A Study of the Process of Occupying Gongju by Goryeo Taejo Wang Geon

Goryeo Taejo Wang Geon had taken notice of Gongju from very early on. The original names of Gongju in the age of Baekje were Ungcheon, Ungjin, and Gomaseong, which depended on the Geum River for their water supply. All of those place names meant ‘big,’ for which they are believed to have been considered ‘important.’ Even after the collapse of Baekje, Shilla regarded Gongju as important. Gongju was included among the place names that Gyeon Hwon himself referred to before he founded Hubaekje. The place name Gongju mentioned by Gyeon Hwon was the first to appear in extant historical records. Back then, in Gongju, there was a general named Hong Ki as an independent force. In 904, he voluntarily subjugated himself to Gung Ye, but was eliminated during the period from 914 to 917. Gongju, after the elimination of Hong Ki, was turned over to Gyeon Hwon. After that, Gongju was occupied by Lee Heun Am, and then by Gung Ye. In June 918, Wang Geon ousted Gung Ye, founding Goryeo. Immediately following his enthronement, Gongju was turned over to Gyeon Hwon again. In April 927, Wang Geon himself attacked Gongju, only to fail. It was Lee Do, a regional influence based on Jeonui-hyeon (now Jeonui-myeon, Sejong-si), that lent assistance to Wang Geon. He assisted Goryeo soldiers in crossing the Geum River. Wang Geon failed to occupy Gongju by force of arms anyway. Meanwhile, in September 934, Wang Geon won the battle in Unju (now Hongseong-gun). This led to Gongju and its northern regions' surrender. Eventually, in September 936, Wang Geon took all the credit for unifying the Korean peninsula. It was due to the symbolic significance of Gongju as a frontier border, the pivot of the Geum River, and a capital of ancient Baekje that Goryeo and Hubaekje vied fiercely for Gongju. In 940, it was officially named Gongju by Wang Geon. It is impressive enough that Gongju had been considered important, although it had betrayed Wang Geon many times even after the unification wars. The reason was because Gongju, situated at the heart of the Geum River, allowed for greater accessibility to water transport.