The Revival of Baekje, King Muryeong

The bust in front of us is that of King Muryeong, the king who ruled Baekje for 22 years in the early 6th century.

During the late 5th century, Baekje’s power had declined and even the king was killed during a war with Goguryeo, the kingdom based in northern Korea. Finally, the capital fell to Goguryeo and Baekje relocated its capital to Gongju. Even after this, the crises faced by Baekje continued unabated. Due to a power struggle between members of the nobility, the new king was also assassinated. In the midst of complete political disarray, King Muryeong ascended the throne.

King Muryeong appointed members of the royal family as local officials and strengthened the authority of the monarchy, thereby reducing the authority of the noble classes. Meanwhile, he engineered irrigation systems and encouraged migrants to farm the newly-reclaimed arable land so that Baekje acquired the largest grain belt on the peninsula. Political stabilization and unparalleled agricultural production were significant factors behind Baekje’s victory in the war with Goguryeo. Furthermore, Baekje enhanced its diplomatic relations with China and exported its advanced culture to Japan. These feats made King Muryeong a great leader who succeeded in reviving Baekje during the early 6th century.

The Royal Tomb of King Muryeong lay untouched and well preserved for some 1,500 years, and was only discovered by chance during the early 20th century. When you look around at the exquisite artifacts excavated from the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong that are on display here, we hope that you will appreciate the mystical beauty of Baekje artwork.