뉴스레터

There was another person who went to Tang China prior to the fall of Goguryeo. It was Goh Jok-yu, who had risen to a high government rank in Tang, second only to the descendents of Yeon Gaesomun. If it had not been for the discovery of his tombstone, no one would have known about Goh. The tombstone was discovered in Luoyang in Henan, China. It is in the shape of a square, 58.5cm on each side. The epitaph consists of 33 lines, 34 characters per line.

There is no record of Goh Jok-yu in any Chinese or Korean historical sources. Nevertheless, he was given a military rank [明威將軍] in 668 after moving to Tang, and the year after, he was promoted to the next higher rank [雲麾將軍]. Then in 695, he was appointed as the governor-general of former Goguryeo territories. Although there were descendants of Yeon Gaesomun and King Bojang, Goh Jok-yu became the governor-general—i.e., the leader of Goguryeo migrants.

Epitaph without mention of ancestors

Who was Goh Jok-yu? It is peculiar that there is no mention of his ancestors in his epitaph. The only indirect reference is the phrase, "a well-to-do household," but there is not even any mention of what kind of government post he had served while he was Goguryeo. One researcher conjectured that while Goh was probably distantly related to the royal family, the person who wrote the epitaph did not know the details of Goh's family background, and thus, omitted it. Another researcher proposed that Goh was from a wealthy family of landowners. Be that as it may, there is nothing on the epitaph corroborating these theories. What we can gather is that he was from Pyeongyang and served government posts in Tang China. Therefore, he was probably an aristocrat but not one at the very upper echelons of the aristocracy as Cheon Heon-seong (Yeon Gaesomun's grandson). Accordingly, his rise to success in Tang was most likely the result of hard work, not based on his social status in Goguryeo or family background.

In the epitaph, it is said that he was a man of prescience. The epitaph reads that Goh realized early on that Goguryeo would fall and went to Tang China before Goguryeo's fall. He was over 40 years old when he left his homeland. He did not go alone but with his entire family in tow. Even with the understanding that one's homeland was in crisis, it would have been difficult to make the decision to move one's entire family to another country, especially at over 40 years of age. Goh probably pondered long and hard about the matter.

With his tireless effort, he kept rising in the ranks in Tang. By the time of Cheonchu's establishment, Goh was treated as Goguryeo's leader. Goh was 70 years old. Cheonchu(a tall monunet), an ornate sculptural tribute to the virtues and accomplishments of Empress Wu Zetian created by the best artists of the time, would have included the three characters of Goh's name. It was an honor he had attained by embarking on a bold adventure, putting not only his fate but also that of his family on the line, and working very hard.

However, he met his death at the height of his career. He had been appointed the head of an expeditionary force [經略大使] and successfully defeated a barbarian people [蠻族]. However, during his return, he fell ill and died in Jingzhou [荊州; near Yangzhou in Hubei province, China]. He had dragged his aged 70-year-old body to battle and never made it back. It is an example of how difficult life was away from one's homeland, even if one were a migrant serving a high government post.

Light and shadow of the men who left Goguryeo

This is probably why the average lifespan of Goguryeo migrants was not very long. Many Goguryeo migrants were falsely accused and executed—e.g., Cheon Heong-seong—or died in battle. Cheon Nam-san, a descendant of Yeon Gaesomun, lived until he was 63 years old, but two other descendants, Cheon Nam-saeng and Cheon Heong-seong, died relatively young, at the age of 46 and 42 years, respectively. Cheon Bi passed away when he was only 22 years old. This observation on the average lifespan is limited to a very small number of people whose historical records still remain. Therefore, it is difficult to say it applies to the larger Goguryeo migrant population. However, among those we know about, most died in their 40s and 50s. Goh Jok-yu, who lived until he was 70 years old, was a highly exceptional case. Moreover, there were notable figures that died prematurely. Examples include Cheon Heon-seong, Goh Seon-ji [高仙芝], and Wang Mo-jung [王毛仲].

Goh Jok-yu died of an illness in an official government residence, so it is hard to say whether his fated lifespan had been cut short or not. Be that as it may, he died at 70 years of age, so one can say he had lived a long life. His longevity may owe itself to his outstanding military competencies and good luck, but it may also have something to do with his resourcefulness and adaptability. He named his son Je-sin [帝臣], which means "emperor's servant." It is perhaps another example of Goh's prudent maneuvering.

It is likely that both Goh Yu-jok, who was probably resourceful, and Cheon Heon-seong, who was noted for his exceptional talent, worked very hard to survive in a foreign land. The fact that they were from Goguryeo followed them their entire lives, whether they liked it or not. This is probably the same for Koreans today living overseas or having taken on a new nationality for one reason or another. No matter where they are or what their passport says, the fact they had been born in Korea remains with them, in their appearance or in their state of mind.