Hyeonjong of Goryeo was the 8th ruler of the 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...

 dynasty of Korea

Korea

Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...

. He was a grandson of Emperor Taejo

Taejo of Goryeo

Taejo of Goryeo was the founder of the Goryeo Dynasty, which ruled Korea from the 10th to the 14th century. Taejo ruled from 918 to 943.-Background:...

. He was appointed by the military leader Gang Jo

Gang Jo

Gang Jo was a Goryeo general who served under Emperor Mokjong of Goryeo and Emperor Hyeonjong of Goryeo. General Gang Jo was a general in charge of the Northern border army.-Rise to power:...

, whom the previous Emperor Mokjong

Mokjong of Goryeo

Mokjong of Goryeo was the seventh ruler of the Goryeo dynasty of Korea.-Reign:Mokjong is known for his reform of the Jeonsigwa , and for a plot by his mother, Queen Honae and Kim Chi-yang to overthrow him...

 had called upon to destroy a plot by Kim Chi-yang.

In 1010, The Khitan attacked again during an internal Goryeo power struggle. Hyeonjong was forced to flee the capital temporarily, Hyeonjong directed the court to move far south to the port city of Naju

Naju

Naju is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea.The capital of South Jeolla was located at Naju until it was moved to Gwangju in 1895. The name Jeolla actually originates from the first character of Jeonju and the first character of Naju . Dongshin University is situated in Naju...

. But Goryeo repulsed the khitan attack. Finally, Khitan forces withdrew.

In 1019, when Goryeo continued to refuse to submit or return the northern territories, the Khitan attacked once more. Goryeo generals, including Gang Gam-chan

Gang Gam-chan

Gang Gam-chan was a medieval Korean government official and military commander during the early days of Goryeo Dynasty . Even though he was a career scholar and government official, he is best known for his military victories during the Third Goryeo-Khitan War.-Goryeo-Khitan Wars:In 993, the Liao...

, were able to inflict heavy losses on the Khitan army in the Battle of Kwiju. The Khitan withdrew without achieving their demands. The Khitan never again invaded Goryeo. Both the Liao Dynasty and Goryeo enjoyed a time of peace, and their cultures were at their height.

Meantime, Hyeonjong ordered the compilation of the Tripitaka, which was 6,000 volumes. It is the act of carving the woodblocks that was considered to be a way of bringing about a change in fortune by invoking the Buddha's help.

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• History of Korea
  History of Korea
  The 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...
  
  
• Rulers of Korea
• Second Goryeo-Khitan War
• Third Goryeo-Khitan War
  Third Goryeo-Khitan War
  The Third Goryeo–Khitan War was an 11th-century conflict between the kingdom of Goryeo and Khitan forces near what is now the border between China and North Korea...
  
  
• Tripitaka Koreana
  Tripitaka Koreana
  The Tripitaka Koreana or Palman Daejanggyeong is a Korean collection of the Tripitaka , carved onto 81,258 wooden printing blocks in the 13th century...