Yi Song-Gye
(1335–1408), Koryo general; founder of Choson dynasty. A prominent general serving the Koryo kingdom (918–1392), Yi Song-gye (later King T'aejo) eventually founded the Choson dynasty (sometimes referred to as the Yi dynasty), which would rule Korea from 1392 to 1910. He rose to prominence as a general defending the later Koryo dynasty from increasingly potent attacks by Japanese marauders and China-based brigands.
In 1388, the king of Koryo opted to oppose Ming China's incursions in the north by launching a counterattack. Despite Yi Song-gye's strong opposition to an anti-Ming policy, he joined in the military campaign, ostensibly as a deputy commander. Not long after setting out, however, Yi marched his army back toward the Koryo court and bloodlessly drove his rivals, including the Koryo king, from power. Yi and his supporters then set about an ambitious land reform program, and it soon became apparent that de facto power rested with Yi Song-gye rather than with the Koryo king. In 1392 he took the formal step of forcing the abdication of Koryo's last king, Kong'yang (1345–1394) and establishing himself as the first ruler of the Choson kingdom (whose name hearkens back to an ancient kingdom of the peninsula), moving the capital from Kaesong to Seoul.
Further Reading
Duncan, John B. (2000) The Origins of the Choson Dynasty. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
Henthorn, William E. (1963) Korea: The Mongol Invasions. Leiden, Netherlands: E. J. Brill.
Lee, Ki-baek. (1984) A New History of Korea. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Lee, Peter H. (1975) Songs of Flying Dragons: A Critical Reading. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
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