▁the ▁late ▁ 1 4 th ▁century , ▁the ▁nearly ▁ 5 0 0 - year - old ▁G ory e o ▁established ▁in ▁ 9 1 8 ▁was ▁tot ter ing , ▁its ▁found ations ▁col laps ing ▁from ▁years ▁of ▁war ▁and ▁de ▁fact o ▁occupation ▁from ▁the ▁dis integr ating ▁Mong ol ▁Empire . ▁Following ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁the ▁M ing ▁dynast y , ▁the ▁royal ▁court ▁in ▁G ory e o ▁split ▁into ▁two ▁conflic ting ▁fa ctions : ▁the ▁group ▁led ▁by ▁General ▁Y i ▁( support ing ▁the ▁M ing ) ▁and ▁the ▁camp ▁led ▁by ▁General ▁Ch oe ▁( standing ▁by ▁the ▁Y uan ). ▁ ▁G ory e o ▁claimed ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁successor ▁of ▁the ▁ancient ▁kingdom ▁of ▁G og ury e o ▁( which ▁was ▁later ▁renamed ▁G ory e o ); ▁as ▁such , ▁rest oring ▁Man ch uria ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁Korean ▁territory ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁foreign ▁policy ▁throughout ▁its ▁history . ▁When ▁a ▁M ing ▁mess enger ▁came ▁to ▁G ory e o ▁in ▁ 1 3 8 8 , ▁the ▁ 1 4 th ▁year ▁of ▁U ▁of ▁G ory e o , ▁to ▁demand ▁that ▁G og ury e o ' s ▁former ▁northern ▁territory ▁be ▁handed ▁over ▁to ▁M ing ▁China , ▁General ▁Ch oe ▁seized ▁the ▁chance ▁to ▁argue ▁for ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁the ▁L ia od ong ▁Pen ins ula . ▁ ▁Y i ▁was ▁chosen ▁to ▁lead ▁the ▁attack ; ▁however ,