Koryo Period

In 932 Wang Kon, a powerful clan leader, succeeded in overthrowing the Silla government and establishing the Koryo kingdom, giving the country its name. Under Wang and his successors, the power of the king was strengthened and the government bureaucracy was built up. Stability allowed Korea to grow prosperous and the arts to develop. By the 12th century, however, political disunity among the ruling classes led to revolts against the Koryo kings. For more than a century the country was ruled by warlords, and there was incessant civil war among rival warlord armies. In 1231 the Mongols invaded Korea and made the Koryo king a vassal.