Choe U
Encyclopedia
Choe Woo (died 1249) was the second Choe dictator of the Ubong Choe Military regime. He himself went out on the battlefield to lead in fighting off the Mongolian invasions
. Then he realized that the government was no longer safe at the capital city of Kaesong
, and so he forced the king
and his officials to flee to Ganghwa
island. He took some of his armies and went to Ganghwa island with them. He did this because he knew that the Mongols would not attempt a naval assault against Ganghwa. Therefore, the Goryeo government was kept safe for several decades even after the Choe regime.
(최충헌,崔忠獻), and grandson of the Grand General Choe Won-Ho (최원호,崔元浩). Choe Woo's birthdate is unknown, but it is known that the Choe family lived in the capital of Kaesong
at the time when Choe Chung-Heon
assassinated Yi Ui-Min
. Choe Woo was around the age of seventeen when his father assassinated the tyrant Yi, and saw how his father amassed and wielded power. Choe Woo was said to have been a skilled general and fighter as well as an exceptional statesman.
. Not much is known about Choe Woo's early life. There was the incident of succeeding his father. When the time came for Choe Chung-Heon
to select a successor, he had two choices. He selected Woo because he was the first son, and he was the more talented and capable of the two. U's brother, Hyang, did not take this lightly and so the two brothers faced each other in a sword
duel
, and it ended in U's victory. U did not kill his brother, but put his fate in his father's hands. Choe Chung-Heon announced that U would be his successor, and U became the Royal protector/prime minister, and leader of the Imperial Council.
as his puppet. He was able to preserve the Goryeo empire by hiding the government on Ganghwa island. At the same time, Choe Woo did a better of appeasing the people than his father had done. He returned all of the treasures and that his father had taken and distributed it to the people. With this, the people of Goryeo
became more willing to live under a dictatorship. Choe Woo's rule was mostly composed of Mongolian Invasions. He directly led Goryeo forces to fight off the first Mongol Invasion.
, and he was succeeded by his son Choe Hang
.
Mongol invasions of Korea
The Mongol invasions of Korea consisted of a series of campaigns by the Mongol Empire against Korea, then known as Goryeo, from 1231 to 1270...
. Then he realized that the government was no longer safe at the capital city of Kaesong
Kaesong
Kaesŏng is a city in North Hwanghae Province, southern North Korea , a former Directly Governed City, and the capital of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty. The city is near Kaesŏng Industrial Region and it contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. It was formally named Songdo while it was the...
, and so he forced the king
Posterity of Heaven
Posterity of Heaven or Cheonson designates the Korean people because they are considered the descendants of Heaven or the heavenly god...
and his officials to flee to Ganghwa
Ganghwa
Ganghwa may refer to:* Ganghwa County, administrative region of South Korea* Ganghwa Island, island in South Korea...
island. He took some of his armies and went to Ganghwa island with them. He did this because he knew that the Mongols would not attempt a naval assault against Ganghwa. Therefore, the Goryeo government was kept safe for several decades even after the Choe regime.
Background
Choe Woo was the son of the Goryo Dynasty military regime's founder, Choe Chung-HeonChoe Chung-heon
Choe Chung-heon was a military ruler of Korea during the Goryeo period.Choe's father was a Grand General in the Goryeo military, hence precipitating his own entry into the military...
(최충헌,崔忠獻), and grandson of the Grand General Choe Won-Ho (최원호,崔元浩). Choe Woo's birthdate is unknown, but it is known that the Choe family lived in the capital of Kaesong
Kaesong
Kaesŏng is a city in North Hwanghae Province, southern North Korea , a former Directly Governed City, and the capital of Korea during the Koryo Dynasty. The city is near Kaesŏng Industrial Region and it contains the remains of the Manwoldae palace. It was formally named Songdo while it was the...
at the time when Choe Chung-Heon
Choe Chung-heon
Choe Chung-heon was a military ruler of Korea during the Goryeo period.Choe's father was a Grand General in the Goryeo military, hence precipitating his own entry into the military...
assassinated Yi Ui-Min
Yi Ui-min
Yi Ui-min was one of the third major military dictators that ruled Goryeo prior to the Mongol Invasions. When Gyeong Dae-seung died, Yi Ui-min seized power. He ruled for 13 years, but was eventually assassinated by General Choe Chungheon in 1196....
. Choe Woo was around the age of seventeen when his father assassinated the tyrant Yi, and saw how his father amassed and wielded power. Choe Woo was said to have been a skilled general and fighter as well as an exceptional statesman.
Early life
He joined the Imperial army at the age of eighteen and served for about twenty years, and continued to serve while he was dictatorDictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
. Not much is known about Choe Woo's early life. There was the incident of succeeding his father. When the time came for Choe Chung-Heon
Choe Chung-heon
Choe Chung-heon was a military ruler of Korea during the Goryeo period.Choe's father was a Grand General in the Goryeo military, hence precipitating his own entry into the military...
to select a successor, he had two choices. He selected Woo because he was the first son, and he was the more talented and capable of the two. U's brother, Hyang, did not take this lightly and so the two brothers faced each other in a sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
duel
Duel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
, and it ended in U's victory. U did not kill his brother, but put his fate in his father's hands. Choe Chung-Heon announced that U would be his successor, and U became the Royal protector/prime minister, and leader of the Imperial Council.
Dictator
Choe Woo controlled the Goryeo government with King GojongGojong of Goryeo
Gojong of Goryeo was the twenty-third ruler of Goryeo in present-day Korea. Gojong's reign was marked by prolonged conflict with the Mongol Empire, which sought to conquer Goryeo, ending only when the kingdom was finally vassalized in 1259...
as his puppet. He was able to preserve the Goryeo empire by hiding the government on Ganghwa island. At the same time, Choe Woo did a better of appeasing the people than his father had done. He returned all of the treasures and that his father had taken and distributed it to the people. With this, the people of Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
became more willing to live under a dictatorship. Choe Woo's rule was mostly composed of Mongolian Invasions. He directly led Goryeo forces to fight off the first Mongol Invasion.
Death and Succession
Choe Woo died suddenly of disease during the first Mongol invasion attempt of KoryoKoryo
Koryo may refer to:*The Goryeo Dynasty of Korea. It is spelt Koryŏ in McCune-Reischauer Romanization.*Koryo, a pumsae in Taekwondo.*Kōryō, Nara, a town in Japan.*Air Koryo, a North Korean airline company....
, and he was succeeded by his son Choe Hang
Choe Hang
Choe Hang was the third dictator of the Choe Military regime, which dominated Goryeo for six decades before and during the Mongol invasions. Choe Hang continued on his predecessor Choe U's anti-Mongol policy, and refused to surrender to the invaders...
.
See also
- History of KoreaHistory of KoreaThe Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...
- List of Korea-related topics
- List of Goryeo people