12 Facts About Gang Jo

Gang Jo was a Goryeo official, who served under King Mokjong of Goryeo and King Hyeonjong of Goryeo.

Gang Jo was the military commander of Seobukmyeon, the northwest frontier territory on Goryeo's border with the Liao dynasty.

Gang Jo seized power and overthrew Mokjong and installed Hyeonjong as king in his place.

General Gang Jo immediately executed Kim Chi-yang and his supporters.

General Gang Jo set up an ambush on a narrow pass that the Liao army was inevitably going to have to pass.

In one last-ditch effort, the Liao army came attacking once more, but this time, General Gang Jo did not directly orchestrate the attack and played Badok with one of his lieutenants instead, thinking that victory was a given.

However, after hearing the source Gang Jo did not take any measures to defend Khitan force.

General Gang Jo refused to surrender to the Liao Emperor, who in turn executed Gang Jo.

Gang Jo can be compared with his predecessor Yeon Gaesomun of Goguryeo, who had killed a King of Goguryeo for conspiring against him.

Gang Jo was not as brilliant as Yeon Gaesomun, as he was not able to keep control for very long.

Gang Jo did bring great victories to Goryeo over the Liao dynasty, but his death brought about another period of trouble for Goryeo, just as Yeon Gaesomun's death had done to Goguryeo.

Gang Jo can be seen as a smaller-scale version of Yeon Gaesomun.