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Gwanggaeto Stele
erected 414; some passages' readings debated· Book, artwork, monument or document· Culture, religion & science
Well documentedSolid records, physical evidence or scientific consensus.
A stone monument over 6 meters tall, erected in 414, that records Gwanggaeto's conquests; one of the oldest written sources on Korean history.
See it on the Korean History map →What happened
The Gwanggaeto Stele (광개토대왕릉비) stands near his tomb in Ji'an, Jilin, China, Goguryeo's old capital. Carved in Classical Chinese on all four sides, its roughly 1,800 characters cover three things: the founding myth of Goguryeo's first king, Jumong; Gwanggaeto's campaigns year by year; and rules for the 330 households assigned to guard his tomb. Forgotten for centuries, it was rediscovered around 1880, and a Japanese army officer brought an ink copy to Japan in 1883.
Why it matters
It is the main contemporary source on Goguryeo at its peak, and one passage became a flashpoint in Korea–Japan history debates.
How we know
The stone itself, now in a glass pavilion inside a UNESCO World Heritage site, plus ink rubbings made from the 1880s onward that let scholars compare readings.
Still debated
Many characters are worn or illegible, and some readings remain disputed; see the link to Baekje's ties with Yamato Japan.
Connections (3)
▸Gwanggaeto Stele records the deeds of Gwanggaeto the GreatWell documented
The connection
The stele is Gwanggaeto's official record, set up by his son's court the year after his death. It praises his virtue and lists his campaigns year by year, with counts of fortresses and villages taken. As a royal monument, it shows his reign as Goguryeo wanted it remembered.
When and how
Erected in 414 at Gungnae, near Gwanggaeto's tomb, in today's Ji'an, Jilin, China.
How we know
The text names the king, gives dates, and matches events in Chinese records and the Samguk sagi.
Debates and open questions
Which nearby tomb is Gwanggaeto's own, the Taewangneung or the so-called General's Tomb, is debated.
▸King Jangsu of Goguryeo erected Gwanggaeto SteleWell documented
The connection
Jangsu raised the stele in 414, the year after his father died, as both memorial and political statement. It ties his house to Goguryeo's founding myth and his father's victories, and its rules for tomb-guard households show a state organizing labor for royal rites.
When and how
414, at Goguryeo's capital Gungnae (modern Ji'an, Jilin, China), early in Jangsu's reign.
How we know
The inscription dates itself to 414, when Jangsu was king; the Samguk sagi confirms his succession the year before.
Debates and open questions
Who composed the text, and how far it was shaped to support Jangsu's own rule, is unknown.
▸Gwanggaeto Stele has a disputed passage on Baekje's ties with Yamato JapanDebated
The connection
A passage for the year 391 seems to say the Wa (Japanese) crossed the sea and defeated Baekje and Silla, making them subjects. Japanese scholars once used it to support claims of ancient Japanese rule in southern Korea. Many Korean scholars read it differently, with Goguryeo as the subject, or as Goguryeo propaganda inflating its enemy.
When and how
The 391 'sinmyo-year' passage; the dispute began after a Japanese army officer brought a copy to Japan in 1883 and sharpened in the 1970s.
How sure are we?
Several characters are damaged and the grammar allows more than one reading; an early rubbing published in 2005 by Chinese scholar Xu Jianxin argues against deliberate tampering.
Debates and open questions
In 1972 scholar Lee Jin-hee charged that the Japanese army altered characters with lime; most scholars now reject deliberate alteration, but the meaning remains disputed.