Hangul 삼별초 Revised Romanization Sambyeolcho | Hanja 三別抄 McCune–Reischauer Sambyǒlch'o | |
Sambyeolcho was a military unit of the Goryeo dynasty during the era when the Choe family held the reins of power as military dictators behind puppet kings.
Sambyeolcho meant specially selected troops. The Sambyeolcho originated from a unit called the Yabyeolcho (야별초,夜別抄), Special Night Unit which was established to prevent burglaries and provide night time security in the capital. When additional units were subordinated to the Yabyeolcho the new organization was divided into two main units, the Jwabyeolcho (좌별초, 左別抄), Special Unit of the Left, and the Ubyeolcho (우별초,右別抄), the Special Unit of the Right.
Later when a number of soldiers had been taken prisoner by the Mongols and subsequently escaped, they were organized into a third force, the Shin-euigun (신의군, 神義軍), and these three came to be known collectively as the Sambyeolcho. The Sambyeolcho performed both police and military functions, but were elements of the private army of the Choe family. Choe U's private armies superseded and replaced the Royal armies. The Sambyeolcho together with the Tobang (도방, 都房) comprised the means by which the Choe family military dictators projected their power after their military coup usurped the Royal power. The Sambyeolcho were disbanded when the Choe military regime collapsed.