Yu Ch'ŏn-gung

In this Korean name, the family name is Yu.

Yu Ch'ŏn-gung
Born	? Unified Silla
Died	? Goryeo
Issue	Queen Sinhye[1]
House	Chŏngju Yu clan
Occupation	Three Major Grand Masters (삼중대광; 三重大匡)
Korean name
Hangul	유천궁
Hanja	柳兢達
Revised Romanization	Yu Cheongung
McCune–Reischauer	Yu Ch'ŏngung

Yu Ch'ŏn-gung (Korean: 유천궁; Hanja: 柳兢達) or also known as Local Chief Yu (유장자; 柳匠子)^[2] was a rich-nobleman of the Later Three Kingdoms period^[3] who became the father of Queen Sinhye and father in-law of Wang Kon, Goryeo's founder.^{[citation needed]}

During Jinseong of Silla's reign, Yu Ch'ŏn-gung was a nobleman from Paseo region (along with Wang Ryung from Songak, Pak Chi-yun from Pyeongju, Hwangbo Che-gong from Hwangju, etc.) specially from "Jeongju Region" (정주; 貞州). Since he was a wealthy man who accumulated wealth through Commerce through the sea, the locals called him as a "local chief" (장자; 長者; jangja).^[3] Although the local lords of the Paseo region were independent from Kung Ye, they finally surrendered to him and Wang's son, Wang Kon, became Kung Ye's general and took over the western coast (including Ganghwa Island. Yu was said to have treated Wang's army generously and had his daughter, the future Queen Sinhye, sleep with Wang. Yu actively provided ship technology and knowledge acquired through maritime trade to Wang. Yu's domain of Jeongju Port became an outpost where Wang's naval forces could build ships and train to conquer Geumseong (Naju) in Later Baekje. After the establishment of Goryeo dynasty, Yu became one of the Threefold Great Rectifers (삼중 대광; 三重 大匡; samjung taegwang) (along with Pak Yŏng-gyu and Hwangbo Che-gong) and had the most strong influence in the early Goryeo.^[3]

In popular culture

• Portrayed by Kim Jin-hae in the 2000–2002 KBS1 TV series Taejo Wang Geon.
• Portrayed by Kim Soo-il in the 2002–2003 KBS TV series The Dawn of the Empire.

See also

• • Pak Yŏng-gyu
  • Hwangbo Che-gong

References

1. 고려시대 史料 Database. Goryeosa. Kŏryŏ Sidae – Database. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
2. Chŏng-bok, An (1977). 국역 동사 강목 [The Korean's verb] (in Korean). University of California: National Culture Promotion Association, 민족 문화 추진회. p. 246. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
3. 류천궁–柳兢達. The Culture Content. Retrieved June 14, 2021.