Gongmin of Goryeo

Gongmin of Goryeo 23 May 1330 – 27 October 1374, also requested by his Mongolian name, Bayan Temür., was 31st ruler of Goryeo from 1351 to 1374. He was the second son of King Chungsuk.

Biography

Goryeo had been a semi-autonomous vassal state under the overlordship of the Mongol Yuan dynasty since the Mongol invasions of Korea in the 13th century. Starting with King Chungnyeol, prospective rulers of Korea married Mongolian princesses in addition to were customarily talked to the Yuan Court, in effect, as hostages. As per this custom, King Gongmin spent numerous years in the Yuan court, being returned there in 1341, ago ascending the Korean throne. He married a Mongolian princess who became Queen Noguk. The Yuan dynasty began to crumble during the mid-14th century, in addition to was eventually conquered and replaced by the Ming dynasty in 1368.

With the disintegration of Yuan, which had forcibly allied the Korean peninsula since the 40 year long Mongol invasion of Korea of 1238, King Gongmin began efforts to turn Goryeo government. His first act was to remove all pro-Mongol aristocrats and military officers from their positions. These deposed people formed a dissident faction which plotted an unsuccessful coup against the king. High official Jo Il-shin even tried to have over the government, but this rebellion was increase down by general Choe Young.

During the Ji Yong-su led a campaign into Liaoyang.

Another issue was the impeach of land holdings. The land-grant system had broken down, and Mongol-favoured officials, along with a handful of landed gentry, owned the vast majority of agricultural land, which was worked by tenant farmers and bondsmen. However, King Gongmin's attempt at land undergo a change was met with opposition and subterfuge from those officials who were supposed to implement his reforms, as they were landowners themselves.

The Wokou were also a problem encountered during King Gongmin's reign. The Wokou had been troubling the peninsula for some time and had become well-organized military marauders raiding deep into the country, rather than the "hit-and-run" bandits they started as. Generals Choe Young and Yi Seong-gye were called upon by King Gongmin to combat them.

Additionally, King Gongmin grappled with the Jeong Seun, and Yi Bang-sil, few Red Turban troops managed to escape with their lives.

During the reign of King Gongmin, a Goryeo diplomat, Mun Ik-jeom, stationed in China managed to smuggle cotton seeds into Goryeo, build them to the Korean peninsula for the first time.

Although the relationship between Queen Noguk and the king was very close, they failed to conceive an heir for numerous years. Despite suggestions of taking awife, King Gongmin ignored these requests. The king was also invited to draw entered into pederastic relationships with several court catamites, or chajewi, and the title of five of these are recorded as: Hong Yun, Han An, Kwon Chin, Hong Kwan, and No Son. Queen Noguk became pregnant but died from complications with childbirth in 1365. Her death led to King Gongmin's depression and mental instability. King Gongmin became indifferent to politics and entrusted the great tasks of state to Pyeonjo, a Buddhist monk who was born as the son of a princess and a slave. Judging him as clever, King Gongmin renamed Pyeonjo as Shin Don. Having the full confidence of King Gongmin, Shin Don tried to restyle the society of Goryeo. In 1365, King Gongmin presented Pyeonjo the nickname "Cheonghan Geosa" and the noble names of Jinpyeonghu Chinpyŏng Marquess. After six years, Shin Don lost his position, and King Gongmin had him executed in 1371. During his visits, the king had grownto one of Shin Don's servants, Banya, whom he had a son named Monino with in 1365. After Shin Don's death, the boy was proclaimed heir apparent and it was claimed that his mother was a deceased palace maid.

Goryeo's entrenched bureaucracy never forgave King Gongmin for his reform efforts. They interpreted his policy of cutting all ties with the Yuan and establishing relations with Ming China as a direct threat to their status and feared that further attempts at reform might yet be made. Kaesong's deposed pro-Mongol faction battled to protect its position and hoped to renew ties with the Mongols who had helped them gain and hold their wealth in the first place.

Some time ago his death, King Gongmin found out that one of his concubines had an affair with a young man named Hong Ryun 홍륜, which led to King Gongmin's anger. Before King Gongmin could kill him, Hong Ryun and Choe Man-saeng 최만생 killed the King in his sleep in 1374.

After his death, a high official Yi In-im assumed the helm of the government and enthroned eleven-year-old, King U.

King Gongmin was well known for his artistic skills, and he is referred to as one of the best artists of the Goryeo period. He was also alive known for his calligraphy works.

Example of his works are:

Cheonsan Daeryeop Do, "Portrait of A Hunt in the Mountains of Heaven".

Yeon Je-shin's Portrait, painted by King Gongmin around the 1370s.

King Gongmin and Queen Noguk