Dongseong of Baekje
Encyclopedia
Dongseong of Baekje was the 24th king of Baekje
, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
.
who returned to Baekje from Yamato
Japan in 477 after hearing of the fall of the Baekje capital. Gonji died in that year, and like Munju may have been murdered by Hae Gu. Dongseong appears to have been promoted to the throne by the Jin clan that prevailed over Hae Gu's rebellion. After Samgeun died without children, the throne passed to Dongseong.
area to Ungjin
. He built several fortresses and castles to build out the new capital. He incorporated the local Sa, Yeon, and Baek clans into the court to counter the entrenched aristocracy from the former capital.
Dongseong sent a tribute mission to the Southern Qi
in 484, reopening Baekje’s ties with southern China after a long hiatus.
He established an alliance with Silla
through his marriage of a Silla noblewoman in 493, and the two countries united in attacking Goguryeo in 495.
In 498, the Baekje army subjugated Tamna
, the kingdom on Jeju island
which had formally accepted Baekje rule twenty-two years before, because it failed to send tributes.
The Book of Qi
states that Dongseong sent armies to Liaodong and Liaoxi (요서 遼西) in China to defeat Goguryeo
forces.
the king was unresponsive. He continued to live an indulgent lifestyle while brigandage spread.
By the end of Dongseong's rule, the local clans of the new capital had eclipsed the traditionally powerful Hae and Jin clans, and even pressured the throne. Dongseong sought to contain them by exiling Baek Ga to an outlying castle. This caused great resentment, and Baek Ga's forces assassinated Dongseong while he was hunting.
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....
, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
Three Kingdoms of Korea
The Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...
.
Background
He was the son of Gonji, the younger brother of the 22nd king MunjuMunju of Baekje
Munju of Baekje was the 22nd king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. His reign saw considerable disunity within Baekje following the fall of its capital in present-day Seoul.-Background:...
who returned to Baekje from Yamato
Yamato period
The is the period of Japanese history when the Japanese Imperial court ruled from modern-day Nara Prefecture, then known as Yamato Province.While conventionally assigned to the period 250–710 , the actual start of Yamato rule is disputed...
Japan in 477 after hearing of the fall of the Baekje capital. Gonji died in that year, and like Munju may have been murdered by Hae Gu. Dongseong appears to have been promoted to the throne by the Jin clan that prevailed over Hae Gu's rebellion. After Samgeun died without children, the throne passed to Dongseong.
Reign
He worked to strengthen the court's power after the move of the capital from the present-day SeoulSeoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
area to Ungjin
Ungjin
Ungjin, also known as Gomnaru is a former city on the Korean Peninsula. It was located in modern-day Gongju, South Chungcheong province, South Korea. It was the capital of Baekje from AD 475 to 538, during a period when Baekje was under threat from Goguryeo, the previous capital of Wiryeseong ...
. He built several fortresses and castles to build out the new capital. He incorporated the local Sa, Yeon, and Baek clans into the court to counter the entrenched aristocracy from the former capital.
Dongseong sent a tribute mission to the Southern Qi
Southern Qi
The Southern Qi Dynasty was the second of the Southern dynasties in China, followed by the Liang Dynasty. During its 23-year history, the dynasty was largely filled with instability, as after the death of the capable Emperor Gao and Emperor Wu, Emperor Wu's grandson Xiao Zhaoye was assassinated...
in 484, reopening Baekje’s ties with southern China after a long hiatus.
He established an alliance with Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
through his marriage of a Silla noblewoman in 493, and the two countries united in attacking Goguryeo in 495.
In 498, the Baekje army subjugated Tamna
Tamna
The kingdom of Tamna or Tamna guk ruled Jeju Island from ancient times until it was absorbed by the Korean Joseon Dynasty in 1404. This kingdom is also sometimes known as Tangna , Seomna , and Tammora . All of these names mean "island country."There is no historical record of the founding or early...
, the kingdom on Jeju island
Jeju-do
Jeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946...
which had formally accepted Baekje rule twenty-two years before, because it failed to send tributes.
The Book of Qi
Book of Qi
The Book of Qi or Book of Southern Qi is a history of the Chinese dynasty Southern Qi covering the period from 479 to 502, and is one of the Twenty-Four Histories of Chinese history...
states that Dongseong sent armies to Liaodong and Liaoxi (요서 遼西) in China to defeat Goguryeo
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
forces.
Death
Beginning in 499, the country was stricken by famine, but according to the Samguk SagiSamguk Sagi
Samguk Sagi is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of Korea: Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. The Samguk Sagi is written in Classical Chinese and its compilation was ordered by Goryeo's King Injong Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) is a historical record of the Three Kingdoms of...
the king was unresponsive. He continued to live an indulgent lifestyle while brigandage spread.
By the end of Dongseong's rule, the local clans of the new capital had eclipsed the traditionally powerful Hae and Jin clans, and even pressured the throne. Dongseong sought to contain them by exiling Baek Ga to an outlying castle. This caused great resentment, and Baek Ga's forces assassinated Dongseong while he was hunting.