Manchuria's pastoral Tungus peoples had asserted their independence in 698, founding the Jin, or Chen kingdom, which in 713 becomes the P'o-hai, or Parhae, or Balhae, kingdom, centered in the modern province of Jilin (Kirin).

Founded by a former Korean general, Dae Jo-young (Tae Cho-yang), the kingdom’s ruling class consists largely of the former aristocrats of Goguryeo (Koguryo), which had occupied most of northern Korea and Manchuria before it was conquered by a Silla-T'ang alliance in 668.

Dae Jo-young has established his capital at Dongmu Mountain.

Since it had gained power under protection of the northern nomadic empire of Göktürk, T'ang China calls Dae Joyoung "Prefecture King of Balhae” in 713.

The Bohai (Balhae) Prefecture, modern Cangzhou in Hebei Province, faces the Bohai Sea and is remote from his realm.

Although the title is not accompanied by actual possession of the prefecture, "Balhae" will be used hereafter as the name of the country.