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Goi of Baekje

Goi of Baekje (?-286, r. 234-286) was the 8th king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the second son of the 4th king Gaeru and younger brother of the 5th king Chogo.

Background

Upon the death of the 6th king Gusu, Gusu's eldest son Saban became king, but proved to be too young to rule. Goi dethroned Saban and became king.

Some scholars interpret the Korean records Samguk Sagi and Samguk Yusa to mean that Goi was the younger brother of the mother of King Chogo, implying that he is of the Utae - Biryu lineage, rather than a direct descendent of the traditionally recognized founder Onjo.

The Chinese records Book of Zhou (周書) and Book of Sui (隋書) refer to "Gutae" as the founder of Baekje, and some scholars believe that "Gutae" actually refers to Goi as the true founder of the kingdom.

Reign

Goi is generally credited with centralising the Baekje kingdom, concentrating royal power and laying the foundation of the state structure.

Immediately upon taking the throne, he established a central military office to restrain the independence of regional clans. The Samguk Sagi also records that in 260, he established a central bureaucracy of six ministers, sixteen rank levels, and a code of dress, although the full system may have been completed after his reign (see, e.g., Best (2002)).

In 262, he is said to have established regulations against bribery, requiring corrupt officials to repay three times the amount of the bribe. He also ordered the cultivation of farmlands south of the capital.

Foreign relations

Under Goi's reign, Baekje expanded control of the Han River region and gained permanent ascendancy over the remaining states of the Mahan, a loose confederacy in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. He also attacked the borders of Baekje's eastern rival Silla.

Baekje also changed its defensive posture against the Chinese to an offensive one. Goi attacked the Chinese-controlled Lelang commandery and the Daifang commandery when the Chinese launched an attack against the Han River region to disrupt and prevent Baekje's emerging power. In 246, according to both the Korean Samguk Sagi and the Chinese Wei Zhi, Baekje went to war against Daifang commandery, and the commandery's governor Gong Zun was slain.