Key Facts
- Founded (mythological)
- 2333 BCE by Tan'gun
- Conquered by Han dynasty
- 108 BCE under Emperor Wu
- Peak area
- ~80,000 km²
- Capital
- Wanggeom-seong (now Pyongyang)
- Successor commanderies
- Four Han commanderies established 108 BCE
Imperial Zenith Metrics
Territorial Scale Comparison
Peak area vs modern sovereign states
Historical Trajectory
Phase I: Rise
According to Korean mythology recorded in the Samguk yusa, Gojoseon was founded in 2333 BCE by Tan'gun, born of a heavenly prince and a bear-woman. While Tan'gun is mythological, the kingdom developed as the most culturally advanced state on the Korean Peninsula. By the 12th century BCE, Chinese sources record the arrival of Jizi, said to have founded a subsidiary domain known as Kija Joseon in the northern peninsula.
Phase II: Zenith
At its height, Gojoseon controlled the northern Korean Peninsula and parts of Manchuria, possessing the most advanced culture in the region. It functioned as a significant intermediary between Chinese civilization and the peoples of the Korean Peninsula, facilitating cultural and political development. The capital at Wanggeom-seong, identified with modern Pyongyang, served as the administrative center from at least the 2nd century BCE.
Phase III: Decline
In 194 BCE, the ruling dynasty was overthrown by Wi Man, a refugee from the Han vassal state of Yan, who established Wiman Joseon. This state was conquered in 108 BCE by the Han dynasty under Emperor Wu, who replaced it with four administrative commanderies. These remained under Chinese control until the fragmentation of the Han Empire, after which the territory was absorbed by the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo in 313 CE.
Notable Imperial Reigns
Selected rulers mapping the empire’s trajectory