Yeong-yang of Goguryeo

Yeongyang of Goguryeo
Hangul	영양왕 or 평양왕
Hanja	嬰陽王 or 平陽王
Revised Romanization	Yeong-yang-wang or Pyeong-yang-wang
McCune–Reischauer	Yŏng-yang-wang or P'yǒng-yang-wang
Birth name
Hangul	원 or 대원
Hanja	元 or 大元
Revised Romanization	Won or Daewon
McCune–Reischauer	Wǒn or Taewǒn

Monarchs of Korea Goguryeo

Chumo 37–19 BCE Yuri 19 BCE–18 CE Daemusin 18–44 Minjung 44–48 Mobon 48–53 Taejodae 53–146 Chadae 146–165 Sindae 165–179 Gogukcheon 179–197 Sansang 197–227 Dongcheon 227–248 Jungcheon 248–270 Seocheon 270–292 Bongsang 292–300 Micheon 300–331 Gogugwon 331–371 Sosurim 371–384 Gogugyang 384–391 Gwanggaeto the Great 391–413 Jangsu 413–490 Munja 491–519 Anjang 519–531 Anwon 531–545 Yangwon 545–559 Pyeongwon 559–590 Yeongyang 590–618 Yeongnyu 618–642 Bojang 642–668

Yeongyang of Goguryeo (died 618) (r. 590–618) was the 26th monarch of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the eldest son of Pyeongwon of Goguryeo (r. 559–590).

He is noted for repelling a series of invasions by the Chinese Sui Dynasty between 598 to 614, known as the Goguryeo-Sui Wars. He fended off four Sui campaigns by Emperors Wendi and Yangdi, including the great assault of 612, during which more than a million troops invaded Goguryeo territory.

The Samguk Sagi relates that Yeongyang was of unsurpassed charisma and had a magnanimous character, and "made it his undertaking to relieve the sufferings of the world and bring peace to the people". He was named Crown Prince by his father in 566, and he assumed the throne when the monarch died in 590.

Yeongyang's reign took place in the context of heightened rivalry among the Korean Three Kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, as well as the unification of China by the Sui and China's growing ambitions. Initially Yeongyang enjoyed cordial relations with Sui, receiving from the Sui emperor Wendi his enfeoffment as king of Goguryeo and attendant "offices and ranks" by tradition granted by Chinese dynasties to tribute monarchs. At the same time, Yeongyang strengthened relations with the Khitan and Mohe tribes to the north, in the preparations for war against China begun by his father.

In 598 however the Wendi grew incensed by a Goguryeo armed incursion into the Liaodong peninsula, a region claimed by Sui. It was largely this affront, combined with Sui's own geopolitical ambitions to reestablish the hegemony enjoyed by the Han Dynasty, that induced Wendi to launch a 300,000-men invasion of Goguryeo in 598. The 598 Sui invasion was foiled by disease and the weather (a severe storm wreaked havoc on the would-be invasion fleet).

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