Kang Kam-ch'an

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
In this Korean name, the family name is Kang.
Kang Kam-ch'an
Native name
강감찬
Born22 December 948
Geumju, Goryeo
Died9 September 1031 (aged 82)
Battles / warsGoryeo–Khitan War
ChildrenKang Haeng-gyŏng
RelationsKang Kung-jin (father)
Korean name
Hangul
강감찬
Hanja
姜邯贊 or 姜邯瓚
Revised RomanizationGang Gamchan
McCune–ReischauerKang Kamch'an
Childhood name
Hangul
은천
Hanja
殷川
Revised RomanizationEuncheon
McCune–ReischauerŬnch'ŏn
Posthumous name
Hangul
인헌
Hanja
仁憲
Revised RomanizationInheon
McCune–ReischauerInhŏn

Kang Kam-ch'an (

Third Goryeo-Khitan War
. Kang came from the Geumju Kang clan.

Early life

Kang was born on 22 December 948 into a prominent aristocratic family in the hyeon of Geumju (now Gwanak District, Seoul). His father also worked for the King Taejo of Goryeo, and had been awarded for helping establish a new dynasty and unifying the Korean Peninsula. A legend tells that on the day he was born a meteor fell toward his house, and an advisor to the king visited to find that a baby had just been born there, whom he predicted would become great and be long remembered. Kang Kam-ch'an's birth site is called Nakseongdae (site of the falling star), near Seoul's Nakseongdae Station on the Line two subway.

As a child, Kang was small for his age, but he showed signs of leadership and loyalty at an early age. At seven he began to learn Confucian philosophy, military tactics and martial arts from his father. After his father's death in 964, he left his household and traveled around the country. In 983, he received the top score in the civil service examination, and qualified as a government official at age thirty-six. In 992, he joined the royal court as a deputy under the Minister of Education.

Goryeo-Khitan Wars

Main article:
Goryeo-Khitan Wars

In 993, the Liao dynasty ordered General Xiao Paiya to invade Goryeo. The opinions among the court officials were divided, either to fight against the Khitans or to negotiate with them. Kang supported the use of negotiations, which was also supported by the king as the official decision. Sŏ Hŭi was sent to General Xiao as Korean representative, and the successful truce negotiation led to the withdrawal of Khitan forces and establishment of friendly relationship between Liao and Goryeo.

In 1004, the Khitans defeated the

Emperor Shengzong
of Liao led a massive invasion with a contingent of 400,000 soldiers, commanding the troops himself. Suffering heavy casualties in five major engagements, the Khitans finally defeated the Goryeo army and executed their commander General Kang Cho.

However, Kang Kam-ch'an urged

Third Goryeo-Khitan War. In 1011, after the Khitan invasion was over, Kang was promoted to Hallim Academican Recipient of Edicts (한림학사 승지; 翰林學士 承旨; Hallim haksa sŭngji).[1]

In 1018, General

Second Goryeo-Khitan War
had been so great, leaving Goryeo difficult to recover. However, Kang advised the king to declare war against the Liao, since the enemy contingent was much smaller than in previous invasions. He volunteered to be the acting deputy War minister for the duration of the war, at the age of seventy-one. He led about 208,000 men toward the Goryeo-Liao border.

The first battle of the war was the

Gaegyeong
, and continued to march south. Later, Xiao realized that the mission was impossible to accomplish, and decided to retreat. General Kang knew that the Khitan army would withdraw from the war, and awaited them at the fortress of Gwiju, where he encountered the retreating Khitans in 1019.

Discouraged and starving, the Khitans were defeated by the Goryeo army. Only General Xiao and few remaining survivors managed to escape from the devastating defeat. This battle is known as the

Battle of Gwiju. General Kang returned to the capital and was welcomed as the military hero who saved the kingdom. After the war, in 1020, Kang retired from both the military and the government to rest, since he was too old, already having become a national hero. He was appointed as Supreme Chancellor in 1030, one year before his death.[1] He died in 1031 on the 20th day of the 8th lunar month (9 September 1031). He was buried in modern-day Cheongju
, South Korea.

Legacy

General Kang's overwhelming victories in the battles of Kwiju and Heunghwajin are often compared with the victories of General

Hansan and Myeongnyang
, which, like Kang's battles, overcame disadvantages and successfully defended the country. Of course, Kang is regarded as one of the greatest military commanders in Korean history, along with General Eulji and Admiral Yi, even though Kang was never trained as a soldier like Eulji or Yi.

Following his victories in the

Jin dynasty
. The Song dynasty got the least benefit from the peace, and secretly encouraged the Jurchens to attack Liao, but after the fall of the Khitans, the Jurchens turned on Song and took over its capital, forcing the Chinese to flee southward. The victories of General Kang thus marked the ending point of the chain of wars between countries and was the beginning of a triangle diplomacy (Goryeo, Liao, Song), setting the scene for the ascendance of the Jurchens.

Kang's shrine, called

Anguksa, stands today in Sadang-dong, Gwanak District
, Seoul.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ In the Korean calendar (lunisolar), he was born on 19 November 948 and died on 20 August 1031.

References

  1. ^ a b 강감찬(姜邯贊). Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean). Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  2. ^ Lee, Kyung-ho (February 20, 2023). [단독]최수종, '고려거란전쟁'서 강감찬 된다..KBS 대하사극 귀환! [[Exclusive] Choi Soo-jong becomes Gang Gam-chan in 'Goryeo–Khitan War'...Return to KBS epic historical drama!] (in Korean). MT Star News. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 29, 2023 – via Naver.
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