Politics901

Gung Ye Founds Later Goguryeo

Gung Ye, who had risen under the warlord Yanggil and taken Gangwon, Gyeonggi and Hwanghae, founded Later Goguryeo at Songak in 901.

Mount Songak at Songak (Kaesong), where Gung Ye founded Later Goguryeo, seen from Paju
Teego · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

Said to be of Silla royal blood, Gung Ye was a monk at Sedalsa before serving the warlords Gihwon and Yanggil. After taking Gangwon and much of Gyeonggi and Hwanghae and winning over the Wang family of Songak, he proclaimed Later Goguryeo at Songak in 901 as heir to Goguryeo.

He was bitterly hostile to Silla, which he called “the doomed capital”.

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The map in AD 901

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States and rulers at the time: Taebong (Later Goguryeo) · founded — Gung Ye
Silla — King Hyogong
Places: Songak (Kaesong)

People

Gung YeAD 918
leader · Monk said to be of Silla royal blood who rose under Yanggil, founded Later Goguryeo at Songak in 901 and renamed it Majin and Taebong; styling himself the Maitreya Buddha, he ruled harshly and was overthrown
Taejo Wang GeonAD 877 – AD 943
related figure · Songak magnate who served Gung Ye, took Naju, overthrew Gung Ye to found Goryeo in 918 and reunified the Later Three Kingdoms in 935–936
Yanggil
related figure · Late Silla strongman of Bugwon (Wonju) under whom Gung Ye rose, and who was later defeated by him

Before and after

Earlier: AD 900 Gyeon Hwon Founds Later Baekje
Later: AD 903 Wang Geon Takes Naju

Themes that include this event

GaeseongAD 901 – 2003
From Wang Geon, lord of Songak, to the Kaesong Industrial Complex — Gaegyeong, Goryeo’s capital for five centuries, and home of the Song merchants