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PoliticsJune 15, 918(Lunar)

Wang Geon Founds Goryeo

Hong Yu, Bae Hyeon-gyeong, Sin Sung-gyeom and Bok Ji-gyeom overthrew Gung Ye and raised Wang Geon to the throne; he named the state Goryeo with the era name Cheonsu.

Generals weary of Gung Ye’s tyranny proclaimed Wang Geon king, and he was enthroned in the Pojeong hall at Cheorwon. Gung Ye fled and was killed by villagers at Pyeonggang. Wang Geon named his state Goryeo, after Goguryeo, and the next year (919) moved the capital to his home base of Songak.

Friendly toward Silla, he built up his strength by marrying into magnate families and granting them the royal surname, and contended with Later Baekje.

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States and rulers at the time
Goryeo · founded — Taejo (Wang Geon)
Taebong (Later Goguryeo) · fell — Gung Ye
Places
Gung Ye's Capital, Cheorwon, Songak (Kaesong)

People

  • Taejo Wang GeonAD 877 – AD 943

    leader · Songak magnate who served Gung Ye, took Naju, overthrew Gung Ye to found Goryeo in 918 and reunified the Later Three Kingdoms in 935–936

  • Gung YeAD 918

    monarch · Monk said to be of Silla royal blood who rose under Yanggil, founded Later Goguryeo at Songak in 901 and renamed it Majin and Taebong; styling himself the Maitreya Buddha, he ruled harshly and was overthrown

  • Sin Sung-gyeomAD 927

    participant · Goryeo founding general who wore Wang Geon's armour at the Battle of Gongsan and died so that his king could escape

Before and after

Earlier
AD 904 Gung Ye Moves to Cheorwon: Majin and Taebong
Later
AD 926 Fall of Balhae

Related works

  • TV drama: Taejo Wang GeonDramatizedTV drama · 2000 · KBS1
  • TV episode: Naked Korean History Episode 4: Gung Ye the Mind Reader — Why Couldn't He Read Wang Geon's Mind?TV episode · 2022 · Lim Ki-hwan · tvN STORY

Dramatized works (films, dramas, novels) may differ from the historical record.

Themes that include this event

  • GaeseongAD 901 – 2003

    From Wang Geon, lord of Songak, to the Kaesong Industrial Complex — Gaegyeong, Goryeo’s capital for five centuries, and home of the Song merchants