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We must not presume that there is any gap in history. There could be various historical interpretations but history goes on in the continual process. Nevertheless we often find people who see gaps in the process of history. These misconception in history can be found especially in the moral or ethical evaluation of historical facts. The transitional period of Gungye and Wanggon Regime is good example. This period has been understood as a representative gap in the history of Korea. The simplified recognition that Gungye was a bad king while his deposer Wanggon was a good king has been generally accepted among the Koreans historians. But we must remember that this kind of deformed image of Gungye was created not by his contemporaries but by his later generations. When a king is revolutionary deposed by a new king, almost all the historical facts in the former regime are negated or underestimated. This is exactly what happens in the case of Gungye's government. With this result, Gungye has been estimated as a bad king without any trait of innovation. In fact, however, Gungye was an innovative and aggressive king. Wanggon, who deposed Gungye, adopted and utilized Gungye's original innovative policies. Though these two kings were in extreme confrontation, Wanggon did not always demolish Gungye's policies but he sometimes faithfully followed his political adversary's innovative policies, domestic and foreign. In this respect, we must Wanggon Regime as a continuation of Gungye Regime.


We must not presume that there is any gap in history. There could be various historical interpretations but history goes on in the continual process. Nevertheless we often find people who see gaps in the process of history. These misconception in history can be found especially in the moral or ethical evaluation of historical facts. The transitional period of Gungye and Wanggon Regime is good example. This period has been understood as a representative gap in the history of Korea. The simplified recognition that Gungye was a bad king while his deposer Wanggon was a good king has been generally accepted among the Koreans historians. But we must remember that this kind of deformed image of Gungye was created not by his contemporaries but by his later generations. When a king is revolutionary deposed by a new king, almost all the historical facts in the former regime are negated or underestimated. This is exactly what happens in the case of Gungye's government. With this result, Gungye has been estimated as a bad king without any trait of innovation. In fact, however, Gungye was an innovative and aggressive king. Wanggon, who deposed Gungye, adopted and utilized Gungye's original innovative policies. Though these two kings were in extreme confrontation, Wanggon did not always demolish Gungye's policies but he sometimes faithfully followed his political adversary's innovative policies, domestic and foreign. In this respect, we must Wanggon Regime as a continuation of Gungye Regime.