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King Go DAE Jo-Young

In 668, Tang (China) took Koguryo's Pyeongyang Fortress and forced King Bojang and numerous other survivors of the country to migrate. Among those migrants were members of surrounding nations such as Malgal. In a Chinese province of Yeongju (營州) at that time, there were people of various nationalities who had been forced to move in by Tang. Later in the 7th century, nations in East Asia began to resist Tang's indirect control with symbolic practices like throne endorsement and tribute presentation.

Around this time, migrants from Koguryo set about rebuilding Koguryo. In 698 after 30 years of the fall of Koguryo, DAE Jo-young, a former general of Koguryo, led former citizens of Koguryo and people of other neighboring nationalities from Yeongju to Dongmosan(東牟山, Dunhua in Jilin Province of today) where he pronounced the foundation of Balhae initially named 'Jinguk'. It meant their strong desire to tell the whole world that Koguryo had been now restored.

DAE Jo-young laid down newly established Balhae's foundation during his rule from 698 till he died in 719. He was posthumously named 'King Go (高王)'. Soon after the country's foundation, King Go prepared the country in relation to Tang while at the same time pushing for exchanges with surrounding nations, which was shown in its exchanges with Silla. Silla's King Hyoso received Balhae's delegation and awarded a position titled 'Daeachan (大阿飡)' equivalent to the 5th grade position in Silla to King Go. The award of such a lower title should be understood as there was a gap between firmly established Silla and new Balhae in terms of the national status. Recording this event, 《Samguksagi (三國史記, Historical Records of Three Kingdoms)》 describe Balhae as Bukguk (北國, the northern kingdom), becoming one of the bases for calling this period of Balhae and Silla 'the Period of the Southern and Northern Kingdoms'.

The DAE Jo-young warship
DDH 997

Also, the existence of travels and exchanges between the southern and northern kingdoms can be confirmed through the Road to Silla which was built by Balhae along the east coast of Korea for external exchanges with Silla. The exchanges between the southern and northern kingdoms eventually made Tang recognize Balhae as a state in 713, which became the stepping stone for the achievements by King Mu and King Mun for the nation's power and status. After this, Balhae had 15 kings in succession for about 220 years, developing into a state praised as 'The Prosperous Country in the East'.

The image of King Go (DAE Jo-young) seen in the course of Balhae's foundation is the appearance of a leader of those former citizens of Koguryo who completed the diaspora of the people of Koguryo scattered around. In other words, Balhae's foundation can be said as 'the regathering of fore citizens of Koguryo in diaspora'.

East Asia remembers Balhae

As Balhae's territory was stretching over the three northeastern provinces of today's China, the Primorsky Krai of Russia and North Korea, it is no longer possible to claim that Balhae's history belongs to a particular nation. Naturally, Balhae's history has been strongly affected by each country's self-centered perspective, which has resulted in differences among them in their understanding of the history. Nevertheless, Balhae has already become an international subject in East Asia.

In 1998, South and North Korea, China, Russia and Japan celebrated the 1300th anniversary of Balhae's foundation with various events. There were international academic conferences, and an attempt to explore the Balhae's sea route, followed by publications of translated and original books. At that time, Russia even introduced liquor made with ginseng celebrating Balhae's 1300th anniversary. In the case of Korea, a raft named 'Balhae 1300' set about exploring Balhae's sea route, which was later sadly reported during an academic conference to have been stranded. These attempts were various expressions of the southern and northern kingdoms as we endeavored to understand the history in this era of division. 'In Dreaming of Balhae', a song sung by a group 'SEO Tae-ji and the Children', was also an example of the endeavor. About 10 years later, a history drama <DAE Jo-young> caused a sensational Korean drama wave in the world, and East Asian people's efforts to remember DAE Jo-young have continued. Northeast Asian History Foundation held an international academic conference with a theme titled <Balhae and East Asia> in 2008, which attracted international attention to the study of Balhae's history.

Recently, DAE Jo-young is increasingly highlighted. Recently on November 17, Korea Post introduced a special set of stamps commemorating DAE Jo-young. The theme for the issue of the stamps is 'The story of Balhae's foundation illuminated again with stamps'. Through the four sub-topics on Balhae's foundation, the stamp set explains with images that Balhae had the largest territory in Korean history, it succeeded the culture of Koguryo and it achieved 'the Prosperous Country in the East' also adopting the culture of Tang. This was to restore the national status of Balhae.

As a land and sea nation that managed both the continent and the sea, Balhae frequently exchanged delegates with Japan through the East Sea, and on the West Sea showed Balhae's navigation and shipbuilding skills through sea battles and trade with Tang. Having inherited this spirit, the Korean Navy named a warship 'DAE Jo-young' which was deployed to mop up the pirates on the Somali waters recently and raised its reputation.

King Go and Balhae's national status

The special set of stamps issued
by Korea Post to commemorate
DAE Jo-young (2011.11.17)

Let's turn our eyes again to China's northeast region which was administered by Balhae during the time of its rule. Recently, China pushes for preservation of remaining historical sites and developing the sites into parks. China erected a bronze statute of Balhae's King Go (DAE Jo-young) in Sanggyeongseong (Sanggyeong Walled Fortress), a historical site of Balhae and developed Balhae Square in Dongmosan (today's Dunhua), the birth place of Balhae. However, the contents and forms of the erected structures reflect China's understanding of Balhae's history. In their view, Balhae was a government established by a regional minor nation at that time and was Tang's tributary state whose throne used to be endorsed by Tang. In order to reach a consensus in East Asia on the history of Balhae, it is time to look at Balhae's national status as it was and use the title 'King Go'.

It was not just because DAE Jo-young had great leadership and courage that he was able to successfully restore a country with scattered former citizens of Koguryo. It was the fruit of his continuous efforts to unite scattered former citizens of Koguryo for 30 years. After establishing Balhae, he laid the foundation of his country in such a way to become an open nation to get along with all surrounding countries. Now we have to raise the national status of Balhae by calling DAE Jo-young, the founder and first king of Balhae, 'King Go' in line with the fact that Balhae was praised as 'The Prosperous Country in the East' It is because Balhae's King Go has been a symbol of the direction for Korean nation's diaspora since the fall of the country.

Ah! I wish to send messages of our time to the land of Balhae where King Go is, using the stamps that have just been issued.