Goryeo military regime

Goryeo 고려 (高麗) Goryeo 무신정권 (武臣政權) Musin Jeonggwon
Capital	Main : Gaegyeong Temporary : Ganghwa[a] (1232–1270)
Common languages	Middle Korean, Classical Chinese (literary)
Ethnic groups	Korean
Religion	Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shamanism
Government	Military dictatorship later Hereditary dictatorship
King
• 1170–1197	Myeongjong
• 1259–1274	Wonjong
Military dictator
• 1170–1174	Yi Ui-bang (first)
• 1270	Im Yu-mu (last)
History
• Military coup d'état	11 October 1170
• Ch'oe family regency	1196–1258
• Mongol invasions	1232–1258
• Sambyeolcho Rebellion	1270–1273
Currency	Goryeo coinage
Preceded by Succeeded by Goryeo Goryeo
Today part of	North Korea South Korea

Goryeo military regime
Hangul	무신정권
Hanja	武臣政權
Revised Romanization	Musin Jeonggwon
McCune–Reischauer	Musin Jŏnggwŏn

The Goryeo military regime (Korean: 무신정권; Hanja: 武臣政權; RR: Musin Jeonggwon; MR: Musin Jŏnggwŏn) was the government of Goryeo from the time of the military coup d'état of 1170 to the Sambyeolcho Rebellion of 1270 and the definitive subordination of Korea to the Yuan dynasty. The rule of the Ubong Choe family from 1196 to 1258 is known as the "regime of the Choe clan" (최씨정권; 崔氏政權).

The History of Goryeo exemplifies the period in its evaluation of the reign of one of the kings of the military regime, Sinjong:

Sinjong was put upon the throne by Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn, and all matters of life and death, decisions to accept or to reject, were in Ch'oe's hands. Sinjong stood above his subjects holding only empty authority. Alas, he was nothing but a puppet.^[1]

List of leaders

Name	Assumed power	Power ended	Monarch	Notes
Yi Ŭi-bang	1170	1174	Uijong Myeongjong	Led a successful rebellion against the civilian government and deposed Uijong, installing Myeongjong as a puppet king. Overthrown.
Chŏng Chung-bu	1174	1179	Myeongjong	Participant in 1170 rebellion; ordered the assassination of Yi Ui-bang and assumed personal power. Overthrown.
Kyŏng Tae-sŭng	1179	1183		Assassinated Chong Chung-bu and his family. Kyong Tae-sung tried to restore the civilian government. But Myeongjong, who regarded him as violating on royal power, hated him. Consequently, Kyong Tae-sung failed to restore the civilian government, but historians of the Joseon period did not consider him as traitor unlike the other military rulers.
Yi Ŭi-min	1183	1196		Assumed power by request of Myeongjong after Kyong's death. Overthrown.
Regime under the Choe clan
Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn	1196	1219	Myeongjong Sinjong Huijong Gangjong Gojong	Overthrew the governing War Council and assassinated Yi Ui-min. Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn thereby established the Ubong Ch'oe Military regime (1196–1258).
Ch'oe U	1219	1249	Gojong	Son of Choe Chung-heon.
Ch'oe Hang	1249	1257		Son of Choe U.
Ch'oe Ŭi	1257	1258		Son of Ch'oe Hang. Overthrown and Killed by Kim Jun and Yu Gyeong (1211–1289).
Later regimes
Kim Chun	1258	1268	Gojong Wonjong	Assassinated Choe Ui. Overthrown.
Im Yŏn	1268	1270	Wonjong Yeongjong Wonjong	Assassinated Kim Jun. Unsuccessfully attempted to instate a new king.
Im Yu-mu	1270	1270	Wonjong	Son of Im Yeon. Overthrown by Sambyeolcho under direction of the Mongols. End of the military regimes.

See also

• Kamakura shogunate
• Military of the Goryeo Dynasty

Notes

1. Other name(s): Gangdo (강도; 江都)

References

1. Lee 1984, p. 142.

Sources

• Lee, Ki-baek (1984). "Chapter 7: Rule by the Military". A New History of Korea. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-61576-2.
• Schultz, E. J. (2000). Generals and Scholars: Military Rule in Medieval Korea. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-8248-2324-5.