Biography

Early life

Goryeo had been a semi-autonomous vassal state under the overlordship of the Mongol Yuan dynasty since the Mongol invasions of Korea in the 13th century. Starting with King Chungnyeol, prospective rulers of Korea married Mongolian princesses and were customarily sent to the Yuan Court, in effect, as hostages. As per this custom, King Gongmin spent many years in the Yuan court, being sent there in 1341, before ascending the Korean throne. He married a Mongolian princess who became Queen Noguk. The Yuan dynasty began to crumble during the mid-14th century, and was eventually conquered and replaced by the Ming dynasty in 1368.

Reign

With the disintegration of Yuan, which had influenced the Korean peninsula since the Mongol invasion of Korea of 1238, King Gongmin began efforts to reform Goryeo government. His first act was to remove all pro-Mongol aristocrats and military officers from their positions. These deposed people formed a dissident faction which plotted an unsuccessful coup against the king. High official Jo Il-shin even tried to take over the government, but this rebellion was put down by general Choi Young.

During the Mongol invasions of Korea, between the 1250s and the 1270s, the Mongols had annexed the northern provinces of Korea and incorporated them into their empire as Ssangseong (쌍성총관부, 双城总管府) and Dongnyeong Prefectures (동녕부, 东宁府). In 1356, the Goryeo army retook these provinces partly thanks to the defection of Yi Ja-chun, a minor Korean official in the service of the Mongols in Ssangseong, and his son, Yi Seong-gye. In addition, Generals Yi Seong-gye and Ji Yongsu led a campaign into Liaoyang.

Another issue was the question of land holdings. The land-grant system had broken down, and Mongol-favoured officials, along with a handful of landed gentry, owned the vast majority of agricultural land, which was worked by tenant farmers and bondsmen. However, King Gongmin's attempt at land reform was met with opposition and subterfuge from those officials who were supposed to implement his reforms, as they were landowners themselves.

The Wokou were also a problem encountered during King Gongmin's reign. The Wokou had been troubling the peninsula for some time and had become well-organized military marauders raiding deep into the country, rather than the "hit-and-run" bandits they started as. Generals Choi Young and Yi Seong-gye were called upon by King Gongmin to combat them.

Additionally, King Gongmin grappled with the Red Turban troops, who invaded Goryeo twice during his reign (first in 1359 and again in 1361). In 1361, the Red Turban troops occupied Kaesong for a short period of time. After Kaesong was recaptured by Generals Choe Yeong, Yi Seong-gye, Jeong Seun, and Yi Bang-sil, few Red Turban troops managed to escape with their lives.

During the reign of King Gongmin, a Goryeo diplomat, Mun Ik-jeom, stationed in China managed to smuggle cotton seeds into Goryeo, introducing them to the Korean peninsula for the first time.

Although the relationship between Queen Noguk and the king was very close, they failed to conceive an heir for many years. Despite suggestions of taking a second wife, King Gongmin ignored these requests. The king was also known to have entered into pederastic relationships with several court catamites, or chajewi, and the names of five of these are recorded as: Hong Yun, Han An, Kwon Chin, Hong Kwan, and No Son. Queen Noguk became pregnant but died from complications with childbirth in 1365. Her death led to King Gongmin's depression and mental instability. King Gongmin became indifferent to politics and entrusted the great tasks of state to Pyeonjo, a Buddhist monk who was born as the son of a princess and a slave. Judging him as clever, King Gongmin renamed Pyeonjo as Shin Don. Having the full confidence of King Gongmin, Shin Don tried to reform the society of Goryeo. In 1365, King Gongmin gave Pyeonjo the nickname "Cheonghan Geosa" and the noble title of Jinpyeonghu (Chinpyŏng Marquess). After six years, Shin Don lost his position, and King Gongmin had him executed in 1371. During his visits, the king had grown close to one of Shin Don's servants, Banya, whom he had a son named Monino with in 1365. After Shin Don's death, the boy was proclaimed heir apparent and it was claimed that his mother was a deceased palace maid.

Goryeo's entrenched bureaucracy never forgave King Gongmin for his reform efforts. They interpreted his policy of cutting all ties with the Yuan and establishing relations with Ming China as a direct threat to their status and feared that further attempts at reform might yet be made. Kaesong's deposed pro-Mongol faction battled to protect its position and hoped to renew ties with the Mongols who had helped them gain and hold their wealth in the first place.

Death

Some time before his death, King Gongmin found out that one of his concubines had an affair with a young man named Hong Ryun (홍륜), which led to King Gongmin's anger. Before King Gongmin could kill him, Hong Ryun and Choe Man-saeng (최만생) killed the King in his sleep in 1374.

After his death, a high official Yi In-im assumed the helm of the government and enthroned eleven-year-old, King U.

As an artist

King Gongmin was well known for his artistic skills, and he is referred to as one of the best artists of the Goryeo period. He was also well known for his calligraphy works.

Example of his works are:

• "Painting of A Hunt in the Mountains of Heaven" 《天山大猎图 (천산대렵도 Cheonsan Daeryeop Do)》

• "Painting of Two Sheep" 《二羊图 (이양도 I Yang Do)》

• "Portrait of Princess Noguk" 《鲁国大长公主真 (노국대장공주진 Noguk Daejang Gongju Jin)》

• "Portrait of Yeom Je-shin 《廉悌臣象 (염제신상 Yeom Je-shin Sang)》, 1370's

• "Portrait of Sohn Hong-ryang" 《孙洪亮象 (손홍량상 Sohn Hong-ryang Sang)》

• "Portrait of Śākyamuni's Leaving Mountain" 《释迦出山像 (석가출산상 Seokga Chulsan Sang)》

• "Landscape of Epang Palace" 《阿房宫图 (아방궁도 Ahbanggung Do)》

• "Landscape of Hyeonreung" 《玄陵山水图 (현릉산수도 Hyeonreung Sansu Do)》

• "Portrait of Bodhidharma Crossing a River with a Broken Branch" 《达磨折芦渡江图 (달마절로도강도 Dalma Jeollo Dogang Do)》

• Dongjabohyeon Yugabaeksang Do《童子普贤六牙白象图 (동자보현육아백상도)》

File:Cheonsandaeryeopdo.jpg|Cheonsan Daeryeop Do, "Portrait of A Hunt in the Mountains of Heaven".

File:고려 공민왕작 염제신 상.jpg|Yeon Je-shin's Portrait, painted by King Gongmin around the 1370s.

File:서울 마포 고려 공민왕 내외 영정.jpg|King Gongmin and Queen Noguk

Family

• Father: King Chungsuk of Goryeo (30 July 1294 – 3 May 1339) (고려 충숙왕)

　• Grandfather: King Chungseon of Goryeo (20 October 1275 – 23 June 1325) (고려 충선왕)

　• Grandmother: Yasokjin, Consort Ui (? – 18 July 1316) (의비 야속진)

• Mother: Queen Gongwon of the Namyang Hong clan (18 July 1298 – January 1380) (공원왕후 홍씨)

　• Grandfather: Hong Gyu (1242 – 23 June 1316) (홍규)

　• Grandmother: Lady Kim of the Gwangju Kim clan (광주 김씨)

• Consorts:

• Queen Indeok of the Borjigin clan (? – 8 March 1365) (인덕왕후)

• Queen Sunjeong of the Goksan Han clan (? – 1376) (순정왕후 한씨)

• Royal Consort Hye-Bi of the Gyeongju Lee clan (? – 3 February 1408) (혜비 이씨)

• Royal Consort Ik-Bi of the Kaesong Wang clan (익비 왕씨)

• Royal Consort Shin-Bi of the Paju Yeom clan (신비 염씨)

• Royal Consort Jeong-Bi of the Jukju Ahn clan (? – 1428) (정비 안씨)

• Ban-Ya (시비 반야)

• #King U of Goryeo (25 July 1365 – 31 December 1389) (고려 우왕)

Popular depictions

• Portrayed by Im Hyuk in the 1983 KBS TV series Foundation of the Kingdom.

• Portrayed by Jeong Bo-seok in the 2005–2006 MBC TV series Shin Don.

• Portrayed by Joo Jin-mo in the 2008 film A Frozen Flower.

• Portrayed by Ryu Deok-hwan in the 2012 SBS TV series Faith.

• Portrayed by Ryu Tae-joon in the 2012–2013 SBS TV series The Great Seer.

• Portrayed by Kim Myeong-su in the 2014 KBS TV series Jeong Do-jeon

生平

高丽忠肃王十七年（1330年）五月生，封江陵大君。高丽忠惠王后二年（1341年），元顺帝召入京师宿卫，称「大元子」，在大都作为人质生活了10年。高丽忠穆王即位，封为江陵府院大君。忠穆薨，国人欲立他，元朝让忠定王袭位，仍留他宿卫。高丽忠定王元年（1349年），尹泽、李承老献书元朝中书省请立他为王。同年迎娶元朝鲁国大长公主宝塔失里。高丽忠定王三年（1351年）十月，被元顺帝封为高丽国王，高丽忠定王被迫退位。他回国。上台不久，各地就被倭寇侵扰。

高丽恭愍王元年（1352年），判三司事赵日新作乱，被诛。同年大量倭寇进犯高丽，王京大震，境内骚然。此后各地倭寇不绝。恭愍王下令禁止高丽人作蒙古族打扮。

1354年八月脱脱奉诏讨张士诚，徵兵高丽，恭愍王为缓和与元朝的矛盾，派柳濯、廉悌臣、权谦、元颢、罗英杰、印璫、金镛、李权、康允忠、郑世云、黄裳、崔莹、李芳实、安佑等率两万三千人助战。

高丽恭愍王五年（1356年），大司徒奇辙谋反，被诛。奇辙为元顺帝奇皇后之兄，挟威震主，被恭愍王夷族。同年以评理印璫，同知密直司事姜仲卿为西北面兵马使，司尹辛王旬、俞洪，前大护军崔莹、前副正崔夫介为副使，率军攻鸭绿江以西八站。六月癸丑，引兵渡鸭绿江攻婆娑府等三站破之。一度停用至正年号，又遣枢密院副使柳仁雨攻取元朝双城总管府，并收降元朝斡东千户所千户李子春（蒙古名吾鲁思不花）。吾鲁思不花之子李成桂，后来成为高丽名将，建立朝鲜王朝。高丽攻占「和、登、定、长、预、高、文、宜及宣德、宁仁、辉德、静边等镇。」至此，1258年后归属元朝的部分土地被高丽收回。高丽又继续北进，攻占曷懒甸之战时设立的咸州，即元之合兰府（今咸镜南道咸兴）至三散（今咸镜南道北青）的土地，势力达至伊板岭（即朝鲜摩天岭）。

高丽恭愍王八年（1359年），元朝红巾军侵略高丽，攻陷西京平壤，遣平章事李承庆为都元帅，拒之。次年，红巾军被击败，退回鸭绿江。高丽恭愍王十年（1361年），红巾军再次入侵，遣枢密院副使李芳实为西北面都指挥使，拒之。红巾军逼近京畿，高丽恭愍王南逃福州，开城陷落。次年，以参政郑世云为总兵官，督诸军进攻盘踞开京（今朝鲜民主主义人民共和国开城）的红巾军。红巾军大败，逃出高丽。同年，元朝辽阳行省丞相纳哈出意图收复三散、忽面等地，被东北面上万户李成桂击败。高丽恭愍王十二年（1363年），还都开城。六月平泽县暴乱。年底元顺帝下诏废恭愍王的王位，立忠宣王三子德兴君王譓塔思帖木儿为高丽国王，奇三宝奴为太子，命令发辽阳行省兵渡鸭绿江，与当年崔荣战胜残留在济州岛、平壤等地的元朝军队送塔思帖木儿去高丽即位。

高丽恭愍王十三年（1364年）正月，崔濡、塔思帖木儿率一万军队围义州，恭愍王以赞成事崔莹为西北面都巡慰使，败之。十月，元顺帝朝遣翰林学士承旨奇田龙诏恭愍王复位。送崔濡于高丽，崔濡十一月被杀。次年，鲁国大长公主宝塔失里难产死。

高丽恭愍王十五年（1366年），遣使至元朝，表请改名王颛，开始信用僧人辛旽。大兴土木，祭奠鲁国大长公主。

高丽恭愍王十七年（1368年），吴王朱元璋在应天府即皇帝位，定国号「大明」，建元「洪武」，遣征虏大将军徐达、副将军常遇春攻破大都，元顺帝北逃上都。次年，明太祖赐书恭愍王，恭愍王停用元朝年号，遣礼部尚书洪尚载、监门卫上护军李夏生奉表进贺；并遣奉翊大夫、密直副使李成桂为东北面元帅，进攻北元东宁府，以示忠诚。

高丽恭愍王十九年（1370年），明太祖遣尚宝司丞偰斯封恭愍王为高丽国王：「咨尔高丽国王王颛：世守朝鲜，绍前王之令绪；恪遵华夏，为东土之名藩。当四方之既平，尝专使而往报；即陈表贡，备悉忠诚。良由素习于文风，斯克谨修于臣职，允宜嘉尚，是用褒崇。今遣使赍印，仍封尔为高丽王，凡仪制服用许从本俗。于戏！保民社而袭封，式遵典礼，传子孙于永世，作镇边陲，其服训辞，益绥福履！」并另赐书告诫恭愍王不要太过崇佛，「国之大事，在祀与戎」，「今胡运既终，沙塞之民非一时可统，而朕兵未至辽渖，其间或有狂暴者出，不为中国患恐为高丽之扰。况倭奴出入海盗十有馀年，王之虚实岂不周知？皆不可不虑也。」恭愍王遣三司左使姜师赞上表谢恩，缴还元朝颁赐的高丽国王之印，并要求收回耽罗，以当地蒙古人为高丽百姓。同年，再遣李成桂出击东宁府。

高丽恭愍王二十年（1371年），流放辛旽，杀之。明太祖将陈友谅之子归德侯陈理、明玉珍之子归义侯明升迁居高丽。元朝辽阳行省平章刘益及王右丞以金、复、海、盖等州降于高丽。十月，高丽兵陷五老山寨，枢密副使哈利不花被俘。次年二月，北元派伯都帖木儿、玉山不花到高丽，以玺书赐高丽王：「顷因兵乱，迁于北。今以扩廓帖木儿为相，几于中兴。王亦世祖之孙也，宜助朕复正天下。」恭愍王欲杀北元使者，群臣阻拦。于是恭愍王在夜里会见伯都帖木儿，说自己有眼病，实际是防止明朝知道，恭愍王向北元献苎布。

高丽恭愍王二十三年（1374年），明太祖遣礼部主事林密携中书省文谘至高丽取马：「钦奉圣旨：『我想高丽国已先，元朝曾有马二三万留在耽罗牧养，孳生尽多，中书省差人将文书去与高丽国王说得知道，教他将好马拣选二千匹送来。』恭愍王遣门下评理韩邦彦前往耽罗取马，侨居当地牧马的蒙古人只同意送三百匹。林密等对恭愍王说：「济州马不满二千数，则帝必戮吾辈，请今日受罪于王。」恭愍王无以对，于是以门下赞成事崔莹为杨广、全罗、庆尚道都统使，将兵讨之，得胜而还。同年，恭愍王被宦官和内侍崔万生等弑杀。一说恭愍王无后，立辛旽之子辛禑为继承人，怕泄露消息，要杀男宠封锁消息，反被男宠杀害。禑王二年（1376年）九月，谥为「仁文义武勇智明烈敬孝大王」；十一年（1385年）九月，明朝赐谥「恭愍」。

性爱好

恭愍王有同性恋倾向。恭愍王最终被男宠所杀。

家庭

妻妾

子

• 江宁大君王禑：恭愍王和奴婢般若所生之子，但被怀疑其父是辛旽，因此也有人称其辛禑。

绘画

恭愍王真迹 天山大猎图

恭愍王酷爱绘画，著有《天山大猎图》、《鲁国公主真》，《释迦出山像》、《廉悌臣像》、《阿房宫图》、《玄陵山水图》、《童子普贤六牙白象图》。

评价

KBS：在高丽王朝，除了开国君主太祖王建以外，最有名的君主恐怕就是恭愍王了。然而，他在相当长的一段时间里，被人们误认为是荒淫无道的君主。恭愍王即位之后所打出的旗帜是「反元改革政策」。他利用元朝衰落的时机，要恢复高丽长期以来被贱踏的自尊心。恭愍王执政的第一年（1352年），他下令禁止了「留辫子」、「穿胡服」等在高丽国内已经流传很广的风俗。他在逐渐排斥亲元势力的同时，又撤除了元朝为了干涉高丽内政而设立的「征东行中书省理问所」，并攻下了「双城总管府」，1370年，命大将李成桂跨过鸭绿江讨伐辽宁。他又任用了开化的僧侣辛旽，将土豪利用权势所占据的土地还给了原农民，解放了奴隶，并实施了一系列其它的改革政策。然而，恭愍王的改革受到保守派的权贵们的强烈反对与元朝施加的强大压力无法得到应有的进展。红巾军的入侵使政局陷入长期的混乱，改革也不得不被终止。支持自己改革的妻子鲁国大长公主于1365年被自己所信任的权臣李仁任毒死而逝世了，恭愍王悲伤欲绝，一心转向佛事。僧侣辛旽被赋予了更高的权力，使得高丽上层社会的权力斗争愈演愈烈。1371年，辛旽被权臣李仁任诬告以叛逆罪处死，1374年，恭愍王也被权臣李仁任所指使的宦官及内侍弑杀，一心想要改革的君主就这样逝世了。恭愍王可以说是高丽王朝最后的一丝希望，而他的死直接促成了高丽的灭亡。他所主张的改革与对鲁国公主的悼念也都从人们的记忆中褪去，留下的只有那改革失败的君主名号。

影视

• 韩国MBC电视剧《辛旽》

• 韩国电影《霜花店》（2009年）中的王是以恭愍王为蓝本的。

• 韩国SBS电视剧《信义》

• 韩国SBS电视剧《大风水》

• 韩国KBS电视剧《郑道传》

• 韩国MBC电视剧《奇皇后》

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