Start of Later Three Kingdoms Period

In 892 CE, the Korean Peninsula entered a period of fragmentation that marked the beginning of the Later Three Kingdoms era, as the authority of Unified Silla weakened after centuries of rule. Internal instability, including heavy taxation, peasant uprisings, and the growing influence of regional warlords, contributed to the breakdown of central control and the emergence of rival states. One of the first major developments occurred in 892 when Gyeon Hwon, a former Silla military officer, established Later Baekje in the southwestern region of the peninsula. Drawing support from local populations dissatisfied with Silla’s rule, he created a new power base that challenged the existing order. Over the following years, his state expanded and became a significant force in regional conflicts. In the northern regions, another rival state emerged when Gung Ye, a former monk with possible royal connections to Silla, founded Later Goguryeo in 901. He later renamed the kingdom Majin in 904 and then Taebong in 911, reflecting shifts in his rule and political identity. His state controlled large areas of the north and central peninsula, adding to the division of power. Meanwhile, Unified Silla continued to exist but with steadily declining influence. Its territory and authority diminished as it faced pressure from both Later Baekje and Later Goguryeo, as well as internal unrest. This three-way division of power defined the Later Three Kingdoms period, which continued until 936, when the Goryeo Dynasty unified the peninsula under a single government. The events beginning in 892 reshaped the political structure of Korea, ending the long period of unified rule under Silla and leading to decades of conflict among competing states.