Wi-ssi Chosǒn (English spelling)

Japanese: 衛氏朝鮮 - えいしちょうせん（英語表記）Wi-ssi Chosǒn

The name of the kingdom of ancient Korea. It is combined with the legendary Dangun Joseon and Gishi Joseon (→ Gishi Donglai theory) that existed before it, and is collectively called Ancient Korea. According to the Records of the Grand Historian, in the 12th year of the reign of Emperor Gaozu of the Western Han Dynasty (195 BC), Wei Man of Yan State crossed the Baishui River (present-day Yalu River or Daedong River) with over 1,000 subordinates and fled to North Korea. According to the Wei Lue (Gilyeok), he gained the trust of the king of that land, Gishi Joseon's last king, Gishi Joseon, and was promoted step by step, eventually expelling Gishi and becoming king, with Wang Jiancheng (present-day Pyongyang) as his capital, and defeating neighboring countries, eventually obtaining the submission of the areas of Zhenfan and Lintun counties as well. However, his grandson, Wei Youqu, rebelled against the Han, so Emperor Wu of Han sent a large army in the second year of the Yuanfeng era (109 B.C.) to defeat them, but the following year, Youqu was assassinated, and the Wei Joseon Dynasty was destroyed after 3 generations and 80 years. After that, the Han placed Lelang Commandery and 3 other commanderies in ancient Korea and brought them under its direct control. There are very few historical documents about Wei Joseon, and the details are unknown, but it is interpreted that the country was headed by a Chinese person and had a federation of indigenous Korean peoples under him.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

古朝鮮の王国名。その前の伝承的存在の檀君朝鮮，箕子 (きし) 朝鮮 (→箕子東来説 ) と合せ，古朝鮮という名称で一括される。『史記』によれば前漢の高祖 12 (前 195) 年に燕国の人，衛満が部下 1000人余を連れてばい水 (ばいすい。現在の鴨緑江または大同江) を渡り，北朝鮮の地に亡命した。『魏略 (ぎりゃく) 』によると彼はその地の国王で箕子朝鮮国最後の王，箕準の信頼を得て逐次昇進し，やがて箕準を追放して王となり王険城 (現在の平壌といわれる) を首都とし，近隣諸国を討ち真番，臨屯郡方面も服属するにいたった。ところがその孫，衛右渠 (えいゆうきょ) のとき漢に反抗したので漢の武帝は元封2 (前 109) 年大軍を派遣して討伐し，翌年右渠は暗殺されて衛氏朝鮮国は3代 80年余で滅亡した。その後，漢は古朝鮮の地に楽浪郡ほか3郡をおいて直接支配下に入れた。衛氏朝鮮に関する史料はきわめて少く詳細は不明であるが，中国人を首長とし，その下に在地土着の韓族連盟をなしていたものと解釈されている。

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