South Buyeo, Former Baekje, and North Buyeo南扶餘·前百濟·北扶餘

South Buyeo, Former Baekje, and North Buyeo.

North Buyeo has already appeared above.

Buyeo District was the capital of Former Baekje. It is also called Soburi District.

Looking at the Samguk sagi, it says, "In the twenty-sixth year of King Seong of Baekje, the year muo, in spring, the capital was moved to Sabi and the country was named South Buyeo."

The note says, "The name of that land is Soburi. Sabi is the present Goseongjin, and Soburi is another name for Buyeo."

Again, looking at the land survey registers, they say "the field records of Soburi District," so calling it Buyeo District today is a return to the old name.

The kings of Baekje had the surname Bu, and so it was called that.

It is sometimes called Yeoju (餘州) because on the high seat of Jaboksa, west of the district, there is an embroidered curtain, and the embroidered words on it say, "Embroidered curtain of the Gongdeok Great Temple of Yeoju, made on a day of the fifth month of the fifteenth year of Tonghe, the year jeongyu."

Also, long ago a governor of Imju was set up in Hanam, and in the documents of that time the two characters 'Yeoju' appear. Imju is the present Garim District, and Yeoju is the present Buyeo District.

The geography of Baekje says this. The Book of the Later Han says, "The Samhan have seventy-eight states in all, and Baekje is one of them."

The History of the Northern Dynasties says, "Baekje reaches Silla on the east, is bounded by the great sea on the southwest, and touches the Han River on the north. Its district is called Geobuseong, also Gomaseong, and beyond that there are also the fortresses of the five directions."

The Tongdian says, "Baekje touches Silla on the south, is held off by Goguryeo on the north, and is bounded by the great sea on the west."

The Old Book of Tang says, "Baekje is another branch of Buyeo. To the northeast is Silla. Across the sea to the west is Yuezhou. Across the sea to the south one reaches Wa, and to the north is Goguryeo. Where its king lives there are two fortresses, east and west."

The New Book of Tang says, "Baekje borders Yuezhou on the west and Wa on the south, both across the sea, and Goguryeo on the north."

The Basic Annals of the Sagi say this:

"The founder of Baekje, Onjo, had for his father King Chumo, also called Jumong.

Jumong fled from trouble in North Buyeo and came to Jolbon Buyeo. The king of that district had no son, only three daughters. When he saw Jumong he knew he was no ordinary man, and gave him his second daughter as a wife.

Not long after, the king of Buyeo District died, and Jumong succeeded to his seat.

He had two sons. The elder was called Biryu and the younger Onjo.

Fearing that later they would not be accepted by the crown prince, they went south at last with the ministers Ogan, Maryeo, and others, and many of the people followed them.

At last they reached Hansan, climbed Buaak, and looked out for a land fit to live in.

Biryu wished to live by the seashore, but the ten ministers pleaded with him:

'Only this land of Hanam is girded by the Han River on the north, leans on high mountains on the east, looks out on rich marshes on the south, and is blocked by the great sea on the west. Its natural strength and the advantages of its ground are hard to find. Would it not be right to make the capital here?'

Biryu would not listen. He divided the people and went to live at Michuhol.

Onjo made his capital at Wiryeseong in Hanam, took the ten ministers as his helpers, and named the country Sipje (十濟). This was the third year of Hongjia under Emperor Cheng of Han.

At Michuhol the soil was damp and the water salty, and Biryu could not live there in peace.

He came back and looked at Wirye. The capital was settled and the people were at ease, and at last he died of shame and regret.

His ministers and people all came over to Wiryeseong.

Later, because the people had followed gladly when they came, the name was changed to Baekje (百濟).

Since their line came out of Buyeo together with Goguryeo, they took Hae (解) as their surname.

Later, in the time of King Seong, the capital was moved to Sabi, the present Buyeo District."〔Michuhol is Inju, and Wirye is the present Jiksan.〕

Looking at the Gojeongi, it says this:

"Onjo, the third son of King Dongmyeong, came from Jolbon Buyeo to Wiryeseong in the third year of Hongjia of the Former Han, the year gyeyu, founded his capital, and called himself king.

In the fourteenth year, the year byeongjin, he moved the capital to Hansan〔It is the present Gwangju.〕 and it stayed there three hundred and eighty-nine years.

In the time of the thirteenth king, King Geunchogo, in the first year of Xian'an, he took South Pyongyang from Goguryeo and moved the capital to Bukhanseong〔It is the present Yangju.〕, and it stayed there one hundred and five years.

In the time of the twenty-second king, King Munju, who ascended the throne in the third year of Yuanhui, the year eulmyo, the capital was moved to Ungcheon〔It is the present Gongju.〕, and it stayed there sixty-three years.

In the time of the twenty-sixth king, King Seong, the capital was moved to Soburi and the country was named South Buyeo, and down to the thirty-first king, King Uija, it stayed there one hundred and twenty years."

In the fifth year of Xianqing of Tang, which was the twentieth year of King Uija's reign, Gim Yusin of Silla, together with Su Dingfang, attacked and pacified it.

From of old the state of Baekje had five bu, which divided and governed thirty-seven districts, two hundred fortresses, and seven hundred and sixty thousand households.

Tang divided the land and set up five governor-generalships, Ungjin, Mahan, Dongmyeong, Geumnyeon, and Deogan, and made the local chiefs the governors of them.

Not long after, Silla took in all that land and set up the three provinces of Ungju, Jeonju, and Muju, and many districts and counties.

Also, at Hoamsa there is the Rock of State Affairs (政事巖).

When the state was about to choose a prime minister, it wrote the names of three or four candidates, sealed them in a box, and set it on the rock. After a short while they took it and looked, and the man whose name bore a seal mark became prime minister, and so the rock was named.

Also, by the Sabi River there is a rock where Su Dingfang once sat and fished up a fish-dragon.

So on the rock there is the mark of the dragon kneeling, and for this reason it was named Dragon Rock.

Also, in the district there are three mountains, called Ilsan, Osan, and Busan.

When the country was at the height of its glory, a divine being lived on each of them, and they flew back and forth to one another morning and evening without ceasing.

Also, on the bank at Sabi there is a stone on which some ten people can sit.

When the king of Baekje was going to Wangheungsa to worship the Buddha, he first bowed toward the Buddha from this stone, and the stone warmed by itself, and for this reason it was named Dolseok (㷝石).

Also, the two banks of the Sabi River are like a painted screen, and the king of Baekje always went there to amuse himself with feasts, songs, and dances, so to this day it is called Daewangpo.

Also, the founder Onjo was the third son of Dongmyeong. He was large in body, filial and brotherly by nature, and good at riding and archery.

Also, King Daru was generous and kind and had dignity and a good name.

Also, King Sabi〔He is also called King Sai.〕 succeeded to the seat when King Gusu died, but he was too young to govern, so he was deposed at once and King Goi was set up.

Some say he died in the second year of Lechu, the year gimi, and only then was Goi set up.