kingdom · Korea and Japan

Taebong

901 CE – 918 CE · capital Cheorwon

The kingdom of the one-eyed monk-king Gung Ye in central Korea, from whose collapse Wang Geon founded Goryeo.

Origins

Gung Ye, said to be an outcast Silla prince who lost an eye as an infant, became a monk and then a rebel commander in the 890s. Gathering support in the central and northern regions, including from the Wang family of Songak, he proclaimed a kingdom in 901 called Later Goguryeo, appealing to the memory of Goguryeo.

Rule and society

The state changed name to Majin in 904 and to Taebong in 911, and moved its capital from Songak to Cheorwon in 905. Gung Ye set up a central bureaucracy with new ministries and expanded southward, using the general Wang Geon to win battles against Later Baekje. He increasingly proclaimed himself the Maitreya Buddha and ruled with suspicion and violence.

Decline and legacy

In 918 leading generals overthrew Gung Ye, who was killed while fleeing, and placed Wang Geon on the throne. Wang Geon renamed the state Goryeo and moved the capital back to Songak.

Lineage

Silla 57 BCE – 935 CETaebongGoryeo 918 CE – 1392 CE

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻