Choe Chung-heon

Choe Chung-heon led a military coup, killing rival generals and seizing control of the Goryeo government. He established a military dictatorship, reducing the king to a figurehead and ruling through puppet monarchs.

Choe Chung-heon created a private military government, the 'Choe family regime,' which controlled Goryeo for four generations. He appointed loyal generals to key posts and sidelined the civil bureaucracy.

Choe Chung-heon purged hundreds of civil officials and scholars who opposed his rule, executing or exiling them. This solidified military dominance over the traditional aristocracy and silenced dissent.

Choe Chung-heon led Goryeo forces in repelling initial Mongol incursions into the Korean peninsula. His military preparations delayed Mongol conquest, though the kingdom eventually became a vassal.