In 699, the Tang government sent former Goguryeo prince
Ko Tŏngmu, the third son of Goguryeo's last ruler,
King Bojang, to
Liaodong Peninsula, naming him "King of Chaoxian" and Governor of the Yodong Commandery of the
Protectorate General to Pacify the East. Like his father, Ko Tŏngmu had plans to rebel against the
Tang, to revive Goguryeo and to provide a kingdom for the Goguryeo people. The Tang Empire at the time was undergoing several crises, especially the
An Lushan Rebellion. Along with these major events was also the pressure given by the Empire of
Balhae. These and many other pressures allowed Ko Tŏngmu to take full control of the
Protectorate General to Pacify the East and allegedly to establish a kingdom. The Lesser Goguryeo kingdom was established during that year with Ko Tŏngmu as its first king. Very little is known about how the neighboring kingdoms reacted to the establishment of Lesser Goguryeo. It is known that Balhae was on good terms with Lesser Goguryeo with respect to the similar purposes that the two kingdoms possessed. ==Fall==