Ch'oe U

Ch'oe U
최우
Military Leader of Goryeo
Imperial Guardian
In office
1219–1249
MonarchGojong of Goryeo
Preceded byCh'oe Ch'ung-hŏn
Succeeded byCh'oe Hang
Personal details
Born1166
Kaesong, Kingdom of Goryeo (currently Kaesong, North Korea)
Died10 December 1249
Spouse(s)Lady Chŏng
Lady Tae
ChildrenLady Ch'oe
Choi Man-jong
Ch'oe Hang
Parent
RelativesKim Yak-sŏn (son-in-law)
Ch'oe U
Hangul
최우
Hanja
Revised RomanizationChoe U
McCune–ReischauerCh'oe U

Ch'oe U (Korean최우; Hanja崔瑀; 1166 – 10 December 1249), also known as Ch'oe I (최이; 崔怡), was a military ruler and official during the later Goryeo period, serving in various positions such as Assistant Executive in Political Affairs, the minister of personnel and war, and Censorate superintendent. Ch'oe U's posthumous title was Kwangnyŏl (匡烈). His exact birth year is unknown, but he died in 1249 . His ancestral seat was Ubong, now known as Gimcheon in Hwanghae Province. Ch'oe U was the son of Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn. After Ch'oe Ch'ung-hŏn died in 1219, Ch'oe U ruled the Ch'oe military regime until 1249, becoming the second ruler of the Ch'oe family's military government. His first name was Ch'oe U, but he later changed it to Ch'oe I. During his rule, Goryeo faced many hardships, including the Mongol invasion of Korea, which led to the relocation of the capital from Gaegyeong to Ganghwa Island.[1][2]

  1. ^ "최우 (崔瑀)". Encyclopedia of Korean Culture (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-08-03.
  2. ^ "냉혈한 권력자, 몽골군을 피해 강화도로 도읍을 옮기다". History Net (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-08-03.