Gojong (1192–1259), personal name Wang Cheol, was the 23rd king of the Korean

Goryeo dynasty 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 ...

, ruling from 1213 to 1259. Gojong's reign was marked by prolonged conflict with the

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire was the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in human history, history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Euro ...

, which sought to conquer Goryeo, ending only to settle peace in 1259. During his reign actual power rested with the Choe family of military dictators.

Biography

Although ascending to the throne in 1213, Gojong did not wield much power due to decades of military rule over Goryeo. In 1216, the Khitan invaded Goryeo but was defeated. In August 1232, Gojong moved the capital of Goryeo from Songdo to the island of Ganghwa and started the construction of significant defenses there, in order to better defend from the Mongol threat. Gojong resisted the Mongol invasion for nearly thirty years before the kingdom was forced to make peace with the Mongols in 1259; Gojong died soon after. In 1251, the carving of the

Tripitaka Koreana The is a Korean collection of the ( Buddhist scriptures), carved onto 81,258 wooden printing blocks in the 13th century. They are currently located at the Buddhist temple Haeinsa, in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the oldest ...

, a collection of

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

scriptures Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They often feature a compilation or discussion of beliefs, ritual practices, moral commandments and ...

recorded on some 81,000 wooden blocks, was completed. The work was perhaps motivated by Gojong's hopes to change fortunes through the act of religious devotion; however the originals were later destroyed by the Mongols — the existing Tripitaka is a replica of Gojong's original, and was commissioned around one hundred years after the originals were lost. Gojong was married to Queen Anhye, daughter of Huijong, the twenty-first king of Goryeo. His tomb is located near the city of

Incheon Incheon is a city located in northwestern South Korea, bordering Seoul and Gyeonggi Province to the east. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Incheon was home to just 4,700 people when it became an international port in 1883. As of February 2020, ...

Family

*Father: Gangjong of Goryeo **Grandfather: Myeongjong of Goryeo **Grandmother: Queen Uijeong of the Gangneung Kim clan *Mother: Queen Wondeok of the Kaeseong Wang clan **Grandfather: Wang Seong, Marquess Sinan **Grandmother: Princess Changrak *Consorts and their Respective issue(s): # Queen Anhye of the Yu clan, second cousin. ## Crown Prince Wang Sik, ''1st son'' ## Wang Chang, Duke Angyeong, ''2nd son'' ## Princess Suheung, ''1st daughter'' ##''2nd daughter''

In popular culture

* Portrayed by Oh Hyeon-cheol in the 2003–2004 KBS TV series '' Age of Warriors''. * Portrayed by

Lee Seung-hyo Lee Seung Hyo (; born 5 May 1980), is a South Korea , South Korean actor. He debuted as an actor in 2006. He rose to fame as Kim Alcheon in ''Queen Seon Deok''. Biography He had military service as a sniper in Joint Security Area (JSA) from D ...

in the 2012 MBC TV series ''

God of War A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in polytheism, polytheistic religions. Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been portrayed in their ...

''.

References

* {{Authority control 1192 births 1259 deaths 13th-century Korean monarchs Korean Buddhist monarchs People from Kaesong

Biography

Family

In popular culture

See also

References