Dongseong of Baekje
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| Dongseong of Baekje | |
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| Hangul: | 동성왕 |
| Hanja: | 東城王 |
| Revised Romanization: | Dongseongwang |
| McCune-Reischauer: | Tongsǒngwang |
| Birth name | |
| Hangul: | 모대, 마제, 여대 |
| Hanja: | 牟大, 麻帝, 餘大 |
| Revised Romanization: | Modae, Maje, Yeodae |
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Dongseong of Baekje (?-501, r. 479-501) was the 24th king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.
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[edit] Background
He was the son of Gonji, the younger brother of the 21st king Munju who returned to Baekje from Yamato Japan in 477 after hearing of the fall of the Baekje capital. Gonji died in that year, and like Munju may have been murdered by Hae Gu. Dongseong appears to have been promoted to the throne by the Jin clan that prevailed over Hae Gu's rebellion. After Samgeun died without children, the throne passed to Dongseong.
[edit] Reign
He worked to strengthen the court's power after the move of the capital from the present-day Seoul area to Ungjin. He built several fortresses and castles to build out the new capital. He incorporated the local Sa, Yeon, and Baek clans into the court to counter the entrenched aristocracy from the former capital.
Dongseong sent a tribute mission to the Southern Qi in 484, reopening Baekje’s ties with southern China after a long hiatus.
He established an alliance with Silla through his marriage of a Silla noblewoman in 493, and the two countries united in attacking Goguryeo in 495.
In 498, the Baekje army subjugated Tamna, the kingdom on Jeju island which had formally accepted Baekje rule twenty-two years before, because it failed to send tributes.
The Book of Qi states that Dongseong sent armies to Liaoning and Hebei (요서 遼西) in China to defeat Northern Wei forces.
[edit] Death
Beginning in 499, the country was stricken by famine, but according to the Samguk Sagi the king was unresponsive. He continued to live an indulgent lifestyle while brigandage spread.
By the end of Dongseong's rule, the local clans of the new capital had eclipsed the traditionally powerful Hae and Jin clans, and even pressured the throne. Dongseong sought to contain them by exiling Baek Ga to an outlying castle. This caused great resentment, and Baek Ga's forces assassinated Dongseong while he was hunting.
