Transitions of dynasties

By Mark Peterson

After a diversion for two weeks to respond culturally to the "Parasite phenomenon" I want to return to the theme of "Peaceful Korea." My point is that peace is deeply inherent to Korean culture. After all, the common greeting is "Annyeonghashimnikka (Are you at peace)?"

Recent history may not speak of a peaceful tradition, but I want to look at transitions from dynasty to dynasty. One might argue that the 20th century was not marked with peaceful transitions ― and that's true. But my argument is that the long history of Korea describes the deep-seated character of Korean culture. I want to look at historic transitions from dynasty to dynasty, and here we see something unlike that seen in any other country.

In my Top 10 of Peaceful Korean History, today's article is #2. Previously, I wrote about #1, the longest dynasties in the world.

Let's start with the transition from Gaya (47-562) to Silla (57 B.C. ― 935). Before Silla conquered Baekje and Goguryeo and dominated the peninsula in 668, it absorbed Gaya. I use the word "absorb" because the royalty of Gaya ended up as part of the royalty of Silla. The most striking piece of evidence is the case of Kim Yu-sin, the general that led the unification. He was the great grandson of the last Gaya king, the one who surrendered to Silla. But the royal line of Gaya ended up intermarrying with the royal line of Silla. Kim Yu-sin's sister married the king, for example. This was in a society marked with strict hierarchy, with a "holy bone" class at the top, followed by "true bone" then six levels of "head ranks" and finally, commoners and then slaves at the bottom.

When Silla fell in 935, it was during the "Later Three Kingdom's Period" ― a resurgence of the three kingdoms. It's amazing that the dynasties destroyed over two centuries earlier were still "present" in some degree. In that era of warfare, Goryeo (918-1392) acted as an ally and protector of Silla against Later Baekje. Later Baekje was utterly destroyed ― the exception to the rule I'm proposing of peaceful transitions ― such that none of the eight elite clans of Baekje survived on the peninsula (although forms of those names show up in China and Japan, with whom Baekje had alliances and where the elite escaped).

Goryeo, on the other hand, became the heir to Silla. Silla aristocrats moved from Gyeongju to Gaeseong to support the new dynasty. Those elite included Silla clans bearing names of Kim, Pak, Yi, Choe, Jeong, Pae, and Song ― common names in Korea today. No, dominant names in Korea today! This will be addressed in #10, later.

The fall of Goryeo was remarkable in its own way. Goryeo, weakened by its royal intermarriage with the Mongol Yuan dynasty when the Yuan fell, found itself divided: supporting the remnant of the Yuan or supporting the new Ming dynasty of China. The weak king, urged by general Choe Yeong, sent his rival general, Yi Seonggye, off to fight the Ming. However, General Yi, on Wihwa Island, in the middle of the Yalu River, decided to return to Gaeseong and take over the government, setting up the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910). Basically, it was a dynastic takeover hardly firing a shot. He did kill Gen. Choe. He did go after one branch of the royal Wang family, and some named Wang changed their names by adding a stroke or two to become Ok, or Jeon, or Kim, to escape. But others named Wang survived and served the new King.

Three remarkably peaceful transitions: Gaya to Silla to Goryeo to Joseon. Most dynastic transitions are marked with years and years of warfare and thousands and thousands of deaths. Not in "Peaceful Korea."

Mark Peterson (markpeterson@byu.edu) is professor emeritus of Korean, Asian and Near Eastern languages at Brigham Young University in Utah.

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