Episode 9: The Roads of Balhae. In the year 668, the kingdom of Goguryeo, which had been the dominant power in Northeast Asia, came to an end. The fall of Goguryeo seemed to mean that Manchuria and Maritime Provinces in Siberia would no longer be a part of Korean history. However, thirty years later, a new empire emerged from the site of Kraskino fortress, as the successor to Goguryeo. This empire was called Balhae, whose name means "rising sun." How did Balhae become a regional powerhouse in Asia in just 100 years? Episode 10: Gaegyeong - An International City from a Millennium Ago. A thousand years ago, ships from all over the world plied the golden seas west of the Korean peninsula. The port of Byeokrando, located at the mouth of the Yeseong River, was a thriving commercial hub and the gateway to Gaegyeong, the capital of the Goryeo kingdom one thousand years ago.