. According to the legend, Taejo and Sin Sung-gyom exchanged their armor so that the king would be able to escape the battlefield. While Wang Kŏn escaped the battlefield, Sin and the remaining army fought bravely against the Later Baekje army. But eventually his army was routed and in the woods Sin was shot with arrows and was killed by the enemy. Taejo escaped from this mountain and fled alone to the mountain , and he spent a few days hiding in a large cave at the peak of Apsan. While Taejo retreated from the battle and fled to Apsan Mountain, he left many place names related to him in Daegu. However, Goryeo quickly recovered from defeat and successfully defended Later Baekje's attack on its front. In 935, the last king of Silla, King Gyeongsun, felt there was no way to revive his kingdom and surrendered his entire land to Taejo. Taejo gladly accepted his surrender and gave him the title of prince, and accepted his

first cousin A cousin is a relative who is the child of a parent's sibling; this is more specifically referred to as a first cousin. A parent of a first cousin is an aunt or uncle. More generally, in the lineal kinship, kinship system used in the English-s ...

as his fifth wife and queen (Wang had six queens, and many more wives as he married daughters of every single local leader). In turn, King Gyeonsun married King Taejo's eldest daughter, Princess Nakrang, whose daughter also intermarried into the royal Wang clan through her marriage with King Gyeongjong; the grandson of King Taejo and Queen Sinmyeong. It caused much disgust to Kyon Hwon. Kyon's father,

Ajagae Ajagae was a military and rebel leader in the Sangju area during the waning years of Unified Silla who led a local rebellion which seized Sangju and is remembered primarily as the father of Kyŏn Hwŏn, the founder and first king of Later Baekj ...

, who held his own claim to the

Sangju Sangju (; ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Although Sangju is rather rural, it is very old and was once a key city. Along with Gyeongju, it gives rise to half of the name of the Gye ...

region, also defected and surrendered to Goryeo and was received as the father of a king. In the same year, Kyon Hwon's oldest son, Kyŏn Sin-gŏm, led a coup with his brothers Yang-gŏm and Yong-gŏm, against their father, who favored their half-brother, Kŭm-gang, as his successor to the throne. Kyon Hwon was sent into exile and imprisoned in the temple of Geumsansa, but escaped to Goryeo and was treated like Taejo's father, who died just before his surrender.

Goryeo victory and unification

In 936, Wang led his final campaign against Sin-gom of Later Baekje. Sin-gom fought against Taejo, but facing much disadvantage and inner conflict, he surrendered to Taejo. Wang finally conquered Later Baekje, and unified the nation for the second time since

Unified Silla Unified Silla, or Late Silla, is the name often applied to the historical period of the Korean kingdom of Silla after its conquest of Goguryeo in 668 AD, which marked the end of the Three Kingdoms period. In the 7th century, a Silla–Tang alli ...

; he ruled until 943, and died from disease. Taejo sought to bring even his enemies into his ruling coalition. He gave titles and land to rulers and nobles from the various countries he had defeated: Later Baekje, Silla, and also

Balhae Balhae,, , ) also rendered as Bohai or Bohea, and called Jin (; ) early on, was a multiethnic kingdom established in 698 by Dae Joyeong (Da Zuorong). It was originally known as the Kingdom of Jin (震, Zhen) until 713 when its name was changed ...

, which disintegrated around the same time. Thus he sought to secure stability and unity for his kingdom which had been lacking in the later years of Silla. After the destruction of Balhae by the Khitans in 926, Balhae's last crown prince and much of its ruling class sought refuge in Goryeo, where they were warmly welcomed and included into the ruling family by Taejo, thus uniting the two successor nations of

. Taejo felt a strong familial kinship with Balhae, calling it his "Relative Country" and "Married Country", and protected Balhae refugees, many of whom were also of Goguryeo origin. This was in strong contrast to Later Silla, which had endured a hostile relationship with Balhae. Taejo displayed strong animosity toward the Khitans who had destroyed Balhae. The Liao dynasty sent 30 envoys with 50 camels as a gift in 942, but he exiled the envoys and starved the camels under a bridge in retribution for Balhae, despite the major diplomatic repercussions. Taejo proposed to Gaozu of Later Jìn that they attack the Khitans as revenge for the destruction of Balhae, according to the

Zizhi Tongjian The ''Zizhi Tongjian'' (1084) is a chronicle published during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) that provides a record of Chinese history from 403 BC to 959 AD, covering 16 dynasties and spanning almost 1400 years. The main text is ...

. Furthermore, in his Ten Injunctions to his descendants, he stated that the Khitans are no different from beasts and should be guarded against.

Legacy

The unification of the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 was very important in Korean history; the unification of 668 CE by Silla was only a unification of approximately half of the peoples of the

Korean Peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...

and its vicinity (who at the time largely considered themselves one people divided among many states), since the northern part was ruled by Balhae, which asserted itself as a reincarnation of Goguryeo. However, Wang Kŏn's unification in 936 was a more complete unification (in which only a single state emerged among the people, as opposed to the 7th century, when two,

and

, emerged); the people of the

thereafter remained under a single, unified state until 1948, when Korea was divided into

north North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

south South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

by Soviets and U.S. forces. The modern name of "Korea" is derived from the name "Goryeo," which itself is derived from "Goguryeo," to whose heritage (and by extension, territory) Wang Kŏn and his new kingdom laid claim. As the first ruler to more fully unite the people of the Korean Peninsula under a single state, many modern-day

Koreans Koreans are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Korean Peninsula. The majority of Koreans live in the two Korean sovereign states of North and South Korea, which are collectively referred to as Korea. As of 2021, an estimated 7.3 m ...

look to his example for applicability to the current state of division on the Korean Peninsula. Tomb of Wang Geon - Kaesong07

During the early Goryeo dynasty, the title of ''t'aeja'' () was only a peerage title for sons of the king; a separate title existed for the

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

called the ''chŏngyun'' ().

Family

*Father: King Sejo of Goryeo (850–897) **Grandfather: King Uijo of Goryeo (b. 822) ***Great-grandfather: King Gukjo of Goryeo (810–859) ***Great-grandmother: Gang Jin-ui, Queen Jeonghwa of the Sincheon Gang clan (b. 803) **Grandmother: Jeo-Min-Ui, Queen Wonchang (b. 822) *Mother: Queen Wisuk of the Han clan *Consorts and their Respective Issue(s): # Queen Sinhye of the Chŏngju Yu clan – No issue. # Queen Janghwa of the Naju O clan ## Crown Prince Wang Mu, ''1st son'' # Queen Sinmyeongsunseong of the Chungju Yu clan ## Princess Nakrang, ''1st daughter'' ## Wang Tae, ''2nd son'' ## Wang Yo, ''3rd son'' ## Wang So, ''4th son'' ## Wang Jeong, ''5th son'' ## Jeungteong, ''6th son'' – a monk. ## Princess Heungbang, ''2nd daughter'' # Queen Sinjeong of the Hwangju Hwangbo clan ## Wang Uk, King Daejong of Goryeo, ''7th son'' ## Queen Daemok, ''3rd daughter'' # Queen Sinseong of the Gyeongju Kim clan ## Wang Uk, King Anjong of Goryeo, ''8th son'' # Queen Jeongdeok of the Chŏngju Yu clan ## Prince Wangwi, ''9th son'' ##

Prince Inae Prince Inae () was a Korean Royal Prince as the second son of Taejo of Goryeo and Queen Jeongdeok. He was a Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tra ...

, ''10th son'' ## Prince Wonjang, ''11th son'' ## Prince Joyi, ''12th son'' ## Queen Munhye, ''4th daughter'' ## Queen Seonui, ''5th daughter'' ##''6th daughter'' # Grand Lady Heonmok of the Gyeongju Pyeong clan ## Prince Sumyeong, ''13th son'' # Lady Jeongmok of the Gangneung Wang clan ## Grand Royal Consort Sunan, ''7th daughter'' # Lady Dongyangwon of the Pyeongsan Yu clan ## Wang Ui, Prince Hyomok, ''14th son'' ## Wang Won, Prince Hyoeun, ''15th son'' # Lady Sukmok of the Jinju Im clan ## Prince Wonnyeong, ''16th son'' # Lady Cheonanbuwon of the Gyeongju Im clan ## Wang Imju, Prince Hyoseong, ''17th son'' ## Prince Hyoji, ''18th son'' # Lady Heungbokwon of the Hongju Hong clan ## Wang Jik, ''19th son'' ##''8th daughter'' # Lady Hudaeryangwon of the Yi clan / Lady Daeryangwon of the Yi clan (disputed) ##''9th daughter'' # Lady Daemyeongjuwon of the Gangneung Wang clan – No issue. # Lady Gwangjuwon of the Wang clan – No issue. # Lady Sogwangjuwon of the Wang clan ## Prince Gwangjuwon, ''20th son'' # Lady Dongsanwon of the Suncheon Bak clan – No issue. # Lady Yehwa of the Haeju Wang clan – No issue. # Lady Daeseowon of the Dongju Kim clan – No issue. # Lady Soseowon of the Dongju Kim clan – No issue. #

Lady Seojeonwon Lady Seojeonwon () was a Korean royal consort as the 22nd wife of Taejo of Goryeo. Among her husband's other wives, just she who can't know from what clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even i ...

– No issue. # Lady Sinjuwon of the Sincheon Gang clan – No issue. #

Lady Wolhwawon Lady Wolhwawon () was the daughter of Yeong-Jang who became the 24th wife of Taejo of Goryeo. There were no much records left about her existences or personal details. References External links월화원부인on the ''Encyclopedia of Korean Cult ...

– No issue. #

Lady Sohwangjuwon Lady Sohwangjuwon () was the daughter of Sun-Haeng who became the 24th wife of Taejo of Goryeo. Since in her name was added "Little" (), so it seems that her relative became Taejo's wife too and the most suitable was Lady Hwangjuwon. Due to this ...

– No issue. # Lady Seongmu of the Pyeongsan Bak clan ## Prince Hyoje, ''21st son'' ## Prince Hyomyeong, ''22nd son'' ## Prince Beopdeung, ''23rd son'' ## Prince Jari, ''24th son'' ##''10th daughter'' # Lady Uiseongbuwon of the Uiseong Hong clan ## Grand Prince Uiseongbuwon, ''25th son'' # Lady Wolgyeongwon of the Pyeongsan Bak clan – No issue. # Lady Mongryangwon of the Pyongsan Bak clan – No issue. # Lady Haeryangwon – No issue.

Popular culture

* Portrayed by Kim Myeong-jin in the 1970 film ''

Wang-geon, the Great ''Wang-geon, the Great'' () is a 1970 South Korean film directed by Choi In-hyeon, depicting the life of Wang-geon who ruled the Goryeo Dynasty. Plot The film is about the life of General Wang-geon and how he becomes king of the Goryeo Dynasty ...

''. * Portrayed by Choi Soo-jong and Oh Hyun-chul in the 2000–2002

KBS1 KBS 1TV is a South Korean free-to-air television channel that launched on 31 December 1961 and is owned by Korean Broadcasting System. The channel offers more serious programming than its sister channel KBS2, and airs with no commercials. Hi ...

TV series '' Taejo Wang Geon''. * Portrayed by Lee Mun-soo in the 2002–2003 KBS TV series '' The Dawn of the Empire''. * Portrayed by Joo Myung Nam in the 2009 KBS TV series '' Empress Cheonchu''. * Portrayed by Nam Kyung-eup in the 2015 MBC TV series '' Shine or Go Crazy''. * Portrayed by

Jo Min-ki Jo Min-ki (November 5, 1965 – March 9, 2018) was a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series ''Love and Ambition'', '' East of Eden'', '' Queen Seondeok'', and '' Flames of Desire''. He was also a noted photo ...

in the 2016 SBS TV series '' Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo''. * In the 2018 Channel A program ''Thousand Days Unofficial History'' - Episode 73 ( ko) * Leads the Korean civilization the games Sid Meier's Civilization III and IV * In the 2022 musical ''Taejo Wang Geon''

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Taejo Of Goryeo Goryeo monarchs 877 births 943 deaths Taebong generals 10th-century Korean monarchs Goryeo writers People from Kaesong Founding monarchs in Asia Korean Buddhist monarchs House of Wang