Goryeo

Goryeo was a Korean state founded in 918 during the Later Three Kingdoms period, unifying and ruling the Korean Peninsula until 1392. It achieved a "true national unification" by incorporating the ruling class of Balhae and merging the identities of Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla, forming the basis of modern Korean identity. The name "Korea" is derived from Goryeo. Established by General Wang Kŏn, Goryeo was known as a "Golden Age of Buddhism" in Korea, with Buddhism as the state religion. Commerce flourished, and its capital, Kaesong, was a center of trade and industry. Goryeo also saw great achievements in Korean art and culture. It wrestled with northern empires and became a vassal state of the Yuan dynasty after Mongol invasions, later reclaiming territories as the Yuan declined.