View source for Later Three Kingdoms

{{Short description|Period of Korean history (890s–936)}}
{{Distinguish|Three Kingdoms|Three Kingdoms of Korea|Proto–Three Kingdoms period|Three Kingdoms (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox Korean name/auto
|img=History of Korea-Later three Kingdoms Period-915 CE.gif
|hangul=^후삼국시대
|hanja=後三國時代
}}
{{History of Korea}}

The '''Later Three Kingdoms''' period ({{Korean|hangul=후삼국시대}}; c. 890s – 936 AD)<ref>{{harvnb|Park|2022|pp=62, 68, 87–88}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Lee|1998|pp=98–99, 101–103}}</ref> of ancient Korea saw a partial revival of the old three kingdoms which had dominated the peninsula from the 1st century BC to the 7th century. After the [[Unified Silla]] kingdom had ruled Korea alone from 668, it slowly began to decline and the power vacuum this led to several rebellious states rising up and taking on the old historical names of Korea's ancient kingdoms. A messy period of alliances and in-fighting followed, but one state would once again establish a dominant position—[[Goryeo]], itself named in homage to the earlier northern [[Goguryeo]] kingdom—and form a unified Korean state and a dynasty which would last almost 500 years.

== Dates ==
The start and end dates of the Later Three Kingdoms are poorly defined and differ across sources. Key events used as starting dates include the first major rebellions against Unified Silla (889),<ref>{{harvnb|Park|2022|p=68}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Lee|1998|p=98}}</ref> the capture of [[Gwangju]] by [[Kyŏn Hwŏn]] and subsequent establishment of the [[Later Baekje]] state at [[Jeonju]] (892),<ref>{{harvnb|Lee|1998|p=99}}</ref> and the proclamation of Later Baekje as a kingdom by Kyŏn Hwŏn (900).<ref>{{harvnb|Park|2022|p=68}}</ref> Two events mark the end of the Later Three Kingdoms: the surrender of [[Gyeongsun of Silla|Gyeongsun]], the last Silla monarch, to Goryeo in 935 and the conquest of Later Baekje by Goryeo in 936.<ref>{{harvnb|Park|2022|p=88}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Lee|1998|pp=101–103}}</ref>

==History==
The [[Unified Silla]] Kingdom (668–935) had held sway over the Korean peninsula for three centuries, but by the 10th century the state had been in steady decline.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |last=조 |first=인성 |title=후삼국시대 (後三國時代) |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0065743 |access-date=2024-06-14 |publisher=[[Academy of Korean Studies]] |language=ko}}</ref> During this time, local aristocrats developed greater independence, until they functionally became independent warlords. Peasants were regularly robbed.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Seth |first=Michael J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WJtMGXyGlUEC |title=A History of Korea: From Antiquity to the Present |date=2010-10-16 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers |isbn=978-0-7425-6717-7 |pages=70–73 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Kyŏn Hwŏn and Kung Ye ===
[[Kyŏn Hwŏn]] (867–936), a peasant leader and Silla army officer, took advantage of the political unrest in 892 and made himself military governor of the city of [[Muju County|Muju]]. In 900, Kyŏn joined forces with the bandit ringleader [[Yang Kil]], formed a revival of the old [[Baekje]] (Paekche) kingdom in the south-west portion of the peninsula. He chose what is now [[Jeonju]] as his capital.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

In 901, an aristocratic Buddhist monk leader, [[Kung Ye]], declared a new Goguryeo state in the north.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> After serving as one of [[Yang Kil]]'s commanders and generals, he betrayed Yang and killed him in 901. His capital was first at Songak ([[Gaesong]]) and then [[Cheorwon County (Korea)|Cheorwon]].<ref name=":1" /> He also twice changed the name of his kingdom, to Majin in 904 and [[Taebong]] in 911,<ref name=":0" /> although the state is best remembered by the name Later Goguryeo ({{Korean|hangul=후고구려|labels=no}}).<ref name=":1" />

Kung Ye was seen as an eccentric tyrant by both farmers and the upper classes. He reportedly believed himself to be the [[Maitreya Buddha]],<ref name=":0" /> claimed he had [[Telepathy|mind reading]] powers, and reportedly had 200 monks chanting mantras following him during his excursions.<ref name=":1" /> In 918, a coup was launched against him. Kung was replaced by his general [[Wang Kŏn]] (also called Wang Geon), who restored the name Goryeo to the kingdom.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

There then followed a protracted power struggle for control of the peninsula. [[Kyŏn Hwŏn]] attacked [[Gyeongju]], the Silla capital, in 927.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

=== Wang Geon's unification of Korea ===
[[Later Baekje]] attacked the Silla kingdom in 920<ref name=":0" /> and 924.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} Silla responded by calling on [[Later Goguryeo]] for assistance. When Baekje attacked and sacked the Silla capital of Gyeongju in 927, the Silla king [[Gyeongae of Silla]] (r. 924–927) was forced to commit suicide and a puppet ruler, [[Gyeongsun of Silla|Kim Pu]] installed in his place.<ref name=":0" /> Wang responded by attacking the Later Baekje capital. Kyŏn Hwŏn then lost a battle at [[Geochang]] to a force led by Wang. Back at the Baekje capital, Kyŏn Hwŏn faced a rebellion led by his son [[Kyŏn Sin-gŏm]], who, displeased that his father had favoured his younger brother as next in line for the throne, imprisoned Kyŏn Hwŏn.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

Wang was now in possession of most of Silla's territory. His position as ''de facto'' ruler of Korea was recognised by the [[Tang dynasty]] of China in 932.<ref name=":1" /> In 934, after Wang's overwhelming victory over Baekje at Unju ([[Hongseong]]), refugees from the northern Manchurian state of [[Balhae]] (Parhae) felt the situation stable enough to return to Korea.

[[Gyeongsun of Silla]] surrendered and named Wang as his successor in 935.<ref name=":1" /> In that same year, Kyŏn, who had escaped to Later Goguryeo territory, appealed to his old enemy Wang for help to remove Kyŏn Sin-gŏm. Kyŏn led a Goguryeo army to Baekje, and the resulting civil war and death of both Kyŏn Sin-gŏm and Kyŏn Hwŏn in 936, greatly weakened Baekje and allowed Wang to finally unify the country once again under the name of Goryeo, origin of today's name for Korea. Wang, posthumously given the title of [[Taejo of Goryeo]] or 'Great Founder,' established a dynasty which would rule Korea for the next five centuries.

==See also==
*[[List of monarchs of Korea]]
*[[Taejo of Goryeo]]
*[[Taejo Wang Geon (TV series)]]
*[[Tomb of King Wanggon]]
*[[Family tree of the Goryeo kings]]
*[[Silla monarchs family tree]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Park |first=Eugene Youngjin |title=Korea: A History |date=February 2022 |publisher=[[Stanford University Press]] |isbn=9781503629462 |ref={{harvid|Park|2022}}}}
{{Refend}}
* {{Cite book |last=Lee |first=Ki-baik |title=A New History of Korea |date= 15 March 1988 |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] |isbn=9780674615762 |ref={{harvid|Lee|1998}}}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Later Three Kingdoms}}
[[Category:9th-century conflicts]]
[[Category:10th-century conflicts]]
[[Category:10th century in Korea]]
[[Category:Civil wars in Korea]]
[[Category:History of Korea]]
[[Category:Later Three Kingdoms| ]]
[[Category:Wars of succession involving the states and peoples of Asia]]