34 Facts About Choe Chung-heon

Choe Chung-heon was a military ruler of Korea during the Goryeo period.

Choe Chung-heon witnessed military men become all-powerful in the quick succession of military leaders who deposed one another.

Choe Chung-heon plotted against the long-standing Council of Generals, feigning fealty to the newly promoted supreme general and council head, a slave's son, Yi Ui-min.

Choe Chung-heon established a new military-style regime that he did not have full power over but was eventually successful.

Choe Chung-heon became Prime Minister of the State and Royal Protector, seeing the abdication of 4 kings, 3 rebellions, and numerous attempts on his life.

Choe Chung-heon was born in 1149, the son of Supreme General Choe Won-ho and his wife, Lady Yu.

Choe Chung-heon is thought to have been born in Gaeseong or Gyeongju.

Choe Chung-heon was descended from the famous Confucian scholar Choe Chi-won, who lived in the North South States Period and was the ancestor of the Gyeongju Choe clan, but because Choe Won-ho was given the bon-gwan of Ubong, his family split from the Gyeongju Choe clan and became the Ubong Choe clan.

Choe Chung-heon married Lady Song, the daughter of general Song Cheol, and had two sons by her, Choe U and Choe Hyang.

Choe Chung-heon entered the military, like his father, and was a colonel until he reached age 35, when he became a general.

Choe Chung-heon joined the Council of Generals at age 40.

Choe Chung-heon served under the military dictators during the reign of King Myeongjong.

Choe Chung-heon was able to gain the approval of Myeongjong for his killing of Yi.

In 1197, Choe Chung-heon then replaced the weak Myeongjong with King Sinjong, Myeongjong's younger brother.

Choe Chung-heon started to reorganize the government, but Chung-su unseated the Crown Princess and tried to marry his daughter to the Crown Prince.

Choe Chung-heon immediately intervened and a bloody struggle between the Choe brothers ensued.

Choe Chung-heon established a government where he can work with both ministers and military officials to stabilize his regime.

Choe Chung-heon appointed several of his relatives to high government positions to slowly expand his power.

King Sinjong fell ill in 1204 and secretly begged Choe Chung-heon to preserve the kingdom and not overthrow it.

Choe Chung-heon respected this last request from the king and gave the throne to Sinjong's son who became King Huijong.

Choe Chung-heon had been given the ranks of Prime Minister of the State, and Royal Protector, with power equivalent to the kings.

One was led by Pak Jin-jae, Choe Chung-heon's nephew, and the other was a movement to resurrect Silla.

Choe Chung-heon was not able to completely silence the Buddhists, but he did capture the individual Buddhists that were behind a plot to assassinate him.

Choe Chung-heon had witnessed the downfall of Jeong Jung-bu's regime, which was caused partially by the lack of a strong legitimate heir.

Choe Chung-heon's first son, Choe Chung-heon U, was an effective strategist, soldier, and leader.

The second son, Choe Chung-heon Hyang, was an exceptional soldier, but not a very good negotiator or statesman.

Choe Chung-heon was pleased by U's decision and sent his younger son into exile.

Choe Chung-heon announced that he would be succeeded by his son, Woo and that he would retire.

Choe Chung-heon was around 65 years old when he made this announcement, and U was probably in his mid-thirties.

Choe lived peacefully for the remaining seven years of his life, and even got to see his grandson Hang, son of U Choe did regret some of the decisions he made earlier in life, and realized that he had fallen into the power-craze that he had sworn not to fall into.

Choe Chung-heon was the first of the Choe dictators, and he set up the system of rule that the later Choe dictators would use.

When Choe Chung-heon-Hang died, his only son Choe Chung-heon Ui came to power.

The Choe Chung-heon regime ended when Choe Chung-heon Ui was assassinated by one of his lieutenants.

The Choe Chung-heon regime lasted 60 years, during which Goryeo was able to resist the Mongol invasions.