Choe Yeong Choi Young ( 1316 – 1388 ) , also romanized as Choe Yeong , was a Korean general born in Hongseong or in Cheorwon in Goryeo ( modern - day Korea ) . Early years . Born into the presitigous noble family of Choe , as the fifth descendant of Choe Yoo chung , the Grand Scholar of Jibheyonjeon , the royal Academy , and the son of Choe Won Jik , he was raised in a strict austere lifestyle , befitting a noble aristocratic family of Korea . He paid little heed to his own clothes and meals , and eschewed fine garments or other comforts even when he became famous and could easily have enjoyed them . He disliked men who desired expensive articles , and he viewed simplicity as a virtue . His motto , left to him by his father , Choe won Jik was " View and treat gold as if they were a mere rocks " . Military career . Such a man was well suited for military service , and Choi quickly gained the confidence of both his men and his king during numerous battles with Japanese pirates who began raiding the Korean coast around 1350 . At 36 years of age he became a national hero when he successfully put down a rebellion by Jo Il - shin after the insurgents had surrounded the palace , killed many officials and had proclaimed Jo king . As Goryeo was tributary or " Boomaguk ( In - law nation ) " of the Mongol Yuans since 1259 , Choi Young was sent to help the Yuan forces quash the native Han Chinese rebellion : Red Turban Rebellion in northern china against the Yuan Dynasty . In 1354 , at the age of 39 , he deployed to northern China with 2000 mounted Korean archers , being reinforced in Kanbaluk by 20 , 000 veterans of the Goryeo Tumens . Together they suppressed the Red Turban Rebellion successfully , and returned home to Goryeo . His success in nearly thirty different battles won him even more fame and favor at home . Upon returning to Korea , he dutifully reported to King Gongmin the internal problems experienced by the waning Yuan Dynasty , which gave the king the idea that the time was right to reclaim some of the northern territories previously lost to the Mongols . Choi fought to recover various towns west of the Yalu River , to great delight of the King . In 1356 , he attacked and received the surrender of Mongol - Korean Darughachi of SsangseongChonggwanbu in what is now Wonsan , where the former Goryeo ruling aristocrats had surrendered their fiefdoms to Mongols prior to Goryeo national surrender of sovereignty in 1259 . The surrendering darughachi of Ssangseong was none other than Yi Jachun , whose son , the deputy Darhughaci was Yi Seong - Gye Taejo of Joseon , the future founder of the Joseon Dynasty . He served briefly as the Mayor of P ' yŏngyang , where his efforts at increasing crop production and mitigating famine won him even more attention as a national hero . In 1364 , he distinguished himself further when a powerful minister named Kim Yon - an tried to overthrow the government of King Gongmin for asserting independence from the Yuan Dynasty . Choi Yu , appointed by Yuan , invaded Korea with 10 , 000 Mongol cavalryman to overthrow the rebellious King . Choe Yeong gathered up his forces and defeated the Mongol tumen of 10 , 000 , solidifying the final defiance and independence of Goryeo Dynasty from the Mongols in 1364 . In 1368 , when the new Ming Dynasty of China offered alliance against the Mongol Yuans , King Gongmin of Goryeo ordered Choe yoneg to invade the remaining Mongol garrisons in Manchuria . Choe maneuvered north of the Yalu , capturing Oro Fortress , and the city of Liaoyang in 1370 . But this did not lead to a permanent settlement . Betrayal and redemption . Following a dream that he thought predicted that a Buddhist monk would save his life , King Gongmin promoted a monk named Shin Don to a lofty position within his court and allowed him considerable influence . At first , Shin Don toiled to improve the lives of the peasants with great opposition from the ministers ; however , with the king ' s support Shin Don grew increasingly ruthless and corrupt . Choi , who vigorously opposed corruption in the kingdom , found himself at odds with Shin Don , and subsequently , Shin Don engineered false accusations of misconduct against Choi that resulted in a punishment of six years in exile and brought him dangerously close to execution . However , after Shin Don ' s death in 1374 , King Gongmin restored Choi Young to his previous position and was immediately asked to prepare a fleet to fight the Japanese pirates and eliminate the remaining Mongol forces on Jeju Island . Choi engaged the Mongols first , who fought tenaciously , but Choi ' s forces eventually freed the island . Then , in 1376 , the Japanese pirates advanced into Goryeo and captured the city of Gongju . With the new gunpowder recipe obtained by scientist Choe Mu - seon , General Choi and his subordinate , Yi Seong - gye , managed to rout and eventually defeat the pirates and reclaim Gongju . Final years . In 1388 , General Yi Seong - gye was ordered to use his armies to push the remnant Mongol forces out of the Liaodong peninsula , which goryeo considered as its lost territory from Goguryeo era . Yi Seong - gye opposed the Northern Expedition , citing four reasons which have become historical : 1 . a smaller nation should not attack a larger nation , as it goes against the Confucian order of the world ; 2 . It is harsh to campaign during summer farming season , as it will result in poor harvest for the populace ; 3 . With the bulk of men away in the north , Japanese pirates will have free rein in the South ; 4 . Monsoon rain will reduce the effectiveness of the composite bows , our main weapon , and will encourage the spread of infectious diseases in the camp . General Choe ordered the invasion nevertheless , supported by the King . Knowing the support he enjoyed from both the high - ranking government officials and the general populace , Yi decided to return to the capital , Kaesŏng , and trigger a coup d ' état . This incident later became famous as the Wihwado Retreat ( 위화도 회군 , 威化島回軍 ) and became the first sign of the change of dynasty . When Yi Seong - gye returned to the capital , Choe Young put up a gallant fight at the palace , but was overwhelmed by Yi ' s forces . Choe was defeated , captured , and banished to Goyang and was later beheaded in the name of the government controlled by Yi Seong - gye . Before the execution , Choe was famously known to have predicted that due to his unjust demise grass would never grow on his grave . Interestingly , grass never did grow on his grave until 1976 and it was known as jeokbun ( 적분 ) , which means red grave , because of the red soil .