Munjamyeong of Goguryeo

Munjamyeong of Goguryeo
Hangul	문자명왕 or 명치호왕
Hanja	文咨明王 or 明治好王
Revised Romanization	Munja-myeong-wang or Myeongchiho-wang
McCune–Reischauer	Munja-myŏng-wang or Myŏngch'iho-wang
Birth name
Hangul	나운
Hanja	羅運
Revised Romanization	Naun
McCune–Reischauer	Naun

Monarchs of Korea Goguryeo

Dongmyeong 37-19 BCE Yuri 19 BCE-18 CE Daemusin 18-44 Minjung 44-48 Mobon 48-53 Taejo 53-146 Chadae 146-165 Sindae 165-179 Gogukcheon 179-197 Sansang 197-227 Dongcheon 227-248 Jungcheon 248-270 Seocheon 270-292 Bongsang 292-300 Micheon 300-331 Gogug-won 331-371 Sosurim 371-384 Gogug-yang 384-391 Gwanggaeto the Great 391-413 Jangsu 413-490 Munja 491-519 Anjang 519-531 An-won 531-545 Yang-won 545-559 Pyeong-won 559-590 Yeong-yang 590-618 Yeong-nyu 618-642 Bojang 642-668

King Munja of Goguryeo (died 519) (r. 491–519) was the 21st monarch of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. He was the grandson of King Jangsu (413–490). Though Munja's father Gochudaega Joda (고추대가 조다, 古鄒大加 助多) had been named Crown Prince by King Jangsu, Joda died before assuming the throne.

By the time Munja assumed the throne in 491, Goguryeo had relocated its capital from the area around modern Ji'an along the upper Yalu River to P'yongyang (the modern capital of North Korea). This move came in the context of heightened rivalries with the other two of the Three Kingdoms, the then-allied Silla and Baekje.

Munja nurtured close relations with the various petty Chinese dynasties that had emerged following the fall of the Han, notably the Wei, Qi, and Liang, accepting feudal titles from them, while continuing a policy of aggressive confrontation with both Baekje and Silla to its south.

The 12th century Korean history the Samguk Sagi (Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms) relates that the remnants of the Buyeo state submitted to Goguryeo in 494 after their defeat by the Malgal. By the early 6th century Goguryeo under Munjamyeong was feeling the pressure of Malgal, Silla and Baekje aggression.

In 498, he constructed the Buddhist temple Geumgangsa.

Munjamyeong was succeeded by his eldest son Anjang.

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• History of Korea
• Three Kingdoms of Korea
• List of Korean monarchs