Who they were
The founder of Goryeo, posthumously honored as King Taejo. Born into a maritime-merchant family of Kaesong, he rose as a general under the rebel king Gungye, whom disaffected commanders replaced with Wang Geon in 918.
What they did
He treated rivals with famous conciliation: he accepted the peaceful surrender of the last Silla king in 935, defeated Later Baekje in 936, and reunified the peninsula. He bound powerful regional families to the throne through marriage alliances — tradition counts 29 consorts. The “Ten Injunctions” attributed to him counseled his heirs on statecraft and Buddhism, though their authenticity is debated.
Legacy
Goryeo, the dynasty he founded, gave Korea its name and five centuries of statehood.