Balhae

In this episode, we examine Parhae (Balhae), a multiethnic East Asian kingdom that thrived from 698 to 926 CE. Founded by Tae Choyŏng after the fall of Goguryeo, Parhae developed a Tang-influenced government, a strong military, and extensive trade networks reaching as far as Japan. The episode also explores the kingdom's diplomacy with the Tang dynasty and Silla, its eventual downfall to the Khitan-led Liao dynasty, and the ongoing scholarly debates over its cultural and ethnic identity-whether it was a successor to Goguryeo or rooted in the Mohe tribes.