Gusu (died 234, r. 214–234) was the sixth king of Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.

Background

He was the eldest son of the 5th king Chogo. He became king upon Chogo's death in 214 which was the 49th year of his reign. The Samguk sagi records that "he was seven feet tall and unusually exceptional in his power".

Reign

Even assuming that the dates given in the Samguk sagi are accurate, Baekje through Gusu's reign was probably a confederacy, not yet a kingdom. In 216, he prevailed against the Mohe forces at Sado Castle, and in 222, he destroyed a 5,000-strong force of Silla, the rival Korean kingdom. However, the Samguk sagi records many Baekje defeats against the Mohe and Silla, as well as natural disasters towards the end of Gusu's reign. Samguk sagi:

Legacy

Upon Gusu's death, his eldest son Saban briefly became the 7th king. Saban was dethroned by Goi, reported as Chogo's brother in the Samguk sagi, but believed to be of a rival royal line by modern scholars. Indicating continuing rivalry between the two lines, Gusu's second son became the 11th king Biryu, and the name of the 14th king Geungusu indicates descent from the Gusu line.

Family