Born into Baekje’s ruling family during a volatile era of rivalry with Silla and Goguryeo. Court politics in Sabi shaped his upbringing, as aristocratic clans competed for influence around the throne.

As a young royal, he learned administration in Sabi’s ministries and gained exposure to border fortifications. Baekje’s diplomacy with Yamato Japan and rivalry with Silla framed his early political education.

He navigated powerful Baekje noble houses whose private armies and estates limited royal authority. Managing appointments and tribute obligations tested his ability to unify policy during increasing external pressure.

He became king at Sabi, inheriting strained relations with Silla and shifting regional alliances. The court expected him to restore Baekje’s strategic position as Tang China’s influence grew across Northeast Asia.

Baekje forces struck Silla along contested border zones to recover lost territory and prestige. These campaigns intensified the peninsula’s conflict and pushed Silla to seek stronger backing from Tang China.

He pursued cooperation with Goguryeo to pressure Silla from multiple fronts and counter Silla’s diplomacy. The triangular struggle deepened, making Baekje’s survival increasingly dependent on coalition warfare.

Baekje envoys appealed to the Yamato court for military and logistical aid, highlighting shared ties in Buddhism and elite exchange. The outreach aimed to secure reinforcements as Tang-Silla relations tightened.

Reports from the peninsula underscored Silla’s deepening partnership with Tang, including plans for joint operations. Baekje’s court debated reforms and mobilization, but aristocratic divisions hampered unified action.

Royal officials expanded defenses around Sabi, improving walls and garrisons guarding river routes. The goal was to delay a major invasion force and protect supply lines feeding the capital’s administration.

As pressures mounted, factions blamed the throne for strategic setbacks and alleged moral decay at court. The political infighting weakened command cohesion, reducing Baekje’s ability to coordinate rapid field responses.

Intelligence pointed to Tang plans to move forces by sea while Silla advanced overland. Baekje commanders attempted to concentrate troops, but distance, terrain, and fragmented authority slowed mobilization.

General Gyebaek led a desperate defense against Silla forces, seeking to block the road to Sabi. Despite fierce fighting, Baekje’s defeat opened the capital region to rapid encirclement by the invading coalition.

Tang general Su Dingfang advanced via the Geum River system while Silla pressed inland, collapsing Baekje’s defenses. Sabi fell, officials were seized, and the royal government lost its administrative center and archives.

King Uija surrendered after the capital’s fall, alongside members of the royal family and senior nobles. He was transported under guard as Tang consolidated control, using captives to legitimize a new provincial order.

Baekje loyalists organized resistance, rallying around leaders who sought Yamato aid and local support. The struggle highlighted enduring regional identities even after the capital’s fall and Tang occupation measures.

A decisive clash near the Geum River estuary ended large-scale restoration efforts despite Yamato involvement. The defeat left Baekje refugees scattered and confirmed Tang-Silla dominance over the former Baekje heartland.

In Tang territory he remained a symbol of a fallen kingdom, separated from Baekje’s political base. Tang administrators monitored former royals closely, integrating conquered elites while preventing renewed claims to rule.

He died away from Sabi, as Tang and Silla reshaped the peninsula’s political order. Later Korean histories remembered his reign through the lens of Baekje’s collapse and the harsh realities of seventh-century geopolitics.