other · Korea and Japan

Sambyeolcho

1270 CE – 1273 CE · capital Jindo, later Jeju

Rebel Goryeo military units that refused to submit to the Mongols and set up a rival court on Jindo and Jeju from 1270 to 1273.

Origins

The Sambyeolcho, or Three Elite Patrols, were military units formed under the Choe military regime. When King Wonjong ended the military regime and returned the court from Ganghwa island to Kaegyong in 1270, accepting Mongol overlordship, the units under Bae Jung-son rebelled and proclaimed a royal kinsman, Wang On, as king.

Rule and society

The rebels sailed south to Jindo island, built the Yongjang fortress and controlled much of the southwestern coast and its grain shipments. They sent envoys to Japan seeking support against the Mongols.

Decline and legacy

A combined Goryeo and Mongol force took Jindo in 1271, killing Wang On and Bae Jung-son. Survivors under Kim Tong-jeong held out on Jeju until 1273. The Mongols then set up horse pastures on Jeju.

Lineage

Goryeo 918 CE – 1392 CESambyeolcho

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Sambyeolcho. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sambyeolcho
MLA
“Sambyeolcho.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sambyeolcho. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Sambyeolcho.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sambyeolcho.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Sambyeolcho’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/sambyeolcho (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻