I U (Hae Soo) and Lee Joon Gi (Wang So / Emperor Gwangjong)
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WANG YO
(923 – 13 April 949)
(26 years)
JEONGJONG
3RD MONARCH OF GORYEO
(Reign: 945–949)
(± 3 years)
Jeongjong of Goryeo became the third king of the Goryeo dynasty of Korea at the age of 23, and he ruled Goryeo for three short years.
He was the third son of King Taejo, the founder of the kingdom. He was born more than a decade before Goryeo was formally established.
The aristocracy favoured Wang Yo to succeed his half-brother, King Hyejong. He became Emperor Jeongjong.
His mother, Empress Sinmyeongsunseong, was from the politically powerful Yoo Clan. She was the daughter of a noble from the Chungju region, Yu Geung-dal (Yoo Geung-dal).
SHORT REIGN
When Jeongjong ascended the throne in 945, he set about consolidating his position. He tried to reduce the power of his various powerful royal in-laws, including Wang Gyu and Pak Sul-hui and started purging them.
However, lacking the support of the Gaegyeong or Kaesong elites, he was unable to substantially strengthen the throne.
SUPPORT OF BUDDHISM
In 946, he spent 70,000 sacks of grain from the royal storehouses to support Buddhism in the country.
FAILURE TO MOVE CAPITAL
(FROM GAEGYEONG TO PYONGYANG)
In 947, Wang Yo poured resources into Pyongyang. He had the fortress of Pyongyang constructed and fortified. He planned that it would be the country's Western Capital.
Wang Yo also sought to move the main capital from Gaegyeong to Pyongyang, but he was not successful. The Khitans had set up the Liao Dynasty and they were close to the borders of Goryeo. The aim of the Khitans was to conquer in all directions and thus, they were a threat to Goryeo.
The nation had utilized a system of multiple capitals. Gaegyeong was the main capital. Seogyeong (Pyongyang), Namgyeong (Seoul) and Donggyeong (Gyeongju) were secondary capitals.
The capital, Gaegyeong was called Hwangdo ‘Imperial Capital’ and the palace was referred to as ‘Imperial Palace’.
The use of this ‘Imperial’ system and the nomenclature or use of the character δΊ¬implied that Goryeo functioned internally as an ‘empire’.
DEATH
His reign was short. He died at the age of 26 in 949, three years after ascending the throne. He was succeeded by his biological brother, Wang So or Emperor Gwangjong.
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