Jungcheon of Goguryeo

Jungcheon of Goguryeo
Hangul	중천왕 or 중양왕
Hanja	中川王 or 中壤王
Revised Romanization	Jungcheon-wang or Jungyang-wang
McCune–Reischauer	Chungch'ŏn-wang or Chungyang-wang
Birth name
Hangul	고연불
Hanja	高然弗
Revised Romanization	Go Yeonbul
McCune–Reischauer	Ko Yŏnbul

King Jungcheon (224–270, r. 248–270)^[1] was the 12th ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea

Family

Father: King Dongcheon (동천왕; 東川王)
- Grandfather: King Sansang (산상왕; 山上王)
Consorts and their respective issue(s):

Queen, of the Yeon clan (왕후 연씨; 王后椽氏); born in Yeonnabu (연나부; 椽那部).
1. Unnamed son
2. Prince Yakro (약로, 藥盧; d. 292)
3. Prince Dalga, the Lord of An (안국군 달가, 安國君達賈; d. 292) – had a virtue appearance that made him killed by the jealous King Bongsang.
4. Prince Ilu (일우, 逸友; d. 286) – killed by King Seocheon.
5. Prince Sobal (소발, 素勃; d. 286) – killed by King Seocheon.
6. Unknown princess – married Myeongrim Holdo (명림홀도; 明臨笏覩) from Yeonnabu in 256.
Lady Gwanna (관나부인, 貫那夫人; d. 251); born in Gwannobu (관노부; 灌奴部) and said to have a beautiful face which made the king favoured her so much, but executed in around 251 – No issue.

Background and rise to the throne

He was the son of King Dongcheon and was made heir to the throne in the 17th year of his father's reign. Upon his father's death in 248, Jungcheon followed him on the throne.^[2]

Reign

Deaths within the royal family

In the 11th month of that year, Jungcheon's younger brothers Go Ye-mul, Go Sa-gu and others sought to betray him, but were caught and executed.^[2]

He married Lady Yeon, probably from the Yeonna-bu region.^[3] In 251, he came across a beautiful woman with nine-feet black hair from Gwanna region.^[4] Needless to say, two wives of Jungcheon argued severely at all times, trying to fend off each other out of king's eyesight. Eventually, Lady Gwanna was put to get drowned by angered king in the Yellow Sea.^[1]^[2] Although Lady Gwanng had one son with Jungcheon, he never got an opportunity to be a crown prince and in 255, Yak-ro, a son with Lady Yeon got the seat in 255, later Seocheon of Goguryeo.^[2]

War with the Wei

In 259 at the king's 12th year of reign, the Cao Wei general Yuchi Kai (尉遲楷) invaded with his army. The king sent 5,000 cavalry to fight them in the Yangmaek region; the Wei forces were defeated and about 8,000 people slain.^[5]

Death

In 270, the king died at the age of 46, and was buried in Jungcheonji-won.^[2]^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b Pyŏn, Wŏl-lim (2005). The lives of Korean women in history. Seoul: Iljisa Publishing House. p. 121. ISBN 9788931205602.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "King Jungcheon". KBS Radio. Korean Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
^ Kim, Bushik. "三國史記卷第十七髙句麗本紀第五". Samguk Sagi (in Korean). Retrieved 31 January 2016. 冬十月, 立椽氏爲王后
^ Korea Quarterly Vol.5. Seoul: Kukche Haksurwŏn. 1963. p. 146. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
^ Samguk sagi,"十二年，冬十二月，王畋于杜訥之谷。魏將尉遲楷[4]〈名犯長陵諱。〉將兵來伐。王簡精騎五千，戰於梁貊之谷，敗之，斬首八千餘級。"
^ Kim, Bushik. "三國史記卷第十七髙句麗本紀第五". Samguk Sagi (in Korean). Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2016. 二十三年, 冬十月, 王薨. 葬於中川之原, 號曰中川王.

Regnal titles
Jungcheon of Goguryeo House of Go Born: 224 Died: 270
Preceded by Sansang	King of Goguryeo 248–270	Succeeded by Seocheon

[Pyŏn-1] Pyŏn, Wŏl-lim (2005). The lives of Korean women in history. Seoul: Iljisa Publishing House. p. 121. ISBN 9788931205602.

[KBS-2] "King Jungcheon". KBS Radio. Korean Broadcasting System. Archived from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2016.

[3] Kim, Bushik. "三國史記卷第十七髙句麗本紀第五". Samguk Sagi (in Korean). Retrieved 31 January 2016. 冬十月, 立椽氏爲王后

[4] Korea Quarterly Vol.5. Seoul: Kukche Haksurwŏn. 1963. p. 146. Retrieved 31 January 2016.

[5] Samguk sagi,"十二年，冬十二月，王畋于杜訥之谷。魏將尉遲楷[4]〈名犯長陵諱。〉將兵來伐。王簡精騎五千，戰於梁貊之谷，敗之，斬首八千餘級。"

[6] Kim, Bushik. "三國史記卷第十七髙句麗本紀第五". Samguk Sagi (in Korean). Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2016. 二十三年, 冬十月, 王薨. 葬於中川之原, 號曰中川王.

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