When Koguryo ruled East Asia

Evolution of Koguryo Tomb Murals

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Ⅱ. Koguryo, An East Asian Hegemon

Yan to its north.

Koguryo's vigorous external activities led to greater

contacts and exchanges with various countries in East Asia

as well as those in Central Asia. They provided an

opportunity to learn from diverse cultures. Eventually

Koguryo developed a unique culture that was both rich and

international.

The prosperity and international status Koguryo enjoyed

then was reflected in the minds of its people. The

inscriptions written on the extant stele at the Tomb of King

Gwanggaeto and the Koguryo Stele discovered in the

Jungwon region clearly demonstrate that the Koguryo

people regarded their kingdom as the center of the world

and took great pride in its position.

5. Changes in the Later Period

Koguryo encountered changes at home and abroad in the

mid-6th century. At home, fierce political infighting over

the throne among the ruling classes erupted and continued.

No single group of aristocrats had a decisive victory, and it

forced the kingdom to resort to a compromise for a

coalition government. This coalition stayed on until near

the end, when Yeon Gaesomun (?-666 CE), a prominent

politician at that time, mobilized military forces, purged

opposition aristocrats, and finally seized power.

Amid the deepening of domestic political crises, Koguryo

also underwent several external crises as well. Taking

advantage of internal political struggles in Koguryo, Baekje

and Shilla launched a joint military offensive in 551 CE. This

attack resulted in Koguryo's loss of much of its territory along

the Han River valley in the middle section of the Korean

peninsula.

Meanwhile, international politics in China were also

undergoing a significant change around that time. The Sui

dynasty, founded in 580 CE, conquered Chen of the

Southern Dynasties in 589 and unified China, which had

suffered from internal division for more than three hundred

years. Having unified the continent, the Sui sought to build

a unitary, Sino-centric international order. First, the Chinese

dynasty conquered the Tujue (the Turks) in the north, and

also took full control over the western region. Then, the Sui

launched four expeditions against Koguryo in the east,

including the one in 612 led by the Sui Emperor Yangdi

himself. Although more than a million troops went on this

offensive, Koguryo eventually defeated the Sui forces.

6. Collapse and Legacy

The Tang dynasty (618-907 CE), which succeeded the

Sui, also launched an offensive campaign against Koguryo

once it secured control over the northern and western

regions. Its aim, like that of the Sui dynasty, was to establish

a Sino-centric international order. Meanwhile, Shilla, which

was oppressed by the attacks of Koguryo and Baekje, formed

a military alliance with the Tang dynasty. The Tang-Shilla

allied forces attempted to reorganize the political order in

East Asia. In 645, Emperor Taizong (r. 627-657) of the Tang

launched a massive offensive against Koguryo. However, the

Tang troops were defeated by Koguryo's successful defense

at Anshi Fortress. 

Prolonged battles led to the gradual attrition of

Koguryo's national strength.

The fall of Baekje in 660 CE

under the joint offensive of

Shilla and Tang meant further

isolation for Koguryo. Having

secured military ground in the

southern part of the Korean

peninsula, the Tang began to

attack Pyeongyang Fortress.

This resulted in Koguryo's

fighting of a two-fronted war,

on northern and southern

fronts. Koguryo's internal

power struggle, which

resurfaced at that time,

significantly undermined its

national strength. Finally in

668, a weakened Koguryo

succumbed to the Shilla-Tang

joint forces when its

Pyeongyang Fortress fell into

their hands. It was then that

Koguryo, the prosperous,

powerful state that occupied the

Korean peninsula and

Manchuria for more than 700

years and flourished with a

highly cultivated culture came

to an end. Its history, people,

and legacies were succeeded by

Balhae and Shilla.

Rubbing of the Inscribed

Stele of King Gwangaeto

Ⅲ.Evolution of Koguryo Tomb Murals

By Jeon Ho-tae (Professor of History and Culture, Ulsan University)

1. First Phase:Aspiration for Prosperous

Afterlife

The evolution of Koguryo's tomb murals can be

discussed in three phases. The first phase covers a period

from the late 3rd century through the early 5th century.

During this period, the territory of the kingdom expanded

greatly. The wall paintings of this phase were drawn on

plastered surfaces inside tombs. By means of painting life

scenes that were then popular, the tumuli were intended to

physically restore or symbolically represent the house of

the deceased during his/her life. Also, inside the tomb, the

framework of a wooden house, including pillars and

crossbeams, was painted in burgundy pigment onto the

corners and the upper parts of surrounding walls to make

the interior look like a house. 

Portraying life scenes, often the achievements of the

tomb occupant during his public life and the prosperity of

his private life, appear prominently in the kingdom's mural

art. It is related to the hope of reviving the life of the

deceased in his/her afterlife. The murals of this stage often

featured scenes of the deceased person or couple, dancing,

singing and enjoying games, with servants serving them,

along with a long procession and those of hunters racing up

and down the mountains and open fields. The figures

appear in enlarged or reduced sizes according to their social

status or the ranks of their official positions, and are

wearing hats, hairdos, and clothes in varying sizes, designs,

and colors (particularly, the sleeves and trousers are

depicted in different lengths and widths).

Among the tumuli with life scenes found in the

Pyeongyang/Anak region, the Anak Tomb No. 3 and the

Deokheungri Tomb are most significant, with their ink

inscriptions still extant. The Anak Tomb No. 3 (357 CE) is

particularly famous for a 10.5-meter painting of a long

procession in the gallery area featuring as many as 250

individuals. The Tokhungri Tomb, dated to 408 CE, has

been known for the wall paintings that depict 13 county

chiefs of Yuju (an administrative area in the northeast of

northern China) bowing to the deceased master, Magistrate

Jin, as well as the murals of 60 constellations, including

Aquila (Altair) and Lyra (Vega), and of mystical and

spiritual images representing the heavenly world.

Of the murals found in the Gungnae region (present-day

Jian City, Jilin Province, China), belonging to the first

Flying apsaras in Jangcheon Tomb No. 1

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