Wiman Joseon (194 - 108 BC) was the part of the
Gojoseon period (2333 BC - 108 BC) of
Korean history. It began with
Wiman's seizure of the throne from
Gojoseon's King
Jun and ended with the death of
King Ugeo who was a grandson of Wiman.
Wiman is said to have been a general from the state of Yan, who submitted to Gojoseon's King Jun. Jun accepted and appointed Wiman as the commander of the western border region of Gojoseon, where corresponds to the west of Liaoning. Despite the generosity that King Jun had demonstrated, Wiman revolted and destroyed Gojoseon. In 194 BCE, he established Wiman Joseon and decide his capital in Wanggeom-seong (???, ???). Shihchi jijie says that Wanggeom-seong is Pyongyang city[1].
In this period, Wiman Joseon expanded to control a vast territory and became strong economically by controlling trade between China's Han Dynasty and many nations at Manchuria. Emperor Wu of Han was thought that Wiman Joseon increasingly threatened Han China, and Wiman Joseon would ally with the Xiongnu.
Wiman's grandson, King Ugeo (??,??), allowed many exiles from Han China to live in Wiman Joseon, and their numbers of exiles were so significant. In addition, Wiman prevented Jin state from communicating with the Han Dynasty. Thus, in 109 BC, Wudi of China invaded against Wiman Joseon near the Luan River, but Wudi had failed several times to destroyed Wiman Joseon. So, Han Wudi tried to conciliate the princes of Wiman Joseon to kill the king Ugeo of Wiman Joseon [2], which was the cause of destruction of the entire Gojoseon. After the war of Han China and Wiman Joseon, Wudi of Han China sentenced the two generals to death for failing the war against Wiman Joseon[2]. For more details of the war between Wiman Joseon and Han China, see the authoritative Chinese history book Shiji (Chapter 115) by Sima Qian.
