Goryeo

Goryeo, also spelled Koryŏ, was a Korean dynasty that ruled the Korean Peninsula from 918 to 1392. The name Goryeo derives from Goguryeo, an ancient Korean kingdom, and from which the modern name Korea originates. It was founded by Wang Geon, who became Taejo of Goryeo, following the unification of the Later Three Kingdoms on the peninsula.

Goryeo established a centralized monarchy and a hereditary aristocracy tied to the bone-rank system. The gwageo civil service examinations were used to recruit officials, but real power repeatedly rested with leading noble families and court factions. The capital was Gaegyeong, in the northwest, where the royal palace and major temples centered political life. Buddhism received official support and shaped culture and ritual.

The period produced major cultural developments, including Buddhist art and literature. The Tripitaka Koreana, a comprehensive set of Buddhist scriptures carved on wooden blocks, was produced in the 13th century and kept at the Haeinsa temple. The dynasty also fostered advances in printing, metallurgy, and shipbuilding, and maintained close diplomatic and trade ties with neighboring states such as Song China and later the Yuan.

In the 13th century Goryeo faced repeated Mongol invasions and eventually became a Mongol tributary state. Internal strife and factional struggles weakened royal authority. In 1392 Yi Seong-gye overthrew the last king and established the Joseon Dynasty, bringing the Goryeo era to an end. The name Korea and several cultural legacies—such as the Tripitaka Koreana—trace back to Goryeo.