Gwanggaeto the Great

Gwanggaeto the Great (374-412) was king of Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, ruling from 391 until his death in 412. During his reign he greatly expanded Goguryeo's territory through extensive military campaigns, extending its control deep into Manchuria and much of the Korean peninsula, and is credited with subduing rival Korean kingdoms and repelling incursions by other regional powers. His achievements are recorded in unusual detail for the period on the Gwanggaeto Stele, an enormous stone monument erected by his son and successor shortly after his death, which remains one of the most important surviving inscriptions for the political and military history of ancient Korea. He is remembered in Korean historical tradition as one of the greatest conquerors and state-builders of the Three Kingdoms period.