Gung Ye
Encyclopedia
Gung Ye was the king of the short-lived Hugoguryeo
(901–918) (see Later Three Kingdoms
) on the Korean peninsula
. Although he was a member of the Silla
royal family, he became a victim of the power struggle among the royal family members during the late 9th century. He became a rebel leader against the unpopular Silla government, which almost abandoned the affairs of their subjects for the struggle for power among royal family members.
or of King Gyeongmun
; his mother is said to be a beloved lady of the court.
According to legend, Gung Ye was born on the traditional holiday of Dano; the royal seer
prophesied that a baby born on Dano would bring disaster to the nation, and the court officials and royal family members urged to the king to get rid of the evil infant. So the king ordered his servants to kill him. However, when the troops rushed to the residence of Gung Ye's mother, she threw her baby from the second floor, with her maid hiding in nearby bushes to catch the baby. Although her plot tricked the soldiers, the maid had accidentally poked the left eye of the baby, causing Gung Ye to lose one eye. She hid Gung Ye and raised him secretly; when she died, Gung Ye became a Buddhist monk at Sedalsa (세달사), a Buddhist temple.
, who was the third and the last female head of state in Korean history (the other two being: Queen Seondeok of Silla
and Jindeok of Silla
). Queen Jinseong was a powerless ruler and the government was largely corrupted by interventions of royal family members and rampant bribery among members of the royal court. The corrupt government continuously exploited the peasants and farmers, and after a year of famine, massively raised taxes in 889 which led to many revolts and rebellions. Local aristocrats, called hojok (hangul:호족, hanja:豪族) emerged as de facto rulers of many provinces, with the attention of government concentrated on suppression of rebellion and their own power struggles. Among the rebel leaders and local aristocrats, Gi Hwon and Yang Gil
gained the most power.
Gung Ye first joined the troops of Gi Hwon in 891 but left shortly after as Gi Hwon did not fully trust him. Gung Ye joined Yang Gil's rebellion force in 892, and became leading general of the rebel forces by defeating the local Silla army and other rebel groups. Most local aristocrats of Myeongju
and Paeseo, including Wang Gun
, submitted to his force, making him even more powerful than his master Yang Gil. Silla, after nearly a millennium as a centralized kingdom was quickly declining, and Gung Ye instigated his own rebellion in present-day Kaesŏng
in 898. He eventually defeated Yang Gil and other local lords in central Korea to proclaim himself king of Hugoguryeo
in 901.With his rival Gyeon Hwon
's Hubaekje
taking control of the peninsula's southwest, he opened up the Later Three Kingdoms period with the last days of Silla.
and expanded his rule into the Chungcheong
region, taking control of almost two-thirds of the land once controlled by Silla. In the same year Gung Ye took over Pyeongyang and called for total destruction of the state of Silla.
However, Gung Ye started to lose favor of many of his previous supporters. He decided what was needed to unite people under his power was religious faith, and using his previous occupation as Buddhist monk, he referred to himself as Maitreya Buddha, who came to the world to guide and save the suffering people from all hardship, and became an authoritarian tyrant. He changed the name of his kingdom to Taebong
in 911.
In his later days, Gung Ye started to doubt almost everyone's loyalty toward him. He accused anyone for treason and sentenced death to anyone opposing him, including his own wife Kang and his two sons. As a result, in 918 four of his own top generals – Hong Yu (hangul:홍유, hanja:洪儒), Bae Hyeongyeong (hangul:배현경, hanja:裵玄慶), Shin Sunggyeom (hangul:신숭겸, hanja:申崇謙) and Bok Jigyeom (hangul:복지겸, hanja:卜智謙) – overthrew Taebong and throned Wang Geon
, the previous chief minister, as king. Soon thereafter, the Goryeo
dynasty was proclaimed, and Wang Geon went on to defeat the rivaling Silla and Hubaekje
to reunite the three kingdoms in 936.
, who had been the ruler of Goguryeo-Guk, which had been a failed Goguryeo
revival state. Records of Silla reported that Go Anseung was given the surname of the Silla
Royal Family, "Kim." Therefore, Gung Ye's commonly-known origin as a prince of Silla was right in a way, but Gung Ye being a son of a king of Silla may have not been true.
. It can be assumed that many people, even after the coup that crowned Wang Geon, favored the rule of Gung Ye and that he was not a total despot as described in history. Some scholars explain Gung Ye's self-proclamation as Buddha as an attempt to strengthen his power, since he, as a royal family member of Silla, had no influence over powerful local landlords and merchants, so he tried to use the power of religion in order to keep his rule, which did not prove to be effective.
Taebong
Taebong or Later Goguryeo was a state established by Gung Ye on the Korean peninsula in 901, during the Later Three Kingdoms period.-History:...
(901–918) (see Later Three Kingdoms
Later Three Kingdoms
The Later Three Kingdoms of Korea consisted of Silla, Hubaekje , and Hugoguryeo . The latter two were viewed as heirs to the earlier Three Kingdoms of Korea, which had been united by Silla, even though Hugoguryeo has little to do with Goguryeo...
) on the Korean peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
. Although he was a member of the Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
royal family, he became a victim of the power struggle among the royal family members during the late 9th century. He became a rebel leader against the unpopular Silla government, which almost abandoned the affairs of their subjects for the struggle for power among royal family members.
Birth
The exact date of Gung Ye's birth is unknown, but records assume that he was a son of King HeonanHeonan of Silla
Heonan of Silla was the 47th king of the Silla kingdom of Korea. He was the younger half-brother of King Sinmu. What little we know of his reign comes from the Samguk Sagi....
or of King Gyeongmun
Gyeongmun of Silla
Gyeongmun of Silla was the 48th ruler of the Korean kingdom of Silla. He was the grandson of King Huigang, and the son of the Achan Kim Gye-myeong. His mother was Lady Gwanghwa, the daughter of King Sinmu. Gyeongmun married Queen Munui, who was the daughter of King Heonan.Gyeongmun's reign saw...
; his mother is said to be a beloved lady of the court.
According to legend, Gung Ye was born on the traditional holiday of Dano; the royal seer
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
prophesied that a baby born on Dano would bring disaster to the nation, and the court officials and royal family members urged to the king to get rid of the evil infant. So the king ordered his servants to kill him. However, when the troops rushed to the residence of Gung Ye's mother, she threw her baby from the second floor, with her maid hiding in nearby bushes to catch the baby. Although her plot tricked the soldiers, the maid had accidentally poked the left eye of the baby, causing Gung Ye to lose one eye. She hid Gung Ye and raised him secretly; when she died, Gung Ye became a Buddhist monk at Sedalsa (세달사), a Buddhist temple.
Revolt
At the time, the monarch of Silla was Queen JinseongJinseong of Silla
Queen Jinseong of Silla was the fifty-first to ruler of the Korean kingdom, Silla. She was also Silla's third and final reigning queen . Her reign saw the end of Unified Silla and the beginning of the Later Three Kingdoms period.Jinseong was the daughter of King Gyeongmun...
, who was the third and the last female head of state in Korean history (the other two being: Queen Seondeok of Silla
Queen Seondeok of Silla
Queen Seondeok of Silla reigned as Queen of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, from 632 to 647. She was Silla's twenty-seventh ruler, and its first reigning queen...
and Jindeok of Silla
Jindeok of Silla
Queen Jindeok of Silla reigned as Queen of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, from 647 to 654. She was the kingdom's 28th ruler, and its second reigning queen following her predecessor Queen Seondeok. During her reign, Silla jockeyed with Baekje for favor in the Chinese Tang court...
). Queen Jinseong was a powerless ruler and the government was largely corrupted by interventions of royal family members and rampant bribery among members of the royal court. The corrupt government continuously exploited the peasants and farmers, and after a year of famine, massively raised taxes in 889 which led to many revolts and rebellions. Local aristocrats, called hojok (hangul:호족, hanja:豪族) emerged as de facto rulers of many provinces, with the attention of government concentrated on suppression of rebellion and their own power struggles. Among the rebel leaders and local aristocrats, Gi Hwon and Yang Gil
Yang Gil
Yang Gil was a head of rebel forces in Silla. Hugoguryeo King Gung Ye was once under his command. Historians are uncertain about his birth, death or family line. At the time, the monarch of Silla was Queen Jinseong. In 889, the state coffers of Silla were empty, so the queen sent envoys to the...
gained the most power.
Gung Ye first joined the troops of Gi Hwon in 891 but left shortly after as Gi Hwon did not fully trust him. Gung Ye joined Yang Gil's rebellion force in 892, and became leading general of the rebel forces by defeating the local Silla army and other rebel groups. Most local aristocrats of Myeongju
Gangneung
Gangneung is a city in Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 229,869 . Gangneung is the economic centre of the Yeongdong region of eastern Gangwon Province. Gangneung has many tourist attractions, like Jeongdongjin, one of the most famous towns in Korea...
and Paeseo, including Wang Gun
Taejo of Goryeo
Taejo of Goryeo was the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century. Taejo ruled from 918 to 943.-Background:...
, submitted to his force, making him even more powerful than his master Yang Gil. Silla, after nearly a millennium as a centralized kingdom was quickly declining, and Gung Ye instigated his own rebellion in present-day Kaesŏng
Kaesong
Kaesŏng is a city in North Hwanghae Province, southern North Korea , a former Directly Governed City, and the capital of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty. The city is near Kaesŏng Industrial Region and it contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. It was formally named Songdo while it was the...
in 898. He eventually defeated Yang Gil and other local lords in central Korea to proclaim himself king of Hugoguryeo
Taebong
Taebong or Later Goguryeo was a state established by Gung Ye on the Korean peninsula in 901, during the Later Three Kingdoms period.-History:...
in 901.With his rival Gyeon Hwon
Gyeon Hwon
Gyeon Hwon was the king and founder of Hubaekje, one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. Some records render his name as "Jin Hwon" . He was also the progenitor of the Hwanggan Gyeon clan...
's Hubaekje
Hubaekje
Hubaekje, or Later Baekje, was one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea, along with Hugoguryeo and Silla. It was officially founded by the disaffected Silla general Gyeon Hwon in 900, and fell to Wanggeon's Goryeo army in 936. Its capital was at Jeonju, in present-day North Jeolla province...
taking control of the peninsula's southwest, he opened up the Later Three Kingdoms period with the last days of Silla.
Downfall
Gung Ye changed the country's name to Majin in 904, and moved the capital to Cheorwon in the following year. Since Cheorwon was a fortress located in a mountainous area, he moved people from the populous city of CheongjuCheongju
Cheongju is the capital city of Chungcheongbuk-do , South Korea. The city is divided into two wards , Heungdeok-gu and Sangdang-gu .-History:...
and expanded his rule into the Chungcheong
Chungcheong
Chungcheong was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Chungcheong was located in the southwest of Korea...
region, taking control of almost two-thirds of the land once controlled by Silla. In the same year Gung Ye took over Pyeongyang and called for total destruction of the state of Silla.
However, Gung Ye started to lose favor of many of his previous supporters. He decided what was needed to unite people under his power was religious faith, and using his previous occupation as Buddhist monk, he referred to himself as Maitreya Buddha, who came to the world to guide and save the suffering people from all hardship, and became an authoritarian tyrant. He changed the name of his kingdom to Taebong
Taebong
Taebong or Later Goguryeo was a state established by Gung Ye on the Korean peninsula in 901, during the Later Three Kingdoms period.-History:...
in 911.
In his later days, Gung Ye started to doubt almost everyone's loyalty toward him. He accused anyone for treason and sentenced death to anyone opposing him, including his own wife Kang and his two sons. As a result, in 918 four of his own top generals – Hong Yu (hangul:홍유, hanja:洪儒), Bae Hyeongyeong (hangul:배현경, hanja:裵玄慶), Shin Sunggyeom (hangul:신숭겸, hanja:申崇謙) and Bok Jigyeom (hangul:복지겸, hanja:卜智謙) – overthrew Taebong and throned Wang Geon
Taejo of Goryeo
Taejo of Goryeo was the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century. Taejo ruled from 918 to 943.-Background:...
, the previous chief minister, as king. Soon thereafter, the Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
dynasty was proclaimed, and Wang Geon went on to defeat the rivaling Silla and Hubaekje
Hubaekje
Hubaekje, or Later Baekje, was one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea, along with Hugoguryeo and Silla. It was officially founded by the disaffected Silla general Gyeon Hwon in 900, and fell to Wanggeon's Goryeo army in 936. Its capital was at Jeonju, in present-day North Jeolla province...
to reunite the three kingdoms in 936.
New theory of origin
Some historians present a theory that states that Gung Ye was, in fact, a direct descendant of Go AnseungAnseung
Anseung , alternately Ansun , was thought to be either the nephew or illegitimate grandson of king Bojang of Goguryeo, the last King of Goguryeo...
, who had been the ruler of Goguryeo-Guk, which had been a failed Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
revival state. Records of Silla reported that Go Anseung was given the surname of the Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
Royal Family, "Kim." Therefore, Gung Ye's commonly-known origin as a prince of Silla was right in a way, but Gung Ye being a son of a king of Silla may have not been true.
Legacy
Even though Gung Ye was not able to keep his rule and achieve the reunification of the Korean peninsula under his rule, many scholars today are attempting to review the true character of Gung Ye. Historical records regarding Gung Ye are mostly of negative perspective, since many historians during the Goryeo Dynasty tried to justify the coup by Wang Geon that dethroned Gung Ye, in order to give legitimacy to the dynasty. However, even after the founding of Goryeo, many people rejected the rule of Wang Geon and rebelled against the newly-formed dynasty; some even voluntarily defected to Gyeon Hwon's HubaekjeHubaekje
Hubaekje, or Later Baekje, was one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea, along with Hugoguryeo and Silla. It was officially founded by the disaffected Silla general Gyeon Hwon in 900, and fell to Wanggeon's Goryeo army in 936. Its capital was at Jeonju, in present-day North Jeolla province...
. It can be assumed that many people, even after the coup that crowned Wang Geon, favored the rule of Gung Ye and that he was not a total despot as described in history. Some scholars explain Gung Ye's self-proclamation as Buddha as an attempt to strengthen his power, since he, as a royal family member of Silla, had no influence over powerful local landlords and merchants, so he tried to use the power of religion in order to keep his rule, which did not prove to be effective.