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Yun Kwan (Korean: 윤관; Hanja:
| Yun Kwan | |
 | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 윤관 |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Yun Gwan |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yun Kwan |
Early life
editYun was born as a descendant of official Yun Sin-dal (윤신달;
The Jurchen Expedition
editJurchen tribes lived to the north of Goryeo. The Jurchens always rendered tribute to the kings of Goryeo, but the Jurchen tribes grew strong and were soon united under Wanyan clan. They began to violate the Goryeo-Jurchen borders, and eventually invaded Goryeo. Goryeo, however, did not have a powerful army at that time, due in part to a century of peaceful existence. With the invasion of the Jurchen, King Sukjong ordered all available soldiers into battle, but this ended in defeat. General Yun Kwan convinced the Jurchen leaders to pull their troops back, and this ended the invasion of the Jurchen.
Victory over the Jurchen
editAfter experiencing the invasion by the Jurchen, Yun Kwan realized that Goryeo lacked efficient cavalry units, and requested permission from King Sukjong to train and reorganize the current Goryeo military into a professional army that would contain well-trained cavalry units. Finally, in 1107, General Yun led the newly formed Goryeo army, a force of approximately 170 thousand men called Byeolmuban, and attacked the Jurchen tribes. Though the war lasted for several years, the Jurchen were ultimately defeated, and surrendered to Yun Kwan. To mark the victory, General Yun built nine fortresses to the northeast of the Goryeo-Jurchen borders (동북 9성;
Due to manipulation and court intrigue from opposing factions, he was discharged from his post in 1108.[3] Along with this, the opposing factions fought to make sure that the new nine fortresses were returned to the Jurchens. Soon after, Yun Kwan was released from his prison in 1110, and was offered a chance to return to his duties as general, but he refused and returned to his hometown. A year later, in 1111, Yun Kwan died to illness.
Aftermath
editAfter the death of Yun Kwan, the Jurchen destroyed the Liao dynasty, and established the Jin dynasty. With the rise of the Jin, Goryeo was no longer able to trade with the Song dynasty or any of the other neighboring nations, and became isolated, which contributed to the weakening of the kingdom.
Dispute
editThe extent of Yun Kwan's military campaigns has been in dispute for centuries. While the general and traditional belief is that his nine fortresses were built in present-day Hamheung in North Korea, a number of historical sources seem to indicate that Yun took parts of Manchuria for Goryeo, temporarily claiming the land of Goryeo's ancestors, Goguryeo.
Family feud
editDue to wars and invasions, the location of Yun Kwan's tomb was lost until the 18th century. Yun Kwan's tomb was located near another tomb belonging to the Sim clan. Because of this, a family feud erupted between the Yuns and Sims lasting 300 years.[4][5]
Family
edit- Father
- Yun Chip-hyŏng (윤집형;
尹 執 衡)
- Yun Chip-hyŏng (윤집형;
- Wife
- Lady Yi of the Inju Yi clan (인천 이씨;
仁川 李 氏 )
- Lady Yi of the Inju Yi clan (인천 이씨;
- Issue
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ In Lunar Calendar, Yun was born on 1 June 1040 and died on 8 May 1111
References
edit- ^ a b "윤관(
尹 瓘)". Encyclopedia of Korean Culture. Retrieved 2022-11-03. - ^ 고려사절요. "윤관이 포로와 노획물을 바치다".
- ^ Brown 2014, p. 793.
- ^ Sang-Hun, Choe. "Quest for perfect grave keeps Korean feud alive - Asia - Pacific - International Herald Tribune".
- ^ Editorial, Reuters. "Feuding Korean clans end 400-year fight over graves".
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Bibliography
edit- Brown, Kerry (2014), Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography, Berkshire Publishing Group LLC