Geunchogo of Baekje, Chogo II of Baekje (324–375, r. 346–375) was the 13th

king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen regnant, queen, which title is also given to the queen consort, consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contempora ...

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder J ...

, one of the

Three Kingdoms of Korea Samhan or the Three Kingdoms of Korea () refers to the three kingdoms of Goguryeo (고구려, 高句麗), Baekje (백제, 百濟), and Silla (신라, 新羅). Goguryeo was later known as Goryeo (고려, 高麗), from which the modern name ''Kor ...

Il-yeon Il-yeon (or Iryeon; 1206–1289) was a Buddhist monk and All-Enlightened National Preceptor () during the Goryeo Dynasty of Korea. His birth name was either Kim Gyeong-myeong () or Jeon Gyeon-myeong (), and his courtesy name was Hoe-yeon (). He ...

: ''Samguk Yusa: Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea'', translated by Tae-Hung Ha and Grafton K. Mintz. Book Two, page 120. Silk Pagoda (2006). He reigned over the apex of Baekje's powers.

Background

Geunchogo was the fourth son of the 11th king Biryu and became king upon the death of the 12th king Gye. His reign seems to have marked the permanent ascendancy of the descendants of the 5th king Chogo (reflected in Geunchogo's name) over those of the 8th king Goi, and ended the alternating kingship of the two lines.

Strengthening royal power

Upon ascending the throne, he set out to solidify the royal power within the Baekje state. He reduced the power of the

aristocracy Aristocracy (, ) is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the el, αριστοκρατία (), meaning 'rule of the best'. At the time of the word' ...

and set up a system of

local government Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loc ...

with regional heads appointed by the court. He married a wife from the Jin clan, setting a precedent for his successors, and he moved the capital to Hansan, today's southeast

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

Territorial expansion

Under Geunchogo, the kingdom reached its greatest geographic extent and political power. The remaining tribes of

Mahan Mahan or Mahaan may refer to: * Mahan (name) * Mahan confederacy, chiefdoms in ancient Korea * Mahan, Iran, a city in Kerman Province * Mahan District, an administrative subdivision of Kerman Province * Mahan Rural District, an administrative su ...

were annexed in 369, completing Baekje's control over all of present-day Jeolla-do.

Gaya confederacy Gaya (, ) was a Korean confederacy of territorial polities in the Nakdong River basin of southern Korea, growing out of the Byeonhan confederacy of the Samhan period. The traditional period used by historians for Gaya chronology is AD 42– ...

states west of the

Nakdong River The Nakdonggang River or Nakdonggang () is the longest river in South Korea, and passes through major cities such as Daegu and Busan. It takes its name from its role as the eastern border of the Gaya confederacy during Korea's Three Kingdoms Er ...

were also made Baekje dependencies. In 369, Baekje was invaded by

Goguryeo Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled mos ...

, but counterattacked in force at the Battle of Chiyang. In 371, the Baekje army of 30,000, led by Crown Prince Geungusu, took the fortress of

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populat ...

and killed Gogugwon of Goguryeo. At the end of these conquests, Baekje ringed the

Yellow Sea The Yellow Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula, and can be considered the northwestern part of the East China Sea. It is one of four seas named after common colour ter ...

, and controlled much of the

Korean peninsula Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic ...

, including all of

Gyeonggi Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...

Chungcheong Chungcheong (''Chungcheong-do''; ) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Chungcheong was located in the southwest of Korea. The provincial capital was located at Gongju, which had been the capital of the kingdom o ...

, and

Jeolla Jeolla Province (, ) was one of the historical Eight Provinces of Korea during the Kingdom of Joseon in today Southwestern Korea. It consisted of the modern South Korean provinces of North Jeolla, South Jeolla and Gwangju Metropolitan City as w ...

and parts of Gangwon and

Hwanghae Hwanghae Province (''Hwanghae-do'' ) was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon era. Hwanghae was located in the northwest of Korea. The provincial capital was Haeju. The regional name for the province was Haeseo. History In 139 ...

provinces.

Foreign relations

In 366, Geunchogo allied with

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms o ...

, which bordered Baekje on the east, maintaining a rough balance of power among the Three Kingdoms. At its greatest extent, Baekje control reached north into what is now China. The kingdom also established diplomatic relations with the early Jin China in 345 and Japan in 367. According to both Korean and Chinese sources, the first

diplomatic Diplomatics (in American English, and in most anglophone countries), or diplomatic (in British English), is a scholarly discipline centred on the critical analysis of documents: especially, historical documents. It focuses on the conventions, p ...

contact between Baekje and China took place in 372, when Geunchogo sent a mission to the court of Jin. In the same year, the Jin court sent a mission granting him the title of the "General Stabilizing the East and the Administrator-General of

Lelang The Lelang Commandery was a commandery of the Han dynasty established after it had conquered Wiman Joseon in 108 BC and lasted until Goguryeo conquered it in 313. The Lelang Commandery extended the rule of the Four Commanderies of Han as far so ...

" (진동장군 영낙랑태수, 鎭東將軍領樂浪太守). During his reign, Baekje activated and led the commercial trading among China, Korean Peninsula and Japan; known as the triangle trade. Traditionally the commerce was mostly dominated by Chinese emperors; however, after China lost control of Lelang, northern China came under the rule of Foreign People including

Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 20 ...

Xianbei The Xianbei (; ) were a Proto-Mongolic ancient nomadic people that once resided in the eastern Eurasian steppes in what is today Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Northeastern China. They originated from the Donghu people who splintered into th ...

and Qiang, all of whom were inexperienced at sea. Baekje established commanderies in the

Liaoxi Liaoxi () was a former province in Northeast China, located in what is now part of Liaoning and Jilin Jilin (; Postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kirin or Chilin) is one of the three Provinces of China, provinces of Northe ...

regions of China and advanced into

Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...

of Japan, and rose as the new trading center of

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea ...

. Baekje also exported culture to Baekje's allies in the Wa kingdom of

Yamato period The is the period of Japanese history when the Imperial court ruled from modern-day Nara Prefecture, then known as Yamato Province. While conventionally assigned to the period 250–710, including both the Kofun period (–538) and the Asuka ...

Japan. The evidence of friendly relationship of Baekje with Japan is the

Seven-Branched Sword The is a ceremonial sword believed to be a gift from the king of Baekje to a Yamato ruler. It is mentioned in the '' Nihon Shoki'' in the fifty-second year of the reign of the semi-mythical Empress Jingū. It is a 74.9 cm (29.5 in) lon ...

which Geunchogo gave to the Yamato ruler. Geunchogo also sent scholars Wang In and Ajiki to Japan to spread knowledge of Baekje culture,

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...

, and

Chinese characters Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as ''kanji ...

. Then Wani taught Confucian classics to emperor's heir Ujinowakiiratuko.Susan M. Allen, Lin Zuzao, The History and Cultural Heritage of Chinese Calligraphy

''Seogi''

During his reign a history of Baekje titled ''Seogi'' (서기, 書記) was compiled by the scholar Go Heung (고흥, 高興). Its purpose was not only to record history, but also to justify his rule and to display the power of Baekje. No known copy of ''Seogi'' has survived to the modern era.

Samguk Sagi

"''King Geunchogo was the fourth son of king Biryu. His body and countenance were unusually robust, and he possessed far-reaching knowledge. When King Gye died, he succeeded him''." * 347 AD, spring, first month. Sacrifices were made gods of heaven and earth. Bae

Jin Jeong Jeong Yeon-jin ( ko, 정연진; born 2 February 1990), better known as Jin Jeong, is a South Korean professional golfer. Jeong was born in Busan and moved to Melbourne, Australia in 2006. He has enjoyed a highly successful amateur career. In 2 ...

was made Minister of the Court: he was the queen's relative. His character was vicious and perverse, and he was not benevolent. He turned himself toward petty matters, and he relied on force to make his case. The people hated him. * 366 AD, spring, third month. Messengers were dispatched to present gifts to Silla. * 368 AD, spring, third month, first day of the month. There was a solar eclipse. Messengers were dispatched to Silla, sent with two good horses. * 369 AD, autumn, ninth month. King Sayu of Goguryeo, at the head of 20,000 men on foot and horse, came to the village of Chiyang, and divided his forces to attack and sack the houses of the people. The king dispatched the crown prince with soldiers directly to Chiyang, and they quickly attacked and defeated them. They captured more than 5,000, and these prisoners were presented as gifts to the general and his warriors. Winter, 11th month. A great examination was made f the troopsin the area south of the Han river. The flags used were all yellow. * 371 AD, Goguryeo raised soldiers and came. The king heard this, and his men hid in the ditches and canals. Then they suddenly rushed out and attacked them. The soldiers of Goguryeo were defeated. Winter. The king and the crown prince led 30,000 spirited troops to attack Goguryeo at the fortress of Pyeongyang. The King of Goguryeo, Sayu, fought powerfully to repel them, but was hit by a stray arrow and died. Our king led his men to retreat, and we moved our capital to Mt. Hansan. * 372 AD, spring, first month. Messengers were dispatched to the Jin court with tribute. Autumn, seventh month. There was an earthquake. * 373 AD, spring, second month. Messengers were dispatched to the Jin court with tribute. Autumn, seventh month. A fortress was built at Mt. Cheongmok. The master of Doksan Fortress led 300 men and fled to Silla. * 375 AD, autumn, seventh month. Goguryeo came and attacked the northern lowlands at the fortress of Sugok, and took it. The king dispatched men to repel the invasion, but they were not successful. The king also had a general raise a large army to revenge themselves, but that year there was a drought and so the plan did not succeed. Winter, 11th month. The king died. The Goki ecord of Ancient Matterssays, when Baekje was founded, they did not keep written records. However, in this period they go the services of the scholar Go Heung, and he first began writing history. However, Go Heung is not made clear in any other records, and so it is not known who he was.

Family

* Father: Biryu of Baekje * Mother: Jin Saha of the Jin clan. ** Queen: Jin Hongran – from the

Jin clan The was a powerful noble clan of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Baekje They were one of the " Great Eight Families" (''Daeseongpaljok'', 大姓八族) of Baekje: (Sa (沙氏), Yeon (燕氏), Hyeop (劦氏), Hae (解氏), Jin (眞氏 ...

. *** Son: Buyeo Gusu (扶餘須, ?-384) – 14th King of Baekje, Geungusu of Baekje. *** Son: Buyeo Geun *** Daughter: Buyeo Jin

Popular culture

*Portrayed by

Kam Woo-sung Kam Woo-sung (born October 1, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his portrayal of a court jester serving a despotic king in the hit period film '' The King and the Clown''. Career Kam Woo-sung majored in Oriental painting at th ...

in the 2010–2011

KBS1 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, ...

TV series '' The King of Legend''. *Portrayed by Jung Seung Kyo in the 2017 KBS TV series ''

Chronicles of Korea Chronicles may refer to: * ''Books of Chronicles'', in the Bible * Chronicle, chronological histories * ''The Chronicles of Narnia'', a novel series by C. S. Lewis * ''Holinshed's Chronicles'', the collected works of Raphael Holinshed * ''The Idhu ...

.''

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Geunchogo Of Baekje Baekje rulers 375 deaths 4th-century monarchs in Asia Year of birth unknown 4th-century Korean people