Kyŏn Hwŏn facts for kids

Kyŏn Hwŏn (Hangul: 견훤; Hanja: 甄萱; born around 867 – died September 27, 936) was a powerful leader in ancient Korea. He became the founder and first king of a kingdom called Later Baekje. He ruled from 892 to 935.

Later Baekje was one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea. These kingdoms fought for control of the Korean Peninsula. Kyŏn Hwŏn is also known as the ancestor of the Hwanggan Kyŏn family. We learn about his life from old Korean history books like the Samguk sagi and Samguk yusa.

Early Life and Family Background

Kyŏn Hwŏn was born with the family name Yi, not Kyŏn. His father was Ajagae, a farmer and rebel leader. Kyŏn Hwŏn was the oldest of six children. He was born in what is now Mungyeong, South Korea.

Later, Kyŏn Hwŏn changed his family name to Kyŏn. Some historians believe he did this to mark a fresh start. He wanted to be seen as the founder of his new kingdom, Later Baekje. His sons, including Sin-gŏm and Kŭm-gang, used the Kyŏn family name.

His mother was from the Gwangju area. We don't know her exact name. Kyŏn Hwŏn's father had two wives, and Kyŏn Hwŏn was born to the first wife.

During Kyŏn Hwŏn's youth, the Silla kingdom was in trouble. The government was corrupt, and there was a lot of confusion. A terrible famine caused many people to join rebel groups. Local leaders and new military groups gained power across the country. The Silla government tried to collect taxes, but people rebelled. Kyŏn Hwŏn's father, Ajagae, led one of these revolts.

Becoming a King: Founding Later Baekje

Kyŏn Hwŏn left home when he was about 15 years old. He joined the Silla army. He became a commander in the Jeolla region. While his father was gaining power, Kyŏn Hwŏn also gathered local farmers to his side. Soon, he had many followers.

In 892, Kyŏn Hwŏn captured the cities of Wansanju (now Jeonju) and Mujinju (now Gwangju). These areas were once part of the old Baekje kingdom. The people there were unhappy with Silla, so they supported Kyŏn Hwŏn.

In the year 900, Kyŏn Hwŏn declared himself king of Later Baekje. He made Wansanju his capital city. He set up a government and even made friends with Tang China. He worked to make his kingdom bigger. This often led to battles with Kung Ye, the ruler of Later Goguryeo.

Kyŏn Hwŏn's Reign and Battles

After becoming king, Kyŏn Hwŏn sent his army to Hapcheon. This area was southwest of the Silla capital, Gyeongju. But his army failed and had to retreat. In 910, a general named Wang Kŏn attacked and captured Naju. This was the city where Kyŏn Hwŏn had started his rebellion. Kyŏn Hwŏn tried to take it back but couldn't.

In 918, Kung Ye, the ruler of Taebong, was killed by his own army. His general, Wang Kŏn, became the new ruler. This marked the start of the Goryeo kingdom.

Kyŏn Hwŏn sent another large army to Hapcheon in 920. This time, he succeeded in taking the region. This forced the Silla king, King Gyeongmyeong, to make an alliance with Goryeo. Kyŏn Hwŏn then attacked the Andong area. But his troops were defeated by local Silla guards. After this battle, Kyŏn Hwŏn had to make peace with Goryeo. They exchanged royal family members as hostages. However, when his nephew died, Kyŏn Hwŏn killed the Goryeo hostage. He then started fighting Goryeo again.

In 927, Kyŏn Hwŏn personally led his army to attack the Silla capital, Gyeongju. King Gyeongae was caught off guard. He chose to take his own life rather than be captured. Kyŏn Hwŏn then put Kim Pu on the throne as the new Silla king, King Gyeongsun. On his way back, Kyŏn Hwŏn met Wang Kŏn's forces. He easily defeated the Goryeo army. Many of Wang Kŏn's best generals were killed. Wang Kŏn barely escaped thanks to the bravery of his general Sin Sung-gyŏm. One year later, Kyŏn Hwŏn took the city of Jinju from Silla.

Decline and Fall of Later Baekje

Later Baekje and Goryeo were always fighting. Neither kingdom could completely defeat the other. However, in 930, Later Baekje suffered a big loss at the Battle of Gochang. This battle took place near present-day Andong. Kyŏn Hwŏn's army could not recover from this defeat. He tried to turn things around by attacking the Goryeo capital, Gaeseong. But his army lost again in 934.

Later Baekje was not only losing battles, but it also had problems inside the kingdom. In 935, Kyŏn Hwŏn's oldest son, Kyŏn Sin-gŏm, was upset. Kyŏn Hwŏn had chosen his younger brother, Kŭm-gang, to be the next king. So, Sin-gŏm, with help from his brothers, overthrew Kyŏn Hwŏn. Sin-gŏm killed Kŭm-gang and locked Kyŏn Hwŏn up in Geumsan Temple.

But Kyŏn Hwŏn managed to escape. He fled to Goryeo and asked his old enemy, Wang Kŏn, for help. Wang Kŏn welcomed him. He gave Kyŏn Hwŏn land and servants.

In 935, King Gyeongsun of Silla officially gave up his kingdom to Goryeo. The next year, Kyŏn Hwŏn asked Wang Kŏn for help. Together, they led a huge Goryeo army to Later Baekje. The kingdom of Later Baekje then fell.

Kyŏn Hwŏn died that same year from a swollen growth.

Diplomacy and Legacy

Kyŏn Hwŏn was good at diplomacy, unlike his rival Kung Ye. Chinese kingdoms like Wuyue and Later Tang officially recognized him as the ruler of Later Baekje. He also tried to make friends with the new Liao Dynasty in the north. This kingdom was founded by the Khitans. Kyŏn Hwŏn hoped to surround Goryeo from both the north and south.

Kyŏn Hwŏn also sent people to Japan for trade. The Jeolla region, where his kingdom began, was a major trading hub in East Asia. Famous traders like Chang Pogo had used it as a base.

Even with his skills in diplomacy, military, and trade, Kyŏn Hwŏn struggled to build a strong, lasting kingdom. His government system was similar to Silla's. Silla's system had failed to control local landlords and merchants. In the end, Later Baekje could not truly control many of its people. This made it easier for Goryeo to take over the kingdom and unite the Korean Peninsula.

See also

• Later Baekje
• Kung Ye
• Wang Kon
• Later Three Kingdoms
• History of Korea