Korea History - The Parhae Kingdom

The Parhae Kingdom

Subsequent to the fall of Koguryo, Tae Cho-yong, a former Koguryo general, formed an army of Koguryo and Malgal (a Tungusic tribe) people, and led a migration to Chinese-controlled territory.  They settled eventually near Jilin in Manchuria, and there founded a state which was at first called Chin, but in 713 was renamed Parhae (Bohai in Chinese). Parhae soon gained control of most of the former Koguryo territory.  The ruling class of Parhae consisted mostly of Koguryo (i.e. Korean) people.  Parhae declared itself the successor to Koguryo, and sometimes called itself Koryoguk (state of Koryo).
Parhae prosperity reached its height in the first half of the ninth century during the reign of King Son.  At that time, Parhae territory extended from the Sungari and Amur rivers in northern Manchuria all the way down to the northern provinces of modern Korea.  Its capital was Tonggyong, in the Jilin area, where the state had originally been founded.
Parhae was to become a victim of the political confusion and violence which accompanied the fall of the Tang Dynasty.  In 926 the Khitan, who later came to dominate much of Manchuria and northern China, conquered Parhae.  Many oft he ruling class, who were mostly Koreans, moved south and joined the newly founded Koryo Dynasty, which replaced Shilla at that time.
While the Manchurian portion of the Parhae territory was lost, the area south of the Amnok (Yalu)- Turman (Tumen) boundary was restored and the people migrated to Korea.