Yang Kil () was a head of rebel forces in
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 ...
.
Hugoguryeo King
Kung Ye
Kung Ye (; – 24 July 918) was the king of the short-lived state of Taebong (901–918), one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. Kung Ye is alleged to have been a son of either King Heonan of Silla or Gyeongmun of Silla, though the accuracy ...
was once under his command. Historians are uncertain about his birth, death or family line. At the time, the monarch of Silla was
Queen Jinseong. In 889, the state coffers of Silla were empty, so the queen sent envoys to the provinces to press her subjects into paying taxes. As a result, rebel forces began uprising all over the country, and Yang Kil was their major driving force, rising up in Bukwon (modern-day
Wonju
Wonju (; ) is the most populous Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in Gangwon Province, South Korea, with a population of 364,860 as of 2023. The city is located approximately east of Seoul.
History
During the time of Joseon, Gr ...
).
The extent of Yang Kil's power is uncertain, but it is thought to have been considerable given the fact that Kung Ye was among his men. Yang Kil had the favor of Kung Ye, so Yang Kil entrusted him with all his work, gave him his soldiers and sent him on a military expedition eastward. 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 ...
, Kung Ye's army's strength reached about 600 men, who are believed to have been soldiers given to him by Yang Kil. Once Kung Ye's power had increased, he left Yang Kil's army and founded Later Goguryeo. In retribution, Yang Kil tried to attack him, but failed. Little is known of Yang Kil's fate after this.
References
Yang GilGlobal Encyclopedia / Daum
Silla people
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