Gaero of Baekje

21st King of Baekje Korea (r. 455–475)

Birth name
Gaero of Baekje
Hangul	개로왕, 근개루왕
Hanja	蓋鹵王, 近蓋婁王
Revised Romanization	Gaero-wang, Geungaeru-wang
McCune–Reischauer	Kaero-wang, Kŭn'gaeru-wang
Hangul	경사, 경
Hanja	慶司, 慶
Revised Romanization	Gyeongsa, Gyeong
McCune–Reischauer	Kyŏngsa, Kyŏng

Baekje
Monarchs of Korea
Onjo 18 BCE–28 CE Daru 28–77 Giru 77–128 Gaeru 128–166 Chogo 166–214 Gusu 214–234 Saban 234 Goi 234–286 Chaekgye 286–298 Bunseo 298–304 Biryu 304–344 Gye 344–346 Geunchogo 346–375 Geungusu 375–384 Chimnyu 384–385 Jinsa 385–392 Asin 392–405 Jeonji 405–420 Guisin 420–427 Biyu 427–455 Gaero 455–475 Munju 475–477 Samgeun 477–479 Dongseong 479–501 Muryeong 501–523 Seong 523–554 Wideok 554–598 Hye 598–599 Beop 599–600 Mu 600–641 Uija 641–660
v t e

Gaero of Baekje (?–475, 455–475) was the 21st king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the eldest son of the 20th king Biyu. He died in battle as Baekje's capital in the present-day Seoul region fell to the northern rival kingdom Goguryeo.

Reign

He attempted to strengthen royal control of the aristocracy, by selecting officials from his own Buyeo clan, at the expense of the powerful Hae and Jin clans.

In 469, he ordered a surprise attack in which the city of Cheongmongnyeon (청목령, 靑木嶺 ; near modern Kaesong) was retaken from Goguryeo. In 472, he sent an embassy bearing tribute to Northern Wei requesting support against Goguryeo’s attacks. However, these advances were rebuffed by the Wei court, which tried to avoid war with Goguryeo which had greater military power at the time, while fighting against Southern Dynasties.

In the early 470s, according to the Samguk Sagi, King Jangsu of Goguryeo sent a Buddhist monk named Dorim, who was actually a Goguryeo agent. Dorim used Gaero’s passion for the game of baduk to ingratiate himself, and persuade the king to neglect the country’s defense in favor of public works.^[1]

Fall of the capital

In 475, Jangsu launched an attack with 30,000 men and overran Baekje’s defenses in seven days, taking the Han River valley including the capital. Gaero was taken to Acha Mountain Fortress and slain by two men who had defected to Goguryeo from Baekje. Baekje's ally Silla sent an army of 10,000, but arrived too late.

He was the last to rule Baekje from its historic heartland in the Han River valley. After his death, Hae Gu, of the suppressed Hae clan, led a bloody revolt.

Family

Father: Biyu of Baekje
Mother: unknown
- Queen: unknown
  - Buyeo Modo (扶餘牟都, ?–477) – 22nd King of Baekje, Munju of Baekje.^[2]
  - Buyeo Gonji (餘餘昆支, ?–477) – military commander and father of 24th King of Baekje, Dongseong of Baekje. He was sent to Japan in 461 where he had a son with a Japanese woman.

Popular culture

Portrayed by Lee Ki-young in the 2013 MBC TV series The King's Daughter, Soo Baek-hyang.

References

Content in this article was copied from Samguk Sagi Scroll 23 at the Shoki Wiki, which is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA 3.0) license.

^ Yi, I.-hwa (2006). Korea's Pastimes and Customs: A Social History. Homa & Sekey Books. pp. 4–5. ISBN 978-1-931907-38-5.
^ Chʻa, Yong-gŏl; Ch'a, Yong-gŏl (2007). Mountain Fortresses in Central Inland Korea: Samnyeon Sanseong Mountain Fortress. Korea Fortress Academy. p. 172. ISBN 978-89-961732-1-2.