Battle of Illicheon

Wang Geon, with Gyeon Hwon at his side, crushed Singeom’s Later Baekje army at Illicheon; Singeom surrendered at Hwangsan, Later Baekje fell and Goryeo reunified the Later Three Kingdoms.

With Gyeon Hwon in the van and nearly 100,000 men, Wang Geon met Singeom’s army at Illicheon near Seonsan in present-day Gumi. Seeing their old king, Later Baekje commanders surrendered one after another; Goryeo won decisively and pursued Singeom to Hwangsan (Nonsan), where he surrendered. Yu Geum-pil was among the leading generals.

Gyeon Hwon soon died of illness at a temple in Hwangsan, where Wang Geon founded Gaetaesa to commemorate the unification. With Silla’s submission and Later Baekje’s fall Goryeo reunited the peninsula and, having already taken in the Balhae refugees, is regarded as having achieved a true reunification of the nation.