Koryŏ Dynasty

▪ Korean history

      dynasty that ruled the Korean peninsula as the Koryŏ kingdom from 935 to 1392. During this period the country began to form its own cultural tradition distinct from the rest of East Asia, and it is from the name Koryŏ that the Western word Korea is derived.

      The dynasty that ruled Koryŏ was formed by General Wang Kŏn, who in 918 overthrew the state of Later Koguryŏ, established in north-central Korea by the monk Kungye. Changing the name of the state to Koryŏ, he established his capital at Songak, present-day Kaesŏng. With the surrender of the kingdoms of Silla, in 935, and of Later Paekche, in 936, Wang Kŏn established a unified kingdom on the peninsula.

      A centralized bureaucratic system was established during the reign (981–997) of King Sŏngjong to replace the old aristocratic tribal system that had governed the country. Education and civil-service examinations were used as a means of selecting the most capable officials and of absorbing the provincial magnates into the central government to consolidate its control over the countryside.

      Confucianism exerted a strong influence on political life, but Buddhism was no less influential and widespread. The Tripiṭaka, the complete Buddhist canon, was published. The generally extravagant life of the aristocracy led to the flowering of art, particularly ceramics, such as the renowned Koryŏ celadon. Koryŏ visual art emphasizes decorative effect rather than mass. Its inclination toward elegance and technical perfection is sometimes attributed to the influence of Sung China, but Koryŏ art's contours are gentler.

      Koryŏ generally enjoyed good relations with China and adopted its culture and political system. But Koryŏ often clashed with the tribes on the northern frontier. Despite the practical needs for national defense, military officials were generally poorly treated, and this led eventually to a coup d'état in 1170. Amid the subsequent disorder, one of the generals, Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn, was able to establish a military regime of his own that lasted from 1197 to 1258. The Ch'oe family, however, was content to rule behind the scenes, and it never actually usurped the throne. Hence, the dynasty continued to exist.

      In the 13th century Koryŏ suffered from a series of invasions by the Mongols. King Kongmin (1352–74) attempted a set of reforms to drive out the invaders and eliminate their influence from the court, but without success. Finally, in 1392, the newly emerged Confucian scholar General Yi Sŏng-gye overthrew the shaky dynasty and founded the Yi dynasty (1392–1910).

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