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The Goguryeo Chronicle

Episode 5: King Gogukcheon’s Reforms

In 194 CE, while the Roman Empire was descending into chaos under Emperor Commodus and China was fragmenting in the Yellow Turban Rebellion’s aftermath, something remarkable happened in the mountains of ancient Korea. King Gogukcheon of Goguryeo implemented what may be Korea’s first state-sponsored welfare system.

It was called the Jindae-beop (賑貸法) – the Relief and Loan Law. The government would lend grain to farmers during the spring famine months and collect repayment after the autumn harvest. Simple? Perhaps. Revolutionary? Absolutely. This wasn’t just charity – it was a calculated political move that would transform Goguryeo from a tribal confederation into a centralized kingdom.

🌍 Western Historical Parallel

While Goguryeo was implementing state welfare in 194 CE, Rome was entering its “Crisis of the Third Century” (235-284 CE) – a period of military anarchy that nearly destroyed the empire. Rome had the “Cura Annonae” (grain dole), but this was limited to Rome itself. England’s Poor Laws wouldn’t appear until 1,400 years later (1601). Korea’s Jindae-beop was remarkably early for institutionalized state welfare.

◆ The Fractured Kingdom

“The king was nine feet tall, with a dignified appearance and extraordinary strength. He listened well to counsel, made wise judgments, and balanced magnanimity with courage.”

– Source: Samguk Sagi (History of the Three Kingdoms), Volume IV

◆ The World in 194 CE

⚔️ The Rebellion of 190 CE

September 190. The palace was tense. Two powerful nobles – Eobiru and Jwagaryeo, both relatives of the queen – had been terrorizing the populace. Their sons kidnapped children, seized lands, confiscated homes. The people’s resentment reached boiling point. When the king moved to punish them, Jwagaryeo raised the Yeonno tribe in open revolt.

The queen’s family rebelled against the king. The capital was besieged. For seven months, Goguryeo’s fate hung in the balance. King Gogukcheon led his personal troops against the rebels. April 191 – the rebellion was crushed. But the king knew this was only the beginning. Structural reform was needed, or the kingdom would tear itself apart.

◆ The Farmer Who Became Prime Minister

After crushing the rebellion, King Gogukcheon made a radical decision. He commanded the four tribes to nominate talent. They recommended Anryu of the Eastern tribe. But Anryu declined, suggesting someone else instead: a farmer named Eulpaso who tilled fields in Jwamul Village, near the Yalu River.

Eulpaso was descended from Minister Eulso of King Yuri’s time, but his father had been dismissed due to factional politics. At age 50+, he was still a farmer – like Cincinnatus called from his plow in Rome, or the legendary Duke of Zhou in ancient China. The king appointed him to a mid-level position. Eulpaso’s response? “This rank is insufficient for what I intend to accomplish.” Impressed by his boldness, the king made him Prime Minister (國相, Guksang).

The court exploded in fury. A farmer as Prime Minister? Royal relatives and established nobles were outraged. King Gogukcheon’s response was chilling: “Anyone who disobeys the Prime Minister will have their entire family executed.” Reform would not be gentle.

October 194 CE: The Birth of Korea’s First Welfare State
July had been cruel – frost killed the crops. By October, people were starving. King Gogukcheon went hunting in Jilyang and encountered a man weeping by the roadside. “Why do you cry?” The man replied: “I am desperately poor. I survived by selling my labor to feed my mother. But this year, there is no work to be found. I cannot earn even a measure of grain.”

The king’s response revealed his governing philosophy: “I am the father of the people. That they have reached this state is my failure.” He gave the man food and clothing, then commanded his officials to seek out and aid widows, orphans, the elderly without family, and the disabled. Most importantly, he instituted the Jindae-beop.

The Relief and Loan Law worked simply: From March to July (the “spring famine” months), the state would lend grain from government warehouses. Distribution was means-tested – larger families received more. In October, after harvest, farmers would repay with modest interest. This wasn’t charity – it was a loan system that prevented farmers from becoming debt slaves to noble moneylenders.

🔍 Historical Significance

📖 Key Terms Explained

Jindae-beop (賑貸法)

Literally “Relief and Loan Law” – Korea’s first state welfare system (194 CE)

Guksang (國相)

Prime Minister or “State Councilor” – highest official below the king

Obu (五部)

Five Tribes system – Goguryeo’s early confederate structure

◆ Lessons for Today’s World

📚 Diving Deeper

• The Jindae-beop continued through Goryeo Dynasty’s Uichang (義倉) and Joseon’s Hwangok (還穀), though Joseon’s version became corrupted into a taxation system by the 19th century
• Eulpaso served as Prime Minister for 12 years until his death in 203 CE, guiding Goguryeo through its centralization process
• King Gogukcheon’s transition to father-son succession (primogeniture) became the standard succession system for Goguryeo royalty

The Voice of Living History

“When my people cry from hunger, it is my failure.” Eighteen centuries later, this ancient king’s confession still resonates. Welfare isn’t charity – it’s the state’s responsibility. Meritocracy isn’t rhetoric – it’s action. Reform isn’t words – it’s political will.

King Gogukcheon’s reforms planted seeds that grew beyond Goguryeo into Korea’s entire historical tradition. History asks: How are we carrying forward that legacy?

The Korean Today “History Lives On” Series
The Goguryeo Chronicle (40 Episodes)
Bridging Ancient East Asia and the Modern World

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