Kyŏn Hwŏn (; 867 – 27 September 936, ruled from 892 – March 935) was the king and founder of Later Baekje, one of the Later Three Kingdoms of Korea, and reigned from 892 to 935. Some records render his name as Chin Hwŏn (). He was also the progenitor of the Hwanggan Kyŏn clan. Substantial accounts of his life are preserved in the Samguk sagi, which presents a single narrative, and the Samguk yusa, which presents excerpts about him from various sources.
Background
Records say that Kyŏn Hwŏn was born with the surname Yi, not Kyŏn. Most accounts agree that Kyŏn Hwŏn's father was Ajagae, a farmer and rebel leader surnamed Yi, and that he was born in what is today Gaeun-eup in Mungyeong, South Korea, as the oldest of six children. However, Kyŏn Hwŏn later changed his family name to Kyon. Some argue that he changed his surname to start afresh as the founder of the new state of Later Baekje. Kyŏn Hwŏn is considered the progenitor of the Hwanggan Kyŏn clan. His sons, Sin-gŏm, Yang-gŏm, Yong-gŏm and Kŭm-gang, used the surname Kyŏn (or Chin), not Yi. Ajagae had two wives, Lady Sangwon and Lady Namwon, and Kyŏn Hwŏn was born to his first wife. Legends state that his mother was from Gwangju and gave birth to her firstborn son after having physical contact with a worm disguised as a man, and that Kyŏn Hwŏn grew up drinking the milk of a tiger.
The Silla court of Queen Jinseong was heavily corrupt and embroiled with political confusion. Widespread famine ravaged the country, driving many of the people into rebel forces. Village headmen, and new military forces arose and created power bases all over the country. The government who had tried to implement a forceful taxation plan found itself in the face of rebellions led by bandits, local nobles, and rebel leaders. It was during this time that Kyŏn Hwŏn's father Ajagae led a local peasant revolt and set up base in Sangju.
Early life and founding of Later Baekje
Kyŏn Hwŏn is said to have left home at 15 to join the Silla army and became the commander of Silla forces in the Jeolla region. While his father grabbed power in the Sangju region, he independently marshalled local peasants to his cause, and soon gathered many followers. In 892, Kyŏn Hwŏn seized the cities of Wansanju and Mujinju, taking over the old territory of Baekje and winning the support of the people in the area who were hostile to Silla.
Kyŏn Hwŏn declared himself the king of Later Baekje and established his capital at Wansanju in 900. According to the Samguk Sagi, Kyŏn Hwŏn wanted to avenge Baekje’s destruction by the Silla-Tang allied forces in 660 AD, stating, “Kim Yu-sin of Silla swept through from Hwangsan to Sabi and destroyed Baekje together with the Tang army; so how could I not now establish a capital in Wansan to avenge the long-standing wrath of King Uija?” He established the Later Baekje government, made diplomatic ties with Tang China, and continuously pursued the expansion of his kingdom amidst much conflict with Kung Ye of Later Goguryeo.
Kyŏn Hwŏn sent another major expedition to Taeya Fortress in 920, and continued his offensive southward and planned to siege Chillye Fortress, near modern day Gimhae. This offensive caused King Gyeongmyeong to send an emissary to Koryo, begging for assistance. Then Kyŏn invaded the present-day Andong area, but his troops were defeated by local Silla guards. Kyŏn Hwŏn was forced to make peace with Goryeo after the battle, through a hostage exchange of royal family members. However, when his nephew Chin Ho died in 926, he killed the Goryeo hostage Wang Shin, cousin of Wang Kon, and resumed war against Goryeo.
Decline and fall
Later Baekje and Goryeo were in constant state of hostilities without one being completely dominant over the other. However, in 930, the Later Baekje troops faced a heavy defeat at the Battle of Gochang (present-day Andong) and was unable to recover from the loss. Kyŏn Hwŏn attempted to reverse the current by sacking the Goryeo capital of Gaeseong, but his army suffered another defeat in 934.
Despite this, his descendents through his daughter Lady Kuktae eventually married into the Goryeo royal family. His granddaughters, Queen Munseong and Queen Mungong were wives of Jeongjong of Goryeo.
Diplomacy
Unlike his rival Kung Ye, Kyŏn Hwŏn was active in diplomacy; he was formally confirmed by the Chinese kingdoms of Wuyue and Later Tang as the legitimate ruler of Later Baekje. In addition, he sought an alliance with the newly formed and rising Liao Dynasty in the north, which was founded by the Khitans, in order to surround Goryeo from both north and south, respectively. Kyŏn Hwŏn also sent envoys to Heian Japan during his reign for mainly commercial reasons; the Jeolla region, where Kyŏn Hwŏn began his kingdom, was the center of trade in East Asia during the period and had already served as the base for traders such as Chang Pogo.