Founding of Baekje

Overview

The founding of Baekje was the event in which the Onjo group, of Buyeo and Goguryeo descent, settled in the Han River basin and established a state. The Samguk sagi Baekje annals record the year as the 3rd year of the Han emperor Chengdi's Hongjia era, that is, 18 BCE. Baekje began as Baekje State (伯濟國), one of the 54 states of Mahan, grew by incorporating surrounding small states, and reached its height in the 4th century under Geunchogo.

The map marker is placed at the Pungnap-dong earthen fortress in Songpa-gu, Seoul, which is strongly estimated to be Hanam Wiryeseong (Hanseong). The dates are the traditional chronology of the Samguk sagi.

Founding Traditions in the Samguk sagi

Onjo founder theory (main text)

When Jumong fled from Buyeo of the north to Jolbon Buyeo, the king of Jolbon Buyeo, who had no sons, gave his second daughter in marriage to Jumong, and Jumong succeeded to the throne. Jumong had two sons, Biryu (沸流) and Onjo. When the son Jumong had fathered while he was in northern Buyeo (Yuri) came and became crown prince, the two brothers, fearing they would not be accepted, left to the south with ten retainers including Ogan and Maryeo, and many people followed them.

They reached Hansan and climbed Mount Buaak to look for a place suitable for habitation. Biryu wished to live by the sea. The ten retainers urged them to make their capital in this land of Hanam, saying, "This land is bounded by the Han River to the north, relies on high mountains to the east, looks over fertile plains to the south, and is blocked by the great sea to the west." Biryu did not listen and divided the people to go to Michuhol (彌鄒忽, present-day Incheon area). Onjo established his capital at Hanam Wiryeseong and, with the assistance of the ten retainers, named the state Sipje (十濟). Michuhol was damp and its water was salty, so it was difficult to live there. Biryu, seeing that Wiryeseong was stable, felt ashamed and died, and his retainers and people all returned to Wiryeseong. Because the people had joyfully followed them when they first came, the name of the state was changed to Baekje (百濟). Since the royal house came out of Buyeo together with Goguryeo, they adopted "Buyeo" as their surname.

Biryu founder theory (annotation)

The Samguk sagi also records another tradition. The founder is King Biryu; his father was Woutae (優台), a secondary son of Haeburu, king of northern Buyeo, and his mother was So Seono (召西奴), daughter of Yeon Tabal of Jolbon. After Woutae died, So Seono remarried Jumong and greatly assisted in the founding of Goguryeo, but when Yuri became crown prince, Biryu, along with his mother and younger brother Onjo, crossed the two rivers Paesu and Daesu and settled in Michuhol.