Asin of Baekje

Infobox Korean name
hangul=아신왕, 아방왕, 아화왕
hanja=阿莘王, 阿芳王, 阿花王
rr=Asin-wang, Abang-wang, Ahwa-wang
mr=Asin-wang

Asin of Baekje (?-405, r. 392-405) was the 17th king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.

Background

Buyeo Abang was the eldest son of Baekje's 15th ruler Chimnyu, and ascended to the throne after the death of Chimnyu’s brother, the 16th king Jinsa, of whom he is said to have killed.

Reign

During his reign, Goguryeo forces under King Gwanggaeto the Great steadily pushed into Baekje from the north. Asin appointed his maternal uncle Jin Mu as chief general and ordered him to attack Goguryeo repeatedly in the early 390s, but each attack was defeated. In 395, after a failed attack by Baekje, Goguryeo took Baekje's territory around today's northern Seoul.

Asin sought to strengthen Baekje’s position against Goguryeo, sending his son Jeonji to the Wa kingdom of Japan as a ward and hostage to cement Baekje’s alliance with that country in 397. In 398, according to the "Samguk Sagi", he constructed Ssanghyeon Castle to protect Baekje’s remaining territory north of the Han River. In 399, during another round of conscription for the battles against Goguryeo, many peasants are said to have fled to Silla. In 403 he attacked Silla. Historical records do not show any contacts with China during Asin's rule.

Death

King Asin died during the year 405, and watched desperately as his once-powerful kingdom was falling slowly to its powerful northern neighbor Goguryeo.

References

*cite web|url=http://www.encyber.com/search_w/ctdetail.php?contentno=105270|title=아신왕 (Asin wang)|publisher=Doosan Encyclopedia |language=Korean|accessdate=2006-10-14

ee also

*History of Korea
*List of Korea-related topics