The Goryeo Dynasty in Korea (918-1392) continued its strong patronage of Buddhism during the 12th century, supporting the compilation of the Tripitaka Koreana and fostering Buddhist literary production. Korean monks composed commentaries, hymns, and philosophical treatises in Classical Chinese, while also developing distinctively Korean Buddhist poetic traditions.

Goryeo Buddhist literature preserved and transmitted Chinese Buddhist texts while adding Korean commentarial traditions that influenced East Asian Buddhist thought. Hyangga, an earlier Korean poetic form using Chinese characters to represent Korean speech, had declined by this period, but Buddhist hymns in Chinese maintained connections between Korean religious practice and broader East Asian literary culture. The massive woodblock printing project for the Tripitaka demonstrated commitment to textual preservation that supported literary continuity through political upheavals.