Minjung of Goguryeo


King Minjung of Goguryeo was the fourth ruler of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.

Background

According to the Samguk Sagi, he was the younger brother of his predecessor Daemusin, and the fifth and youngest son of Goguryeo's second king Yuri. He became king because of the young age of the crown prince, his nephew and Daemusin's son Hae U.

Reign

Though Minjung did not reign for long, he was able to avoid military conflicts and kept peace through most of the kingdom.
Several natural disasters marked his reign. In the second year of Minjung's reign, a flood occurred in the eastern provinces causing several citizens to lose their homes and starve. Seeing this, Minjung opened up the food storage and distributed food equally amongst all who came.
In the fourth year of his reign, Minjung found a stone grotto in the western region of his kingdom and was said to have rested in it after a long hunt.

Death

In 48, after 5 years of reign, Minjung fell ill and died. On his deathbed, he asked to be buried at the place where he had rested and his subjects fulfilled his wish. He was buried at a stone grotto in Minjung-won, thus he was give the posthumous name, Minjung.