Dongmyeongseong of Goguryeo
Encyclopedia
King Dongmyeong of Goguryeo (58 BC – 19 BC, r. 37 BC – 19 BC) or Dongmyeongseongwang (東明聖王), which literally means "Holy King of the East". also known by his birth name Jumong, was the founding monarch
of Goguryeo
, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
. In the Gwanggaeto Stele
, he is called Chumo-wang (King Chumo). In the Samguk Sagi
and the Samguk Yusa
, he is recorded as Jumong, with the surname Go
. The Samguk Sagi states that he was also known as Chumo or Sanghae (상해, 象解). The name is also transcribed in other records as Chumong (추몽, 鄒蒙), Jungmo (중모, 中牟 or 仲牟), or Domo (도모, 都牟).
. The best known version is found, with slight variations, in the Samguk Sagi
, Samguk Yusa
, and the Dongmyeongwangpyeon (동명왕편, 東明王篇, Volume of King Dongmyeong) of the Dongguk I sangguk jip (동국이상국집, 東國李相國集, Collected Works of Minister Yi of Korea) by Yi Gyu-bo.
There have been disputes over who the father of Jumong really was. In one legend Jumong is son of Hae Mosu (해모수, 解慕漱) and Yuhwa
(유화, 柳花), daughter of the river god named Habaek (하백, 河伯). Hae Mosu met Yuhwa by a river where she was bathing, but the river god disapproved of Hae Mosu, who returned to heaven. The river god chased Yuhwa away to Ubal river (우발수, 優渤水), where she met and became the concubine of King Geumwa of Dongbuyeo
. Yuwha was impregnated by sunlight and gave birth to an egg. Geumwa tried to destroy the egg, and tried to feed it to animals, who instead protected the egg from harm. Geumwa returned it to Yuhwa. From the egg hatched a baby boy, who was named Jumong, apparently meaning "skilled archer" in the ancient Buyeo language
.
. Eventually, Geumwa's sons Daesoo and youngpoo became jealous of him, and Jumong left buyeo due to follow Hae-moe-soo's dream to unify old choson territoy due to Han's nations corrupt government and save the choson's people he left Dongbuyeo
. According to legend, as he fled on his horse, he approached a fast-running river. Turtles and creatures of the water rose up and formed a bridge. He entered the land south of the river. In 37 BC, Jumong became the first king of Goguryeo
, and reunited all of the five tribes of Jolbon
into one kingdom. He married So Seo-no
, who was a daughter of Jolbon's chief.
, and became its first king. During that same year, King Songyang of Biryu (송양, 松讓) surrendered to him after receiving assistance in defeating the Malgal tribe that had invaded. In 34 BC, Jolbon
, Goguryeo's first capital city, was completed, along with the palace. Four years later, in 28 BC, Jumong sent General Bu Wiyeom
(부위염, 扶尉厭) to conquer the Northern Okjeo
. During that same year, Jumong's mother, Yuhwa, died in the palace of Dongbuyeo
, and was given the burial ceremony of a Royal Queen even though she was a concubine (she was not a Royal Wife).
Jumong sent a messenger and numerous gifts to King Geumwa in gratitude of his generous act. In 19 BC, Jumong's first wife Lady Ye fled Dongbuyeo with their son, Yuri
, and entered Goguryeo. Ye became the queen, causing tension as Jumong's second wife, So Seo-no
, feared for her sons' positions in the future of Goguryeo. So Seo-no left Goguryeo with her two sons and some of the people and headed further south into the Korean peninsula
, into what is now South Korea. There she built Baekje. Jumong named his first son Yuri as the crown prince and successor to the throne.
eventually grew into a great regional power. Goguryeo stood for 705 years and was ruled by a total of 28 kings in the Go Royal Family until it was conquered by the Silla-Tang alliance in 668. Balhae
and Goryeo
succeeded it, and the modern descendants of Jumong still bear his family name "Go."
aired a highly popular 81-episode drama, Jumong
as part of their anniversary project. The series took elements from historical records and mythology, and retold the story in a more down-to-earth manner than the myths, following how Ju Mong, the spoiled step-child of the Buyeo royal family, later embarked a journey of self-discovery, becoming a hero of Buyeo, then seceding from Buyeo after his step-brothers betrayed him, restarted the guerrilla fighters his biological father once lead, and went on a life-mission to rescue and band together the refugees of the ancient Chosen people, leading the fight against the oppression of Imperial China, finally establishing himself as the king of the new nation Goguryeo.
In 2010, KBS1 began airing 'King Geunchogo'. In this series, Jumong is portrayed as a tyrant, who could not accept him sharing his kingdom, Goguryeo
, with So Seo-no
and the Jolbon faction. After the arrival of the declared crown prince Yuri
, So Seo-no decides to leave 'her beloved Goguryeo' with all her servants and to create a new kingdom, one 'much more powerful than Goguryeo ever was'.
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
of 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....
, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
Three Kingdoms of Korea
The Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...
. In the Gwanggaeto Stele
Gwanggaeto Stele
The stele of King Gwanggaeto of Goguryeo was erected in 414 by King Jangsu as a memorial to his deceased father. It is one of the major primary sources extant for the history of Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and supplies invaluable historical detail on his reign as well as insights...
, he is called Chumo-wang (King Chumo). In the Samguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The Samguk Sagi is written in Classical Chinese and its compilation was ordered by Goryeo's King Injong Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of...
and the Samguk Yusa
Samguk Yusa
Samguk Yusa, or Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms, is a collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea , as well as to other periods and states before, during, and after the Three Kingdoms period.The text was written in Classical Chinese, which was...
, he is recorded as Jumong, with the surname Go
Ko (Korean name)
Ko, also variously romanized Go, Koh, or Goh, is a common Korean family name. As of the 2000 South Korean census, there were 435,000 Kohs in South Korea, accounting for just under 1% of the population.-origin:...
. The Samguk Sagi states that he was also known as Chumo or Sanghae (상해, 象解). The name is also transcribed in other records as Chumong (추몽, 鄒蒙), Jungmo (중모, 中牟 or 仲牟), or Domo (도모, 都牟).
Birth
The founding myths of Goguryeo are related in ancient Korean texts, including the Gwanggaeto steleGwanggaeto Stele
The stele of King Gwanggaeto of Goguryeo was erected in 414 by King Jangsu as a memorial to his deceased father. It is one of the major primary sources extant for the history of Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and supplies invaluable historical detail on his reign as well as insights...
. The best known version is found, with slight variations, in the Samguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The Samguk Sagi is written in Classical Chinese and its compilation was ordered by Goryeo's King Injong Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of...
, Samguk Yusa
Samguk Yusa
Samguk Yusa, or Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms, is a collection of legends, folktales, and historical accounts relating to the Three Kingdoms of Korea , as well as to other periods and states before, during, and after the Three Kingdoms period.The text was written in Classical Chinese, which was...
, and the Dongmyeongwangpyeon (동명왕편, 東明王篇, Volume of King Dongmyeong) of the Dongguk I sangguk jip (동국이상국집, 東國李相國集, Collected Works of Minister Yi of Korea) by Yi Gyu-bo.
There have been disputes over who the father of Jumong really was. In one legend Jumong is son of Hae Mosu (해모수, 解慕漱) and Yuhwa
Yuhwa
Yuhwa was known as the mother of King Dongmyeong, the first king and the founder of the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, Goguryeo. She was the daughter of the Habaek river god.-Overview:...
(유화, 柳花), daughter of the river god named Habaek (하백, 河伯). Hae Mosu met Yuhwa by a river where she was bathing, but the river god disapproved of Hae Mosu, who returned to heaven. The river god chased Yuhwa away to Ubal river (우발수, 優渤水), where she met and became the concubine of King Geumwa of Dongbuyeo
Dongbuyeo
Dongbuyeo was an ancient Korean kingdom that developed from Bukbuyeo, until conquered by the early Goguryeo, which then grew into one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea...
. Yuwha was impregnated by sunlight and gave birth to an egg. Geumwa tried to destroy the egg, and tried to feed it to animals, who instead protected the egg from harm. Geumwa returned it to Yuhwa. From the egg hatched a baby boy, who was named Jumong, apparently meaning "skilled archer" in the ancient Buyeo language
Buyeo language
The language of the Buyeo kingdom is very sparsely attested; however, according to Chinese sources it was mutually intelligible with the Goguryeo language to its south. The few words which are known bear this out....
.
Leaving Dongbuyeo
Jumong was known for his exceptional skill at archeryArchery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
. Eventually, Geumwa's sons Daesoo and youngpoo became jealous of him, and Jumong left buyeo due to follow Hae-moe-soo's dream to unify old choson territoy due to Han's nations corrupt government and save the choson's people he left Dongbuyeo
Dongbuyeo
Dongbuyeo was an ancient Korean kingdom that developed from Bukbuyeo, until conquered by the early Goguryeo, which then grew into one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea...
. According to legend, as he fled on his horse, he approached a fast-running river. Turtles and creatures of the water rose up and formed a bridge. He entered the land south of the river. In 37 BC, Jumong became the first king of 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....
, and reunited all of the five tribes of Jolbon
Jolbon
Jolbon was a small, Korean tribal state which arose in the northern Korean peninsula from perhaps 1st century BCE.In 37 BCE, Jumong had fled from Dongbuyeo to avoid death at the hands of Dongbuyeo's Crown Prince Daeso, who presented great jealousy towards Jumong...
into one kingdom. He married So Seo-no
So Seo-no
Soseono was the wife of King Dongmyeong , and remembered as a key figure in the founding of both Goguryeo and Baekje...
, who was a daughter of Jolbon's chief.
The first King of Goguryeo
In 37 BC, Jumong established GoguryeoGoguryeo
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....
, and became its first king. During that same year, King Songyang of Biryu (송양, 松讓) surrendered to him after receiving assistance in defeating the Malgal tribe that had invaded. In 34 BC, Jolbon
Jolbon
Jolbon was a small, Korean tribal state which arose in the northern Korean peninsula from perhaps 1st century BCE.In 37 BCE, Jumong had fled from Dongbuyeo to avoid death at the hands of Dongbuyeo's Crown Prince Daeso, who presented great jealousy towards Jumong...
, Goguryeo's first capital city, was completed, along with the palace. Four years later, in 28 BC, Jumong sent General Bu Wiyeom
Bu Wiyeom
Bu Wiyeom was a General of Goguryeo during King Dongmyeong's reign. Little is known about him, except that King Dongmyeong sent him to conquer the Northern Okjeo in 28 BC. It is unknown whether he was successful or not, but regardless of this, during the 5th century, Okjeo was completely conquered...
(부위염, 扶尉厭) to conquer the Northern Okjeo
Okjeo
Okjeo was Korean tribal state which arose in the northern Korean peninsula from perhaps 2nd century BCE to 5th century CE.Dong-okjeo occupied roughly the area of the Hamgyŏng provinces of North Korea, and Buk-okjeo occupied the Duman River region.Dong-okjeo was often simply called Okjeo, while...
. During that same year, Jumong's mother, Yuhwa, died in the palace of Dongbuyeo
Dongbuyeo
Dongbuyeo was an ancient Korean kingdom that developed from Bukbuyeo, until conquered by the early Goguryeo, which then grew into one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea...
, and was given the burial ceremony of a Royal Queen even though she was a concubine (she was not a Royal Wife).
Jumong sent a messenger and numerous gifts to King Geumwa in gratitude of his generous act. In 19 BC, Jumong's first wife Lady Ye fled Dongbuyeo with their son, Yuri
Yuri of Goguryeo
King Yuri was the second ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the eldest son of the kingdom's founder King Dongmyeongseong. As with many other early Korean rulers, the events of his life are known largely from the Samguk Sagi.- Background :Yuri was the son...
, and entered Goguryeo. Ye became the queen, causing tension as Jumong's second wife, So Seo-no
So Seo-no
Soseono was the wife of King Dongmyeong , and remembered as a key figure in the founding of both Goguryeo and Baekje...
, feared for her sons' positions in the future of Goguryeo. So Seo-no left Goguryeo with her two sons and some of the people and headed further south into 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...
, into what is now South Korea. There she built Baekje. Jumong named his first son Yuri as the crown prince and successor to the throne.
Death and Succession
Jumong died in 19 BC at the age of 40. Crown Prince Yuri buried his father in a pyramid tomb, and gave him the posthumous name of Chumo-seongwang.Legacy
Jumong's kingdom of GoguryeoGoguryeo
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....
eventually grew into a great regional power. Goguryeo stood for 705 years and was ruled by a total of 28 kings in the Go Royal Family until it was conquered by the Silla-Tang alliance in 668. Balhae
Balhae
Balhae was a Manchurian kingdom established after the fall of Goguryeo. After Goguryeo's capital and southern territories fell to Unified Silla, Dae Jo-yeong, a Mohe general, whose father was Dae Jung-sang, established Jin , later called Balhae.Balhae occupied southern parts of Manchuria and...
and 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...
succeeded it, and the modern descendants of Jumong still bear his family name "Go."
In popular culture
In 2006-2007, the South Korean television network MBCMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
aired a highly popular 81-episode drama, Jumong
Jumong (TV series)
Jumong is a historical drama which aired on South Korea's MBC television network as a 45th Anniversary Special Drama. Originally set to be 60, MBC decided to extend it to 81 episodes due to its popularity. It portrays the life of Jumong Taewang,...
as part of their anniversary project. The series took elements from historical records and mythology, and retold the story in a more down-to-earth manner than the myths, following how Ju Mong, the spoiled step-child of the Buyeo royal family, later embarked a journey of self-discovery, becoming a hero of Buyeo, then seceding from Buyeo after his step-brothers betrayed him, restarted the guerrilla fighters his biological father once lead, and went on a life-mission to rescue and band together the refugees of the ancient Chosen people, leading the fight against the oppression of Imperial China, finally establishing himself as the king of the new nation Goguryeo.
In 2010, KBS1 began airing 'King Geunchogo'. In this series, Jumong is portrayed as a tyrant, who could not accept him sharing his kingdom, 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....
, with So Seo-no
So Seo-no
Soseono was the wife of King Dongmyeong , and remembered as a key figure in the founding of both Goguryeo and Baekje...
and the Jolbon faction. After the arrival of the declared crown prince Yuri
Yuri of Goguryeo
King Yuri was the second ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the eldest son of the kingdom's founder King Dongmyeongseong. As with many other early Korean rulers, the events of his life are known largely from the Samguk Sagi.- Background :Yuri was the son...
, So Seo-no decides to leave 'her beloved Goguryeo' with all her servants and to create a new kingdom, one 'much more powerful than Goguryeo ever was'.
Family
- Father: Hae mosu
- Mother: YuhwaYuhwaYuhwa was known as the mother of King Dongmyeong, the first king and the founder of the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, Goguryeo. She was the daughter of the Habaek river god.-Overview:...
- Foster Father: Kim-Geumwa, the king of DongbuyeoDongbuyeoDongbuyeo was an ancient Korean kingdom that developed from Bukbuyeo, until conquered by the early Goguryeo, which then grew into one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea...
- 1st Wife: Lady Ye Soya
- Yuri (King YuriYuri of GoguryeoKing Yuri was the second ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the eldest son of the kingdom's founder King Dongmyeongseong. As with many other early Korean rulers, the events of his life are known largely from the Samguk Sagi.- Background :Yuri was the son...
),- 2nd Wife: So Seo-noSo Seo-noSoseono was the wife of King Dongmyeong , and remembered as a key figure in the founding of both Goguryeo and Baekje...
- 2nd Wife: So Seo-no
- BiryuBiryuBiryu was the second son of Jumong and So Seo-no, and older brother of Onjo, the traditionally recognized founder of Baekje , which was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea...
- Onjo (King OnjoOnjo of BaekjeOnjo was the founding monarch of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. According to the Samguk Sagi, he was the ancestor of all Baekje kings.- Background :...
)
See also
- List of Korean monarchs
- History of KoreaHistory of KoreaThe Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...
- Three Kingdoms of KoreaThree Kingdoms of KoreaThe Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...
- List of Korea-related topics