Ko of Parhae
King of Balhae
Tae Choyŏng or Dae Joyoung/Dae Joyeong (Korean: 대조영; Hanja: 大祚榮), also rendered as Da Zuorong (simplified Chinese: 大祚荣; traditional Chinese: 大祚榮; pinyin: Dàzuòróng) in Chinese, was the first king of Parhae that reigned from 699 to 719.
He is more commonly known as King Ko/King Go (Korean: 고왕; Hanja: 高王; RR: Go Wang; MR: Ko Wang) in Korea, and as King Gao (Chinese: 高王; pinyin: Gāo Wáng) in China.
Life
Early life
Tae Choyŏng was the first son of general Tae Chungsang, who was also known as "Sarigŏlgŏljungsang (Korean: 사리걸걸중상; Hanja: 舍利乞乞仲象; RR: Sarigeolgeoljungsang; MR: Sarigŏlgŏljungsang)" or "Taegŏlgŏljungsang (Korean: 대걸걸중상; Hanja: 大乞乞仲象; RR: Daegeolgeoljungsang; MR: Taegŏlgŏljungsang)".
Historical sources give different accounts of Tae Choyŏng's ethnicity and background. Among the official dynastic history works, the New Book of Tang refers to Tae Choyŏng and his state as Sumo Mohe (related to Jurchens and later Manchus) affiliated with Goguryeo. The Old Book of Tang also states Tae's ethnic background as Mohe but adds that he was "高麗別種" (gaoli biezhong). The term is interpreted as meaning "a branch of the Goguryeo people" by South and North Korean historians, but as "distinct from Goguryeo" by Japanese and Chinese researchers. However, it is believed to be closer to the consensus made by the Koreans.
The Samguk yusa, a 13th-century collection of Korean history and legends, describes Tae as a Sumo Mohe leader. However, it gives another account of Tae being a former Goguryeo general, citing a now-lost Sillan record.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Ko of Parhae” as king of Balhae. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the people & ideas register because the source frames it as king of Balhae. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Biographical claims are most persuasive when dates, appointments and relationships can be traced to records created close to the events described. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q702079. VIAF identifies the subject as 9704983. The Library of Congress control number is nr92001268. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Later biographies can compress uncertainty and repeat inherited reputations, so apparently settled claims may still require comparison. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Ko of Parhae”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Ko of Parhae primary sources, Ko of Parhae archive and Parhae research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Ko of Parhae”?
- How has the subject’s reputation changed across later accounts?
- Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Ko of Parhae” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.