Yuri of Goguryeo
Encyclopedia
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
.
. Yuri was raised where his father grew up by his mother. Yuri's mother, Lady Ye, and Yuri went to Goguryeo in 19 BCE, to go see his father.
King Jumong proclaimed Yuri to be the Crown Prince of Goguryeo. Onjo
and Biryu
(the sons of So Seo-no
) became insecure. So Seo-no
took her sons and traveled south to found the kingdom of Baekje
. Yuri became King upon Jumong's death later.
tribe in 9 BCE. In 3 BCE, Yuri moved the capital from Jolbon Fortress to Gungnae Fortress.
Han dynasty
China, Goguryeo's neighbor, was overthrown by Wang Mang
, who established the Xin Dynasty
. Wang Mang sent a messenger to Goguryeo to ask for troops to assist in a conquest of the Xiongnu
during 12 CE, the 31st year of his reign. Yuri rejected the request and instead attacked Xin.
He had six sons and among them were Hae-myeong, and Muhyul. Hae-myeong was proclaimed the crown prince of Goguryeo after the death of Dojul, who was King Yuri's eldest son, but Yuri found him to be too reckless and disobedient. Yuri replaced him with the younger son Muhyul in 14 CE, his son with the daughter of Songyang. Muhyul ruled later as King Daemusin of Goguryeo
.
The poem of Yuri is said to have written for his favored concubine Chihui has survived to this day. It is titled as the Hwangjoga (황조가, 黃鳥歌, Song of the Yellow Bird).
.
The observations that led to this conclusion were Jumong's early death, the difference in surnames, Yuri's harsh behavior toward some of Jumong's most prized subjects, and the differences in the styles of rule. Jumong died at the age of 40, which is quite early compared to that of some of his successors and predecessors. Very few of the rulers of that time period died before the age of 40. The difference in surnames may signify dynastic change from the Go family to the Hae family.
Another startling point to consider is the fact that most of Jumong's most trusted subjects were exiled or resigned. An example is Hyeob-bo, who was among Jumong's first three followers. According to the first Goguryeo volume of the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms (Samguk Sagi
), Hyeob-bu continually disagreed with the way King Yuri continually left the palace to go on hunting trips and strongly urged the King to be more attentive to matters of the kingdom.
However, Yuri grew annoyed and forced Hyub-bo to resign from his office. However, this claim may be proven counteracted with the fact that not all of Jumong's subjects were removed. General Bu Bun-no and Oi
served Goguryeo through most of King Yuri's reign and played active roles in the kingdom. Goguryeo under Yuri did not display the strict expansionist policy that existed under Jumong. A final observation is the mentioning of a broken sword in the legend.
Some historians have inferred that Yuri finding a piece of Jumong's broken sword and using it as a claim signifies the collapse of Jumong's regime, and Yuri's rise to the throne. Overall, the fact that Jumong died five months after the arrival of Yuri caused the suspicion of these select historians. However, this is merely a theory and no assumptions can be made.
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...
. He was the eldest son of the kingdom's founder King Dongmyeongseong
Dongmyeongseong of Goguryeo
King Dongmyeong of Goguryeo or Dongmyeongseongwang , 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 ...
. As with many other early Korean rulers, the events of his life are known largely from 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...
.
Background
Yuri was the son of Jumong, the founder 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....
. Yuri was raised where his father grew up by his mother. Yuri's mother, Lady Ye, and Yuri went to Goguryeo in 19 BCE, to go see his father.
King Jumong proclaimed Yuri to be the Crown Prince of Goguryeo. Onjo
Onjo of Baekje
Onjo 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 :...
and Biryu
Biryu
Biryu 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...
(the sons of 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...
) became insecure. 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...
took her sons and traveled south to found the kingdom of Baekje
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....
. Yuri became King upon Jumong's death later.
Reign
Yuri is described as a powerful and militarily successful king. He conquered a XiongnuXiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
tribe in 9 BCE. In 3 BCE, Yuri moved the capital from Jolbon Fortress to Gungnae Fortress.
Han dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
China, Goguryeo's neighbor, was overthrown by Wang Mang
Wang Mang
Wang Mang , courtesy name Jujun , was a Han Dynasty official who seized the throne from the Liu family and founded the Xin Dynasty , ruling AD 9–23. The Han dynasty was restored after his overthrow and his rule marks the separation between the Western Han Dynasty and Eastern Han Dynasty...
, who established the Xin Dynasty
Xin Dynasty
The Xin Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty which lasted from AD 9 to 23. It followed the Western Han Dynasty and preceded the Eastern Han Dynasty....
. Wang Mang sent a messenger to Goguryeo to ask for troops to assist in a conquest of the Xiongnu
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
during 12 CE, the 31st year of his reign. Yuri rejected the request and instead attacked Xin.
He had six sons and among them were Hae-myeong, and Muhyul. Hae-myeong was proclaimed the crown prince of Goguryeo after the death of Dojul, who was King Yuri's eldest son, but Yuri found him to be too reckless and disobedient. Yuri replaced him with the younger son Muhyul in 14 CE, his son with the daughter of Songyang. Muhyul ruled later as King Daemusin of Goguryeo
Daemusin of Goguryeo
King Daemusin of Goguryeo was the third ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. King Daemusin led early Goguryeo through a period of massive territorial expansion, conquering several smaller nations and the powerful kingdom of Dongbuyeo.- Background :Prince Muhyul was...
.
The poem of Yuri is said to have written for his favored concubine Chihui has survived to this day. It is titled as the Hwangjoga (황조가, 黃鳥歌, Song of the Yellow Bird).
Succession
King Yuri died in 18 CE, after ruling for 37 years. He was succeeded by his oldest remaining son, Muhyul, who became King DaemusinDaemusin of Goguryeo
King Daemusin of Goguryeo was the third ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. King Daemusin led early Goguryeo through a period of massive territorial expansion, conquering several smaller nations and the powerful kingdom of Dongbuyeo.- Background :Prince Muhyul was...
.
Personal information
- Father:
- King DongmyeongseongDongmyeongseong of GoguryeoKing Dongmyeong of Goguryeo or Dongmyeongseongwang , 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 Dongmyeongseong
- Mother:
- Lady Ye.
- Wife:
- Unknown daughter of Songyang.
- Concubines:
- Hwahui.
- Chihui.
- Children:
- Dojeol, Crown Prince (died 1 CE).
- Hae-myeong, Crown Prince (created 1 CE, deposed 14 CE).
- Muhyul, Crown Prince (created 14 CE), later King Daemusin of GoguryeoDaemusin of GoguryeoKing Daemusin of Goguryeo was the third ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. King Daemusin led early Goguryeo through a period of massive territorial expansion, conquering several smaller nations and the powerful kingdom of Dongbuyeo.- Background :Prince Muhyul was...
, (crowned around 18 CE). - Yeojin, Prince (died 18 CE).
- Hae Se-ryu, Princess.
- Hae Yeo-rang, Princess.
- Hae Saek-ju (?-48), later King Minjung of GoguryeoMinjung of GoguryeoKing Minjung of Goguryeo was the fourth ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.- Background :...
. - Go Jae-sa, the head of the Go house of the Gyeru lineage, father of the King Taejo of GoguryeoTaejo of GoguryeoKing Taejo of Goguryeo was the sixth monarch of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He is sometimes called Taejo the Great. He rose to the throne following the assassination of King Mobon. Under his reign, the young state expanded its territory and developed into a...
.
Usurpation theory
In recent studies, some historians have made a series of observations regarding Goguryeo's establishment that led them to think of Yuri may not have been the son of Go Jumong, but an usurper.The observations that led to this conclusion were Jumong's early death, the difference in surnames, Yuri's harsh behavior toward some of Jumong's most prized subjects, and the differences in the styles of rule. Jumong died at the age of 40, which is quite early compared to that of some of his successors and predecessors. Very few of the rulers of that time period died before the age of 40. The difference in surnames may signify dynastic change from the Go family to the Hae family.
Another startling point to consider is the fact that most of Jumong's most trusted subjects were exiled or resigned. An example is Hyeob-bo, who was among Jumong's first three followers. According to the first Goguryeo volume of the Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms (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...
), Hyeob-bu continually disagreed with the way King Yuri continually left the palace to go on hunting trips and strongly urged the King to be more attentive to matters of the kingdom.
However, Yuri grew annoyed and forced Hyub-bo to resign from his office. However, this claim may be proven counteracted with the fact that not all of Jumong's subjects were removed. General Bu Bun-no and Oi
General Oi
General Oi was a general who helped founding the Goguryeo, one of the Three kingdoms of Korea.-Biography:Oi, Hyeopbo, Mari, and Jumong associated as a friend. Jumong made them his bodyguards and Oi's career started from this point....
served Goguryeo through most of King Yuri's reign and played active roles in the kingdom. Goguryeo under Yuri did not display the strict expansionist policy that existed under Jumong. A final observation is the mentioning of a broken sword in the legend.
Some historians have inferred that Yuri finding a piece of Jumong's broken sword and using it as a claim signifies the collapse of Jumong's regime, and Yuri's rise to the throne. Overall, the fact that Jumong died five months after the arrival of Yuri caused the suspicion of these select historians. However, this is merely a theory and no assumptions can be made.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- 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 Korean monarchs