← Explore on the interactive map

Gaeseong (Goryeo)

Type Object Region Korea Time 918–1392

Gaeseong (Gaeseonggyeong), capital of the Goryeo dynasty, was the Korean Peninsula's political, economic, and cultural center from 918 to 1392;…

Timeline

  1. 918–1231Gaeseong · KoreaGoryeo established its capital at Gaeseong (Seogyeong), building royal palaces, twelve government offices, and five districts, commanding the western plains of the peninsula and access to the Yellow Sea. Through flourishing Buddhism and the development of the imperial examination system, Gaeseong became the political and economic core of Goryeo and a diplomatic hub toward Song, Liao, and Jin.
  2. 1231–1232Gaeseong · KoreaIn 1231 Mongol general Saritai led an army into Goryeo, capturing Hamju, Cheolju, and other places; King Gojong of Goryeo took refuge south of Gaeseong. After the Mongol withdrawal in 1232 the two sides briefly made peace, but Gaeseong already felt northern military pressure and the defenses of Seogyeong were urgently strengthened.
  3. 1235–1240Gaeseong · KoreaIn 1235 the Mongol army invaded again, breaking through city after city in northern Goryeo. In 1236 King Gojong moved the capital to Ganghwa Island to evade the enemy; Gaeseong remained as Seogyeong but the center of royal authority shifted. By 1240 Mongol forces were still sweeping the peninsula, and Gaeseong faced the pressures of war spillover and requisitioning of supplies.

Sources