Later Three Kingdoms

Period of Korean history (889–936)

Not to be confused with Three Kingdoms, Three Kingdoms of Korea, or Proto–Three Kingdoms period.

For other uses, see Three Kingdoms (disambiguation).

This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Later Three Kingdoms" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (July 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Later Three Kingdoms
Korean name
Hangul	후삼국시대
Hanja	後三國時代
Revised Romanization	Husamguk Sidae
McCune–Reischauer	Husamguk Sidae

Part of a series on the
History of Korea
Prehistoric period Jeulmun 8000 BC–1500 BC Mumun 1500 BC–300 BC
Ancient period Dangun * Gija * Wiman Jin 4th–2nd century BC Yemaek
Proto–Three Kingdoms period Takri Dongye Buyeo Eastern Galsa Okjeo Samhan Ma Byeon Jin Goguryeo Tamna Four Commanderies of Han
Three Kingdoms period Goguryeo 37 BC–668 AD Baekje 18 BC–660 AD Silla 57 BC–935 AD Gaya confederacy 42–562
United Silla (Unified Silla)	668–935
Balhae	698–926

The Later Three Kingdoms period (889–936 AD) of ancient Korea saw a partial revival of the old three kingdoms which had dominated the peninsula from the 1st century BC to the 7th century AD. After the Unified Silla kingdom had ruled Korea alone from 668 AD, it slowly began to decline and the power vacuum this created led to several rebellious states rising up and taking on the old historical names of Korea's ancient kingdoms. A messy period of alliances and in-fighting followed, but one state would once again establish a dominant position – Goryeo, itself named in homage to the earlier northern Goguryeo kingdom – and form a unified Korean state and a dynasty which would last almost 500 years.

The Fall of Silla

The

The weakness of the central Silla government meant that local warlords and strongmen, always difficult to bring under state control at the best of times, now ruled their own territories as they pleased. Banditry swept across the peninsula, particularly infamous examples being Chongill, Kihwon, Yang Kil, and a group known as the Red Pantaloons (Chokkojok).

Kyŏn Hwŏn and Kung Ye

This period of political turmoil which turned into a free-for-all for control of Korea is referred to as the Later Three Kingdoms period (889-936 AD). Kyŏn Hwŏn (867-936 AD), a peasant leader and Silla army officer, took advantage of the political unrest in 892 AD and made himself military governor of the city of Muju. By 900 AD, Kyŏn became more ambitious and, joining forces with the bandit Yang Kil, formed a revival of the old Baekje (Paekche) kingdom in the south-west portion of the peninsula. He chose Wansan (modern Jeonju) as his capital.

Meanwhile, an aristocratic Buddhist monk leader,

• Silla
• Baekje
• Taebong
• Later Baekje
• Later Sabeol
• Kyŏn Hwŏn
• Kung Ye
• Wang Geon
• Samguk Yusa
• Three Kingdoms of Korea
• List of monarchs of Korea
• Taejo of Goryeo
• Taejo Wang Geon (TV series)
• Tomb of King Wanggon
• Family tree of the Goryeo kings
• Silla monarchs family tree