Yangwon of Goguryeo : Family, Life and reign Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Yangwon of Goguryeo

24th King of Goguryeo Korea (r. 545–559)

Birth name
Yangwon of Goguryeo
Hangul	양원왕, 양강(상호)왕
Hanja	陽原王, 陽崗(上好)王
Revised Romanization	Yangwon-wang, Yanggang(sangho)-wang
McCune–Reischauer	Yangwŏn-wang, Yanggang(sangho)-wang
Hangul	평성
Hanja	平成
Revised Romanization	Pyeong-seong
McCune–Reischauer	P'yŏngsŏng

Goguryeo
Monarchs of Korea
Chumo c. 37–19 BC Yuri 19 BC–18 AD Daemusin 18–44 Minjung 44–48 Mobon 48–53 Taejodae 53–146 Chadae 146–165 Sindae 165–179 Gogukcheon 179–197 Sansang 197–227 Dongcheon 227–248 Jungcheon 248–270 Seocheon 270–292 Bongsang 292–300 Micheon 300–331 Gogugwon 331–371 Sosurim 371–384 Gogugyang 384–391 Gwanggaeto the Great 391–413 Jangsu 413–491 Munja 491–519 Anjang 519–531 Anwon 531–545 Yangwon 545–559 Pyeongwon 559–590 Yeongyang 590–618 Yeongnyu 618–642 Bojang 642–668
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Yangwon of Goguryeo (538~559) (r. 545–559) was the 24th ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the eldest son of Anwon of Goguryeo. During Yangwon's reign, Goguryeo gradually grew weaker and was obliged to take various urgent measures to block foreign invasions, eventually losing the Seoul region to the alliance of the other two Korean kingdoms.^[1]^[2]

Family

Father: King Anwon (안원왕; 安原王)
- Grandfather: King Munja (문자명왕; 文咨明王)
Mother: Middle Lady (중부인; 中夫人)
Unknown wife
- Son: Prince Yangseong (양성; 陽成)

Life and reign

He was confirmed as heir to the throne in 533, the third year of Anwon's reign. Although he was the heir, it is said that he was not able to simply assume power after his father's death. Anwon had three wives, and because the first did not bear him a son, the other queens strove to put their son on the throne. Yangwon's supporters won the military struggle and he was able to succeed to the throne.^[2]^[3]

Preparing for war in 547, Yangwon rebuilt Baegam fortress and repaired Sin fortress. In 548, he sent 6,000 soldiers against Baekje's Doksan Fortress but the Silla general Ju Jin led a relief army and the Goguryeo assault failed. In 550, Baekje invaded and sacked Dosal fortress. Goguryeo counterattacked and struck Baekje's Geumhyeon fortress, but Silla took advantage of this to seize two more Goguryeo castles.

In 551, the emerging empire of the Göktürks invaded from Central Asia^[1] and laid siege to Sin fortress; unable to take it, they attacked Baegam fortress instead. At this, Yangwon sent his general Go Heul and 10,000 troops against the Göktürks; they killed or captured 1,000. In the same year, Silla invaded once again and captured ten districts of the present-day Seoul region.^[2] In 552, Jangan fortress was built. In 554, Yangwon's forces attacked Ungcheon fortress in Baekje, but failed to take it.

In 553, Northern Qi's Emperor Wenxuan sent ambassador Cui Liu to Goguryeo to request the return of Chinese civilians who had fled the turmoil during the end of Northern Wei. When Yongwon's court refused, Cui Liu became furious and punched Yangwon off his chair. Frightened, Yangwon apologised for refusing and agreed to return five thousand households.^{[dubious – discuss]}^{[citation needed]}

In 557, Yangwon designated the prince Go Yang-seong as heir to the throne. In the tenth lunar month of that same year, the commander Gan Juri of Hwando fortress rebelled, but the rebellion was put down and he was executed. Yangwon died in 559, after fifteen years on the throne.