Yi Song-gye

Yi Song-gye

 or T'aejo

(born 1335—died 1408) Founder of the Korean Choson dynasty (1392–1910). A military leader in the Koryo dynasty, he rose through the ranks by battling invading forces. He defeated his rivals and drove out the last king of the Koryo dynasty, taking the throne in 1392. He established his capital at Hanyang (now Seoul). He and his successors redistributed land, which had been concentrated in the hands of a few high-ranking bureaucrats, throughout the various levels of officialdom. In a break with the past, he made Neo-Confucianism the state religion, replacing Buddhism. Farming was made the centre of the economy. In foreign relations, he maintained a close relationship with China's Ming dynasty.