King Muryeong, the King who Revived Baekje

Welcome to the Gongju National Museum. In this museum, you can see many diverse artifacts dating from 18 B.C. to 660 A.D. from Baekje, the ancient kingdom that was located in the southwest of the Korean Peninsula. The capital of Baekje was originally located where Seoul is today and Baekje developed around this area. However, from the 5th century, Baekje was in an extremely precarious state. The king of Baekje was killed in a battle with Goguryeo, the kingdom based in the north of the peninsula, whilst fighting for supremacy within East Asia. Baekje was dispossessed of its territory around Seoul and relocated its capital to Gongju. Even after this move, the crisis in Baekje continued and another king was assassinated.

The next king to succeed to the throne was King Muryeong, whose statue we see in front of us. The great King Muryeong was the 25th king of Baekje and ruled from 501 A.D. to 523 A.D. He reinvigorated the kingdom, brought political stability to Baekje, and increased agricultural production. He also improved political relations with China by acting as a conduit between China and Japan and exported advanced Baekje culture to Japan.

King Muryeong’s statue is located here at the entrance to the Gongju National Museum, because the establishment of the museum can be attributed to him.

In 1971, the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong was discovered in Gongju by chance. For over a thousand years after its collapse, few remnants from Baekje had been found due to the destruction of most of its artifacts. It was basically a miracle that the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong was discovered in its entirety. It was only then that the recorded history of this king was uncovered, and the culture of Baekje was understood. King Muryeong, the king who revived Baekje during a time of crisis, returned 1,500 years later to uncover the mysteries of the lost Baekje Kingdom.

Of the 108 types of artifacts and 2,906 items in total that were found in the Royal Tomb of King Muryeong, the Gongju National Museum is exhibiting select pieces from this find, including breathtaking ornate regal jewelry.

How about we take a journey to discover the life and death of Baekje and the breathtaking culture and arts shared with us by King Muryeong?

Don’t miss the prehistoric artifacts from the southwestern region and the Buddhist relics that are also exhibited here at the museum.