Micheon of Goguryeo
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| Micheon of Goguryeo | |
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| Hangul: | 미천왕 or 호양왕 |
| Hanja: | 美川王, 好壤王 |
| Revised Romanization: | Micheon-wang or Hoyang-wang |
| McCune-Reischauer: | Mich'ŏn-wang |
| Birth name | |
| Hangul: | 고을불 also 을불리 also 우불 |
| Hanja: | 高乙弗 also 乙弗利 also 憂弗 |
| Revised Romanization: | Go Eul-bul also Eulbulli also U-bul |
| McCune-Reischauer: | Ko Ŭlbul also Ŭlbulli also Ubul |
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King Micheon of Goguryeo (? - 331, r. 300-331) was the 15th ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
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[edit] Background and Rise to the throne
He was the grandson of the 13th king Seocheon, and the son of the gochuga Go Dol-go, who was killed by his brother, the 14th king Bongsang.
Micheon lived in hiding as an indentured servant and a salt merchant, but was made king after Bongsang was overthrown by court officials. The tales of Micheon's life in hiding before becoming king are recorded in the Samguk Sagi. He is said to have been a servant of a local lord, and was made to throw stones into a pond throughout the night, to keep the frogs quiet. He escaped and met a salt merchant, and faced much hardship while travelling selling salt.
Meanwhile, King Bongsang became increasingly unpopular, and court officials sought out Micheon to replace Bongsang.
[edit] Reign
Micheon continuously developed the Goguryeo army into a very powerful force. During the disintegration of China's Jin Dynasty, he expanded Goguryeo's borders into the Liaodong Peninsula and Chinese commanderies. His first military campaign was in 302, against the Xuantu Commandery. He annexed the Lelang commandery in 313 and Daifang commandery in 314 after attacked Seoangpyeong in Liaodong.
In his reign, Goguryeo was faced with growing Xianbei influence in the west, particularly Murongbu incursions into Liaodong. Micheon allied with other Xianbei tribes against the Murongbu, but their attack was unsuccessful. In 319, the Goguryeo general Yeo No-ja was taken captive by the Murongbu. Throughout this period, Goguryeo and the Murongbu attacked each other's positions in Liaodong, but neither was able to gain a lasting victory.
[edit] Death and aftermath
Micheon died and was buried in 331 at Micheon-won. Twelve years later in the reign of King Gogugwon, his remains were dug up by the Former Yan invaders, and held for ransom.
