Gaero (?–475, 455–475) was the 21st king of

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (; ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BCE to 660 CE. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. While the three kingdoms were in separate existence, Baekje had the h ...

, one of the

Three Kingdoms of Korea The Three Kingdoms of Korea or Samhan (Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla) competed for hegemony over the Korea, Korean Peninsula during the ancient period of History of Korea, Korean history. During the Three Kingdoms period (), many states and statele ...

. He was the eldest son of the 20th king Biyu. He died on

Achasan Achasan () is a hill that sits between the counties of Gwangjin District and Guri in South Korea. It has an elevation of . There is an extensive system of trails on the Achasan and Yongsan mountains with numerous entrances. People often hike fr ...

as Baekje's capital in the present-day Pungnaptoseong region fell to the northern rival kingdom

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 ...

Reign

He attempted to strengthen royal control of the aristocracy, by selecting officials from his own Buyeo clan, at the expense of the powerful Hae and Jin clans. In 469, he ordered a surprise attack in which the city of Cheongmongnyeon (청목령, 靑木嶺 ; near modern

Kaesong Kaesong (, ; ) is a special city in the southern part of North Korea (formerly in North Hwanghae Province), and the capital of Korea during the Taebong kingdom and subsequent Goryeo dynasty. The city is near the Kaesong Industrial Region cl ...

) was retaken from

. In 472, he sent an embassy bearing tribute to

Northern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei ( zh, c=北魏, p=Běi Wèi), Tuoba Wei ( zh, c=拓跋魏, p=Tuòbá Wèi), Yuan Wei ( zh, c=元魏, p=Yuán Wèi) and Later Wei ( zh, t=後魏, p=Hòu Wèi), was an Dynasties of China, impe ...

requesting support against Goguryeo's attacks. However, these advances were rebuffed by the Wei court, which tried to avoid war with Goguryeo which had greater military power at the time, while fighting against

Southern Dynasties The Northern and Southern dynasties () was a period of political division in the history of China that lasted from 420 to 589, following the tumultuous era of the Sixteen Kingdoms and the Eastern Jin dynasty. It is sometimes considered as ...

. In the early 470s, according to the ''

Samguk sagi ''Samguk sagi'' () is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. Completed in 1145, it is well-known in Korea as the oldest surviving chronicle of Korean history. The ''Samguk sagi'' is written in Classical ...

'', King

Jangsu of Goguryeo Jangsu (394–491, r. 412–491) was the 20th monarch of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was born in 394 as the eldest son of Gwanggaeto. He became the crown prince in 409, and upon his father's death in 412, became ...

sent a

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 ...

monk named Dorim, who was actually a Goguryeo agent. Dorim used Gaero's passion for the game of baduk to ingratiate himself, and persuade the king to neglect the country's defense in favor of public works.

Fall of the capital

In 475, Jangsu launched an attack with 30,000 men and overran Baekje's defenses in seven days, taking the Han River valley including the capital. Gaero was taken to

Acha Mountain Fortress Achasanseong () is a Three Kingdoms-era earthen Korean fortress on the mountain Achasan, in Seoul, South Korea. Originally built by Baekje, it was occupied in turn by each of the Three Kingdoms. It is at an altitude of 200 meters above sea level. ...

and slain by two men who had defected to Goguryeo from Baekje. Baekje's ally

Silla Silla (; Old Korean: wikt:徐羅伐#Old Korean, 徐羅伐, Yale romanization of Korean, Yale: Syerapel, Revised Romanization of Korean, RR: ''Seorabeol''; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) was a Korean kingdom that existed between ...

sent an army of 10,000, but arrived too late. He was the last to rule Baekje from its historic heartland in the Han River valley. After his death,

Hae Gu Hae Gu (? – 478) was a noble of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was a member of the Hae clan (解氏), one of the "Great Eight Families" (''Daeseongpaljok'', 大姓八族). He held the position of Minister of Defense (''Byeonggwa ...

, of the suppressed Hae clan, led a bloody revolt.

Family

* Father:

Biyu of Baekje Biyu (died 455, r. 427–455) was the twentieth king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. According to the ''Samguk sagi'' he was Guisin's son, while other sources name Biyu as the illegitimate son of the 18th king Jeonji. It is no ...

* Mother: unknown ** Queen: unknown *** Buyeo Modo (扶餘牟都, ?–477) – 22nd King of Baekje,

Munju of Baekje Munju (?–477, r. 475–477Il-yeon: ''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). ) was the 22nd king of Baekje, one of the ...

. ***

Buyeo Gonji Buyeo Gonji (? – July, 477) was a member of the royal family of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was a son of the 21st king, Gaero of Baekje and younger brother of the 22nd king, Munju of Baekje. Life According to the ''Samguk Sagi ...

(餘餘昆支, ?–477) – military commander and father of 24th King of Baekje,

Dongseong of Baekje Dongseong (died 501) was the 24th king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, reigning from 479 to 501.by the translators of Il-yeon's: ''Samguk Yusa: Legends and History of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea'', translated by Tae-Hung ...

. He was sent to Japan in 461 where he had a son with a Japanese woman.

Popular culture

* Portrayed by

Lee Ki-young Lee Ki-young (born August 26, 1963) is a South Korean actor. His notable roles include ''Marathon (2005 film), Marathon'' (2005), ''A Bittersweet Life'' (2005), and ''Love Me Not'' (2006). Filmography Film * ''Night in Paradise (2020 film) ...

in the 2013 MBC TV series ''

The King's Daughter, Soo Baek-hyang ''The King's Daughter, Soo Baek-hyang'' () is a Korean-language historical drama depicting the life of Soo Baek-hyang, the daughter of King Muryeong of Baekje. It was aired on MBC TV from September 30, 2013, to March 14, 2014, on Monday and Frida ...

''.

References

Content in this article was copied fro
Samguk Sagi Scroll 23
at the Shoki Wiki, which is licensed under th
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{{s-end 475 deaths Baekje monarchs Monarchs taken prisoner in wartime Korean military personnel killed in action 5th-century monarchs in Asia Year of birth unknown 5th-century Korean people

Reign

Fall of the capital

Family

Popular culture

See also

References