samguk

Samguk, literally “Three Kingdoms” in Korean, denotes the historical period on the Korean peninsula when three rival states—Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla—dominated from roughly 57 BCE to 668 CE. The era is characterized by warfare, shifting alliances, and the emergence of distinctive Korean statecraft, culture, and religion that shaped later Korean history.

Goguryeo occupied the northern Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria, rising to become a major regional power under kings such as Gwanggaeto the Great and Jangsu. It built extensive fortifications and rich tomb art, and controlled vital trade routes across the northern frontier. The kingdom declined after sustained conflict with Silla and Tang forces, ending with conquest in 668 CE.

Baekje was centered in the southwest, controlling key river basins and coastal territories. It fostered cultural and technological exchange with China and Japan, contributing advances in art and architecture and helping transmit Buddhism to the peninsula. Baekje fell to the combined Silla-Tang campaign in 660.

Silla, located in the southeast, eventually unified the peninsula with support from Tang China. After victory over Baekje in 660 and Goguryeo in 668, Silla established Unified Silla, a centralized but aristocrat-led state that fostered Buddhist culture and a distinctive Korean administrative tradition.

Key historical sources for the Samguk period include the Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms) by Kim Busik, completed in 1145, and the Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) by Iryeon in the 13th century. Together, they document royal lineages, chronicles of wars, and cultural developments, and remain essential to modern understanding of early Korean history.