Gyeon Hwon
Unlike his rival Gung Ye, Gyeon Hwon was active in diplomacy; he was formally confirmed by the Chinese kingdoms of Wuyue and Later Tang as the legitimate ruler of Hubaekje. In addition, he sought an alliance with the newly formed Liao Dynasty in the north, which was founded by the Khitans, in order to surround Goryeo from both north and south. Gyeon Hwon also sent envoys to Japan during his reign for mainly commercial reasons; the Jeolla region, where Gyeon Hwon began his kingdom, was the center of trade in East Asia during the period and had already served as the base for traders such as Jang Bogo.