Wiman Joseon facts for kids

Wiman Joseon (194–108 BC) was an important kingdom in ancient Korea. It started when a general named Wiman took control from Gija Joseon's King Jun. The kingdom ended when King Ugeo, Wiman's grandson, died. Most of what we know about Wiman Joseon comes from old writings by a historian named Sima Qian. Wiman was originally a military leader from the Yan Kingdom in China.

How Wiman Joseon Began

A long time ago, after China's Qin dynasty ended, a general named Wiman came from the Yan Kingdom in northeastern China. He joined Gojoseon's King Jun. King Jun trusted Wiman and made him a commander. Wiman was put in charge of the western border of Gojoseon. This area was likely in what is now Liaoning, China.

But Wiman turned against King Jun. In 194 BC, Wiman took over and started his own kingdom, Wiman Joseon. He made his capital city Wanggeom-seong (왕검성, 王險城). Many historians in Korea think Wanggeom-seong was in Yodong, which is part of Liaodong, China.

Growing Strong and Rich

During its time, Wiman Joseon grew very large. It became powerful because it controlled trade. The kingdom managed the buying and selling of goods between the Han dynasty in China and the people of Manchuria. This made Wiman Joseon very rich.

The Emperor Wu of Han in China started to worry. He thought Wiman Joseon was becoming a threat. He also feared that Wiman Joseon might team up with the Xiongnu, another powerful group.

The Fall of Wiman Joseon

Wiman's grandson, King Ugeo, allowed many people from the Han dynasty to live in Wiman Joseon. As more Han people arrived, King Ugeo stopped the Jin state from talking with the Han dynasty. This made the Han emperor angry.

In 109 BC, the Emperor Wu of Han decided to invade Wiman Joseon. The Han armies attacked near the Luan River. At first, they had trouble defeating Wiman Joseon's soldiers. So, Emperor Wu tried to get the princes of Wiman Joseon to kill King Ugeo. This plan did not work, and it led to the destruction of the Gojoseon kingdom. After the war, Emperor Wu even punished two of his own generals for not winning quickly.

After a year of fighting, the capital city of Wanggeom-seong was captured. Wiman Joseon was finally defeated. The Han dynasty then set up four new areas called the Four Commanderies of Han. These areas were in the Liaodong peninsula and northwestern Korean peninsula. These Commanderies later fell to the rising kingdom of Goguryeo around the 4th century AD.

After Wiman Joseon fell, several new nations formed. One of these was the Nangnang Nation. It is important to know that this Nangnang Nation was different from the Lelang commandery set up by the Han dynasty.

Rulers of Wiman Joseon

Images for kids

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  Korea in 108 BC, showing Gojoseon before it was destroyed by the Han dynasty.

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  The Han dynasty destroys Wiman Joseon and sets up the Four Commanderies.

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  Korea in 315, showing how Goguryeo took back the old Gojoseon territory.

See also

• History of Korea
• History of Manchuria
• List of Korean monarchs