Female Warrior who Established Two Ancient Kingdoms of Korea

Korean women play active roles in society these days, with the so-called “women wind” sweeping the nation. It’s no exaggeration to say that Korea had been a male-dominated society for thousands of years. But even in Korean history, there was a great heroine who helped establish two kingdoms.

A woman named Soseono played a key role in helping Jumong found the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo. She later moved south, taking her two sons, and helped one of her sons establish another ancient kingdom of Baekje. Let’s find out about this female warrior who overcame social limitations and led the two men in her life to successfully create kingdoms in ancient Korea.

Cooperator in Founding Goguryeo Kingdom

It’s unclear exactly when, but Soseono was born as daughter of Yeontabal (연타발), the chief of the Keru tribe, which was one of the five tribes of Jolbon Buyeo(졸본부여). She married Wutae(우태), the grandson of King Haeburu(해부루) of Northern Buyeo, and gave birth to two sons, Biryu(비류) and Onjo(온조).

Soseono’s husband died early, and she raised her two sons in Jolbon. Her life was stable, as she had a solid regional basis, and a large inheritance from her father and her husband. After a while, by destiny, she met a man named Jumong.

Jumong, who later became the founder of the Goguryeo kingdom, was an excellent archer. It is said that he even made bows and arrows at the age of 7. The sons of King Geumwa(금와) of Eastern Buyeo were jealous of this man of great talent, and Jumong fled there and moved south to Jolbon Buyeo. Although Soseono was eight years older than Jumong, and also a widow with two sons, he married Soseono and settled in Jolbon.

With the help of Soseono and her father Yeontabal, the chief of the strongest regional tribe, Jumong was able to enlist outstanding warriors and win support from people. He established Goguryeo in 37 B.C. and Soseono became the first queen of the kingdom.

After the foundation of the new kingdom, Soseono helped prevent indigenous groups from being split, and therefore assisted Jumong in strengthening his power. Thanks to her help, Jumong defeated the neighboring Malgal tribe and developed his kingdom in a stable way.

Establishing New Kingdom with Two Sons

However, Soseono’s happiness didn’t last long. In the 19th year of Jumong’s reign, Jumong’s previous wife, Lady Ye, and his own son, Yuri, came to Goguryeo. Jumong made Yuri crown prince and let him succeed to the throne.

Also, Jumong demoted Soseono to his second wife. The “Annals of Baekje” section in describes the bitter frustration of Soseono’s two sons, Biryu and Onjo.

“When the king (Jumong) fled to this region (Jolbon Buyeo) to escape disaster, our mother (Soseono) used her own property to assist him in founding a new kingdom. Despite her efforts and dedication, the kingdom now belongs to Yuri and we are nothing but a pain in the neck, as the king has died. We’d rather move south with our mother and choose a proper land to create another kingdom.”

Deeply hurt, the mother and the two sons left Goguryeo in 19 B.C., with ten followers and their family members, as well as a number of people of the Keru tribe, which Soseono originally belonged to. They moved south and reached Hansan.

Biryu wanted to live by the seaside, so he went to Michuhol(미추홀). Onjo, the other hand, built a castle named Wirye(위례) in the Hanam(하남) area in 18 B.C., and founded a new kingdom, Sipje(십제). This term literally means ‘ten followers’ help.’


It turned out that Michuhol was not a good place to live, as the soil was humid and water was too salty. Biryu was ashamed of his decision to settle in this area and suffered emotional distress until his death. Afterwards, Biryu’s people all came to Wirye Castle to follow Onjo. Onjo’s Sipje kingdom was renamed Baekje, meaning ‘A hundred families crossed the sea.’ Soseono watched her son’s kingdom take shape little by little until she died in 6 B.C.

Greatest Heroine of All Time

There are few records of this amazing woman, as history books written in the Three Kingdoms era are not available now. But the name of Soseono is found in the “King Onjo” section in , and in the more modern history book , written by independence activist and prominent historian Shin Chae-ho(신채호). Shin highly praised Soseono as the only queen in Korean history who established new kingdoms—namely Goguryeo and Baekje. Exploring more detailed records of this great heroine is probably a duty her descendants must all share.