Ch'oe Hang (military official)

Ch'oe Hang (1209 – 17 May 1257) was the third dictator of the Ch'oe Military regime, which dominated Goryeo for six decades before and during the Mongol invasions. Ch'oe Hang continued on his predecessor Ch'oe U's anti-Mongol policy, and refused to surrender to the invaders. It is believed that the Ch'oe Military Regime began to decline during his eight-year reign.

Background and rise to power
Ch'oe Hang was born the son of Ch'oe U, the second dictator of the Ch'oe Military regime, and a concubine. His grandfather, Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn, was the founder of the Ch'oe military regime, and the second head of the Ubong Ch'oe clan. Ch'oe Hang spent most of his youth in the Cholla Provinces studying Son Buddhism thought as a monk with his brother Manjong. Ch'oe Hang's father, Ch'oe U, originally intended for his son-in-law, Kim Yak-sŏn, and then his grandson, Kim Mi, to be his successors, but both were exiled and banished as a result of disagreements. Upon seeing the need to secure an heir, Ch'oe U decided on establishing Hang as his successor. Ch'oe U called Hang in from the Cholla Provinces and placed him in the tutelage of some of Goryeo's finest scholars of the time. Hang was promoted to Minister of Revenue, and within a year, he entered into the Security Council. Around this time, Hang was given five hundred house soldiers. Finally, in the eleventh month of 1249, Ch'oe U died, after which the Ch'oe bodyguards almost instantly went to guard Hang's house.

Reign
Upon officially becoming the next Ch'oe dictator in 1249, Ch'oe Hang took rapid steps to securing his position. He first eliminated officials, concubines and followers of his father, the greatest among which was the Tae family. He also eliminated all former supporters of Kim Mi, who had been banished by Ch'oe U. He also banished many popular government figures such as Min Hŭi and Kim Kyŏng-son. King Gojong bestowed the title of 'Duke of Chinyang', which was a title that Ch'oe U had been given, on Ch'oe Hang. Shortly after, Hang was promoted to the Head of Security Council, the Ministries of Civil Personnel and Military Affairs.

Family

 * Father: Ch'oe U (1166 – 10 December 1249)
 * Grandfather: Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn (1149 – 29 October 1219)
 * Grandmother: Lady Song
 * Mother: Lady Seo Ryeon-bang – a prostitute.
 * Wives and their issue(s):
 * Lady, of the Cheorwon Ch'oe clan – No issue.
 * Lady, of the Hoengseong Cho clan – No issue.
 * Unnamed concubine
 * Ch'oe Ui (1238–1258)
 * Lady Sim Kyŏng – No issue.

Popular culture

 * Portrayed by Baek Do-bin in the 2012 MBC TV series God of War.