The Goryeo military regime began with a coup in 1170, led by General Jeong Jung-bu and his associates, which marked the end of the civilian officials' dominance in the Goryeo dynasty's central government. This event did not happen in isolation; it was influenced by internal strife and external threats that had been taxing the kingdom for years. The military had grown in power due to the ongoing wars, particularly the conflicts with the Jurchen tribes to the north and the Khitan-led Liao dynasty.

Choe Chung-heon's seizure of power in 1197 further solidified military rule. The military regime existed against a backdrop of multiple invasions from the Mongol Empire, which began in the early 13th century. The prolonged Mongol invasions, which started in 1231, were a significant external factor that both justified the military's control and challenged its authority. Despite initial resistance, the Goryeo dynasty became a semi-autonomous vassal state of the Mongol Yuan dynasty, with the military leaders engaging in a complex relationship with the Mongols to retain their power.

Throughout the military regime, the Goryeo court remained a place of intrigue and shifting alliances, with the Choe family maintaining their hold on power through political maneuvering and strategic marriages until their overthrow by the military commander Kim Jun in 1258. The military regime's waning influence towards the end of the 13th century and internal power struggles set the stage for the eventual rise of General Yi Seong-gye, who would later establish the Joseon dynasty in 1392. This transition was also marked by the waning influence of the Mongol Yuan dynasty in China and the rise of the Ming dynasty, which changed the geopolitical landscape of East Asia. The fall of the military regime ended an era where military might often overruled the civil authority, and it opened the way for the Joseon dynasty's more Confucian-based governance system.