Dae Gwang-hyeon (; ) was the last Crown Prince of
Balhae
Balhae,, , ) also rendered as Bohai or Bohea, and called Jin (; ) early on, was a multiethnic kingdom established in 698 by Dae Joyeong (Da Zuorong). It was originally known as the Kingdom of Jin (震, Zhen) until 713 when its name was changed ...
and a member of the Balhae royal family. He was the leader of the Balhae
refugee
A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...
s who sought refuge in the Korean kingdom of
Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...
.
Biography
Dae Gwang-hyeon was probably the first son of King
Dae Inseon, and the last
crown prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent.
''Crown prince ...
of Balhae.
After several months of oppressing Balhae, the
Khitan-led
Liao dynasty army swept through Balhae and reached
Shangjing Longquanfu (Sanggyeong), the capital city. The last king of Balhae surrendered to the Liao forces and the capital was captured. The king was captured, but the Crown Prince managed to gather an army and escape to
Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...
in hopes of gathering strength to avenge the humiliating defeat and downfall of his dynasty. Dae Gwang-hyeon arrived with his fellow Balhae people during the 1st month of 937, the 17th year of
King Taejo's reign. He was warmly welcomed and included into the ruling family of Goryeo by
Wang Geon, bringing a unification of the two successor states to
Goguryeo
Goguryeo (37 BC – 668 AD) (; ; Old Korean: Guryeo) also later known as Goryeo (; ; Middle Korean: 고ᇢ롕〮, ''kwòwlyéy''), was a Korean kingdom which was located on the northern and central parts of the Korea, Korean Peninsula an ...
.
[ "When Parhae perished at the hands of the Khitan around this same time, much of its ruling class, who were of Koguryŏ descent, fled to Koryŏ. Wang Kŏn warmly welcomed them and generously gave them land. Along with bestowing the name Wang Kye ("Successor of the Royal Wang") on the Parhae crown prince, Tae Kwang-hyŏn, Wang Kŏn entered his name in the royal household register, thus clearly conveying the idea that they belonged to the same lineage, and also had rituals performed in honor of his progenitor. Thus Koryŏ achieved a true national unification that embraced not only the Later Three Kingdoms but even survivors of Koguryŏ lineage from the Parhae kingdom."]
He had at least one son,
Dae Do-su, who later led Goryeo to victory against the Liao dynasty at the
Battle of Anyung Fortress. He was also the ancestor of the Hyeopgye and Yeongsun Tae clan and the Miryang Dae clan, most of whose members currently reside in South Korea.
In popular culture
*Portrayed by Kim Kyoo in the 2000–2002
KBS1 TV series ''
Taejo Wang Geon''.
*Portrayed by Heo Maeng-ho in the 2009
KBS TV series ''
Empress Cheonchu''.
See also
*
Balhae
Balhae,, , ) also rendered as Bohai or Bohea, and called Jin (; ) early on, was a multiethnic kingdom established in 698 by Dae Joyeong (Da Zuorong). It was originally known as the Kingdom of Jin (震, Zhen) until 713 when its name was changed ...
*
Dae Inseon
*
Later Balhae
*
Taejo of Goryeo
Taejo (; 31 January 877 – 4 July 943), personal name Wang Kŏn (), also known as Taejo Wang Kŏn (), was the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty of Korea. He ruled from 918 to 943, achieving unification of the Later Three Kingdoms in 936.
Backgroun ...
*
Goryeo
Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...
References
External links
Dae Gwang-hyeonon the ''
Encyclopedia of Korean Culture
The ''Encyclopedia of Korean Culture'' () is a Korean-language encyclopedia published by the Academy of Korean Studies and DongBang Media Co. It was originally published as physical books from 1991 to 2001. There is now an online version of the ...
'' .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dae Gwang-Hyeon
Balhae
Balhae people
Korean princes
10th-century Korean people