Korean History › Goryeo › Mongol invasions of Korea
Sambyeolcho Rebellion
1270–1273· War· Wars & invasions
Well documentedSolid records, physical evidence or scientific consensus.
A 1270–1273 revolt by Goryeo's elite troops against the court's peace with the Mongols, fought from Ganghwa to Jindo to Jeju.
See it on the Korean History map →What happened
The Sambyeolcho (삼별초, 'Three Special Patrols') began as a night patrol under the Choe regime and grew into its main army. When the court returned to Kaesong in 1270 and ordered them disbanded, General Bae Jung-son led a revolt, named a royal relative, Wang On, as king, and sailed to Jindo Island with about 1,000 ships. From there they controlled the southwest coast. A Goryeo–Mongol army took Jindo in 1271; survivors held out on Jeju until 1273.
Why it matters
It was the last armed resistance to the Mongols; its defeat freed them to use Goryeo's ships and men to invade Japan in 1274.
How we know
The Goryeosa; the Yongjang fortress on Jindo and Hangpaduri fortress on Jeju; and a 1271 Sambyeolcho letter to Japan seeking help, known from a Japanese summary preserved in Tokyo.
Still debated
Whether they were patriots fighting foreign rule, a private army defending the old regime's power, or both, is debated.
Connections (2)
▸Sambyeolcho Rebellion grew out of Goryeo military regimeWell documented
The connection
The Sambyeolcho were formed under Choe U and became the regime's strongest troops, used both against rivals and in raids on the Mongols. When the last strongman, Im Yu-mu, was killed in 1270 and the king moved back to Kaesong, he ordered the Sambyeolcho disbanded. Fearing punishment, they revolted under Bae Jung-son.
When and how
Formed in the 1220s–30s; the revolt began on Ganghwa Island in June 1270 under General Bae Jung-son.
How we know
The Goryeosa describes their origins as a Choe-era patrol force and the disbanding order that set off the revolt.
Debates and open questions
Were they defending Korea or their own privileges under the old regime? Modern Korean textbooks favor the first; many historians see both.
▸Sambyeolcho Rebellion resisted the peace that ended Mongol invasions of KoreaWell documented
The connection
The peace of 1259 and the court's return to Kaesong in 1270 meant accepting Mongol control. The Sambyeolcho rejected it: they set up a rival king on Jindo and held the southwest coast and sea lanes. Joint Goryeo–Mongol forces crushed them on Jindo in 1271 and on Jeju in 1273, after which the Mongols ruled Jeju directly.
When and how
1270–1273, on Jindo's Yongjang fortress and Jeju's Hangpaduri fortress; Bae Jung-son, then Kim Tong-jeong.
How we know
The Goryeosa records the campaigns; the fortress sites have been excavated; a Japanese summary of their 1271 appeal to Japan survives.
Debates and open questions
Whether their resistance delayed the Mongol invasion of Japan, and how much support they had among ordinary people, is debated.