Establishment of Wiman Joseon

Overview

The establishment of Wiman Joseon was the event in which Wiman (衛滿), who had fled from the former territory of Yan (燕), drove out King Jun (準王) of Gojoseon and took the throne. Gojoseon from that time until its fall in 108 BCE is commonly called Wiman Joseon. Wiman kept the name of the state as "Joseon," and its capital was Wanghyeom Fortress (王險城, Wanggeomseong).

The exact year of the usurpation is not recorded in the sources. The Records of the Grand Historian (『사기』) Biography of Joseon places it in the reigns of Emperor Hui of Han and Empress Lü (194–180 BCE), while Wiman's flight took place around 195 BCE, when Lu Guan fled to the Xiongnu. This document follows the common view and dates it to 194 BCE.

Background

The chaos of the late Qin period and the Chu–Han War led tens of thousands of people from the regions of Yan, Qi, and Zhao to flow into Gojoseon, and King Jun settled them in the western frontier (Weilüe, 『위략』). After Han reunified China, Gojoseon and Han took the Paesu (浿水) River as their boundary. After 206 BCE, Emperor Gao of Han enfeoffed his confidant Lu Guan as King of Yan, but when Lu Guan rebelled against Han and fled to the Xiongnu (195 BCE), the Yan region fell into disorder.

Course of Events

Flight

According to the Records of the Grand Historian, Wiman gathered over a thousand followers, wore his hair in a topknot and dressed in barbarian clothing, and went east out of the border fortress, crossed the Paesu River, and stayed in Sanghajang (上下鄣), the empty former Qin territory. The Weilüe records that Wiman asked King Jun to let him live in the western border region, and promised to gather Chinese refugees and serve as a barrier for Joseon. It says that King Jun trusted him, made him a Doctor (博士), bestowed a jade insignia (圭) on him, and gave him a territory of 100 li, so that he could guard the western frontier.

Coup

Wiman gathered refugees and built up his strength. According to the Weilüe, he sent people to falsely report that "Han troops are invading along ten routes," and then, claiming he would protect the king, entered the capital and instead attacked King Jun. King Jun fought against Wiman but could not withstand him.

King Jun's Southward Flight

The Dongyi Biography in the Records of the Three Kingdoms (『삼국지』 위서 동이전) states that King Jun fled by sea with his close followers and palace women, settled in the land of Han, and called himself King of Han (韓王). The Weilüe adds that among his descendants and relatives who remained in Gojoseon, some used the surname Han (韓氏). King Jun's southward flight is often discussed in connection with the formation of the society.