Yejong of Goryeo

16th King of Goryeo (r. 1105–1122)
the 16th monarch during the Goryeo Dynasty

Yejong of Goryeo (11 February 1079 – 15 May 1122; r. 1105–1122), personal name Wang U, was the 16th king of the Korean Goryeo dynasty. He was the eldest son of King Sukjong and Queen Myeongui, and succeeded to the throne upon his father's death. His reign is usually described as one of the most splendid periods of Goryeo, during which the arts and philosophy flourished, and military strengthening policies were implemented to ensure border security.

Yejong was born Wang U in 1079, the thirty third year of his grandfather King Munjong's reign. During Sukjong's reign, Goryeo had faced the Jurchens in two battles that ended in defeats. it was therefore reorganized into the Byeolmuban army (hangul=별무반) to prepare for a large scale war, which, however, did not take place due to the death of Sukjong. Within two months, Yun occupied the Hamhŭng plains and advanced into the Tumen basin; but, due to incorrect geographic information, the Goryeo army found itself trapped in the forts and surrounded by the enemy. Goryeo agreed to pay tribute to the Jurchens and withdrew all troops. As not to antagonize Liao, the relations with Song China had been conducted discreetly, but were resumed in 1062, and more frequently, with the decline of Liao's power, also signaled by the fact that Liao no longer collected tributes after 1054. Following the defeat to the Jurchens, Goryeo cultivated its relations with Song, while taking a neutral stance between Jurchens and Liao. The gift included 167 instruments and 20 volumes of music and performance instructions. The following year, the Jurchen leader Wanyan Aguda proclaimed the establishment of the Jin dynasty with himself as its first emperor, Taizu. Together with the gifts came a request to bring the Jurchen representatives to the Song court. It was declined, and Yejong warned Huizong not to deal with the Jurchen, because they "were like tigers and wolves". Trade and official contacts continued: in 1117 Song established a special office to deal with Goryeo merchants and envoys; furthermore, a large Chinese mission arrived in 1122, including the Confucian scholar Xu Jing (1091–1153), whose notes are an important source of information about the period. In 1117, the Goryeo army advanced to Ŭiju area at the Yalu River, reconquered the territory and established new military headquarters there. That same year, Taizu sent an ambassador with a letter to Yejong asking to be recognized as "elder brother". In 1116, he created academic institutions and libraries such as Cheongyeongak (hangul=청연각) and Bomungak (hangul=보문각), and in 1119 he established the scholarship foundation Yanghyeongo (hangul=양현고). Although interested in education and culture already upon his accession to the throne, the sovereign identified several advantages in this policy: firstly, government education had long since been outclassed by the prosperity of private schools, but the reform introduced by Yejong gave way to a turnaround that continued into the reign of his successor; moreover, it was a way to strengthen his own authority, damaged by the failure against the Jurchens. Yejong had an interest in Buddhism and Taoism, and supported them throughout his reign, also being guided by geomancy in pursuing the royal building policies. The boundaries between religious beliefs were blurred: in 1106 the king officiated a Taoist ritual in honor of the Supreme Being and at the same time offered sacrifices to King Taejo asking for rain. In 1110, the Song emperor sent some ambassadors and two priests to Goryeo to instruct the people on Taoism, and that same year Yejong began the seven year long construction of the country's first Taoist temple, Bogwongung (hangul=복원궁). He also renovated existing temples and religious institutions,

Sukjong had introduced the use of bronze coins and a silver currency called eunbyeong (hangul=은병). As soon as he ascended the throne, Yejong had to confront the opposing bureaucracy, which still adhered to a barter economy and taxation in kind established by the dynasty's founder Taejo, popular sentiments and the underdevelopment of markets. Yejong replied that Taejo's warning was directed at extravagant and unnecessary spending, and insisted on the monetary policy, In 1112, the Hyeminguk (hangul=혜민국) was born for the free distribution of medicines to the poor, and in 1113 the Yeuisangjeongso (hangul=예의상정소) was established to define new rules for clothing, etiquette and document management. Necessity to adjudicate factional struggles and the strain of managing complicated diplomatic and military efforts led Yejong to retreat further and further into his books and Taoist rituals. Yejong was succeeded upon his death by his 13 year old son Wang Hae. He was buried in Gaeseong in Yureung tomb. The annals of his reign were compiled by three historians, including Kim Bu sik.