Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Belligerents
Korea: Joseon Dynasty China: Ming Dynasty Japan: AzuchiMomoyama period
Yi Sun-sin Yi Eok-gi Won Gyun Sin Rip Kim Si-min Song Sang-hyeon Go Gyeong-myeong Kim Cheon-il Jo Heon Gwon Yul Yu Seong-ryong Kim Myeong-won Yi Il Gwak Jae-u Jeong Ki-ryong Kim Deok-nyeong Yu Jeong Hyujeong Jeong Mun-bu Kim Chung-seon. China Song Yingchang Yang Hao Li Rusong Xing Jie Listed above: Inspectorsgeneral/field commanders
Ukita Hideie Kat Kiyomasa Fukushima Masanori Konishi Yukinaga Kuroda Nagamasa Mri Terumoto Kobayakawa Takakage Mri Katsunobu Toyotomi Hidekatsu Listed above: Legion chiefs Chsokabe Motochika Shimazu Yoshihiro Tachibana Muneshige Kobayakawa Hidekane Kuki Yoshitaka Td Takatora So Yoshitoshi Matsuura Shigenobu Arima Harunobu mura Yoshiaki Got Sumiharu Nabeshima Naoshige Sagara Yorifusa tomo Yoshimasa Mri Yoshimasa Takahashi Mototane
Yang Shaoxun Ma Gui (pr.) Liu Ting Deng Zilong Wu Weizhong Chen Lin Qian Shizheng et al.
Akizuki Tanenaga It Suketaka Shimazu Tadatoyo Toda Katsutaka Ikoma Chikamasa Hachisuka Iemasa Tachibana Naotsugu Tsukushi Hirokado Ankokuji Ekei Hosokawa Tadaoki
Tokugawa Ieyasu Uesugi Kagekatsu Gam Ujisato tani Yoshitsugu Mori Hidemoto Ikeda Hideuji Nakagawa Hidenari Mri Yoshinari Ikoma Kazumasa Shimazu Tadatsune Mitaira Saemon Wakizaka Yasuharu Kat Yoshiaki Kurushima Michiyuki Kurushima Michifusa and others
Strength
Korea 172,000 Korean Army,[1] (at the beginning) at least 22,600 Korean volunteers and insurgents China 1st. (15921593) 43,000+[2] 2nd. (15971598) ~75,000[3] Total:221,500[4] Japan 1st. (15921593) ~ 158,000 [5] 2nd. (15971598) ~ 141,500[6]
wounded [hide]
V
1st Busan
Dadaejin
Dongnae
Sangju Chungju
Okpo
1st Sacheon
Danghangpo
Hamgyong
Ichi
Bukgwan
Byeokjegwan
2nd Danghangpo
Chilcheollyang Namwon
Myeongnyang
Jiksan
2nd Ulsan
Japanese name
Kanji /
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese Simplified Chinese Hanyu Pinyin Wnl Choxin Zhnzhng
The two Japanese invasions of Korea took place from 1592 to 1598. Toyotomi Hideyoshi led the newly unified Japan into the first invasion (15921596) with the professed goal of conquering the Joseon Dynastyin Korea, and subsequently the Ming Dynasty in China,[7] and the European Merchants (Nanban, [8][9]). The second invasion (15971598) was aimed as a retaliatory offensive against Joseon Dynasty Korea and Ming Dynasty China as its ally.[7] The invasions are also known as Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea, theSeven Year War (in reference to its span), the Imjin Waeran (Hangul: , Hanja: - lit. Japanese Invasion of the Imjin Year), in reference to the "Imjin ()" year of the sexagenary cycle inKorean,[10] and Bunroku Keich no eki (Japanese: ).
Contents
[hide]
4.1 Korea and China before the war 4.2 Hideyoshi and his preparations
4.2.1 Diplomatic dealings between Japan and Korea 4.3.1 Problems with Joseon Defense Policies 4.3.2 Troop strength 4.3.3 Weapons 4.3.4 Naval power
5.1.2 Dongnae 5.1.3 Occupation of the Gyeongsang Province 5.2.1 Battle of Sangju 5.2.2 Battle of Chungju
o o
5.4.1 Crossing of the Imjin River 5.4.2 Distribution of Japanese forces in 1592 5.4.3 Capture of Pyongyang 5.4.4 Campaigns in the Gangwon Province 5.4.5 Campaigns in the Hamgyong Province and Manchuria 5.5.1 Battle of Okpo 5.5.2 Battle of Sacheon and the Turtle Ship 5.5.3 Battle of Dangpo 5.5.4 Battle of Danghangpo 5.5.5 Battle of Yulpo 5.5.6 Battle of Hansando 5.5.7 Battle of Angolpo 5.6.1 Gwak Jae-u's Campaigns along the Nakdong River 5.6.2 Battle of Uiryong/Chongjin 5.6.3 Jeolla coalition and Battle of Yongin 5.6.4 First Geumsan Campaign
o o o o o o
5.7 Siege of Jinju 5.8 Intervention of Ming China 5.9 Siege of Pyongyang 5.10 Battle of Byeokjegwan 5.11 Battle of Haengju 5.12 Stalemate
6 Negotiations and truce between China and Japan (15941596) 7 Korean military reorganization
o o
8.1.1 Plot against Admiral Yi 8.1.2 Battle of Chilcheollyang 8.1.3 Siege of Namwon 8.1.4 Battle of Hwangseoksan 8.1.5 First Korean and Ming counter offensive 8.1.6 Battle of Jiksan 8.1.7 Battle of Myeongnyang 8.1.8 Siege of Ulsan 8.2.1 Battle of Sacheon
o o
Name[edit]
The first invasion (15921596) is literally called the "Japanese ( |wae|) Disturbance ( |ran|) of Imjin" (1592 being an imjin year in the sexagenary cycle) in Korean. In Chinese, the wars are referred to as the "Wanli Korean Campaign", after then reigning Chinese emperor, or the "Renchen War to Defend the Nation" (), where renchen () is the Chinese reading of imjin. Meanwhile, the war is calledBunroku no eki in Japanese (Bunroku referring to the Japanese era under the Emperor Go-Yzei, spanning the period from 1592 to 1596). The second invasion (15971598) is called the "Second War of Jeong-yu" and "Keich no eki", respectively. In Japanese, the war was also called "Kara iri" (, literally "entry to China") in Edo period (1719C) because Japan's ultimate purpose was the conquest of Ming China although the armies of Toyotomi Hideyoshi were confined to the Korean Peninsula for the duration of the war.
Overview[edit]
In 1592 Toyotomi Hideyoshi sent 158,000 troops to the Joseon Dynasty Korea in order to conquer Ming Dynasty China. As the Japanese army approached Seoul, Sonjo, King of Korea, transferred the capital and fled to Pyongyang.[11] As the Japanese army marched close to Pyongyang, Sonjo fled to Pyeongan Province located at the north end of Korea and on the border of China and asked the Ming for help based on past homage to Chinese emperors.[12] The Japanese forces, well trained, confident, and experienced after the numerous conflicts of the Sengoku Period, typically held the field in most land engagements, but were eventually hampered in their advances as their communication and supply lines were disrupted. Ming China quickly interpreted the Japanese invasions as a challenge to its tributary system[13] and their entry into the conflict under the Wanli Emperor brought about an eventual military stalemate. China dispatched 200,000 soldiers, and banished Japan from Pyongyang.[14] The war stalled for five years during which the three states attempted to negotiate a peaceful compromise. The first phase of the invasion lasted from 1592 until 1596, with a brief interlude for what would be failed peace negotiations between 1596 and 1597. In October 1596, Hideyoshi issued orders to invade Korea again. The pattern of the second invasion largely mirrored the first. After limited progress on land and continued lack of security at sea, Hideyoshi died in September 1598. The Council of Five Elders ordered the remaining Japanese forces in Korea to withdraw back to Japan. Final peace negotiations between the parties followed afterwards and continued for several years, ultimately resulting in the normalization of relations.
Effects[edit]
Korea suffered the loss of a large portion of its soldiers and faced enormous financial difficulties as a result of the war taking place almost entirely on its soil and nowhere else.[15] Korea suffered the loss of a large portion of its civilian population through both warfare and famine.[citation needed] In addition to the human losses, Korea suffered tremendous cultural, economic, and infrastructural damage, including a large reduction in the amount of arable land,[citation needed] the destruction and confiscation of significant artworks, artifacts, and historical documents, and the loss of artisans and technicians. During this time, the main Korean royal palaces Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, and Changgyeonggung were burned down, the palace Deoksugung was used as a temporary palace.[citation needed] The heavy financial burden placed on China by this war, as well as two other wars in the south, adversely affected its military capabilities and partly contributed to the fall of the Ming Dynasty and the rise of the Qing Dynasty.[16] However, the sinocentric tributary system that Ming had defended was maintained by the Qing, and ultimately, the war resulted in a maintenance of the status quo - with the reestablishment of trade and the normalization of relations between all three parties.[17]
Background[edit]
Main articles: Joseon Dynasty and History of Korea Main articles: Azuchi-Momoyama period and History of Japan
Their conflicts with the Wokou pirates a couple decades earlier also gave them significant experience against the Japanese style of warfare. Japan was by this time ending a period of internal conflict and the process of unification had been taken forward by Toyotomi. Japan launched the first attack to the Korean Peninsula, with the pretext that Korea refused to let pass Japanese soldiers pass through their land to get to China. This could have effectively been true since Japan was eager, for social and economic reasons, to take land on the continent and expand.
friendly relations with China long before completing the unification of Japan and helped to police the trade routes against the wak.[37]
military strength and intentions. They nonetheless pressed that a war was imminent. Kim Saung-il claimed that Hideyoshi's letter was nothing but a bluff. Moreover, the Korean court, aware only that Japan was in turmoil with various clan armies fighting each other, substantially underrated the combined strength and abilities of many Japanese armies at the time. Some, including King Seonjo, argued that Ming should be informed about the dealings with Japan, as failure to do so could make Ming suspect Korea's allegiance, but the Korean court finally concluded to wait further until the appropriate course of action became definite.[58] In the end, Hideyoshi diplomatic negotiations did not produce the desired result with Korea. The Joseon Court approached Japan as a country inferior to Korea, and saw itself as superior according to its favored position within the Chinese tributary system. It mistakenly evaluated Hideyoshi's threats of invasions to be no better than the common wak Japanese pirate raids.[59] The Korean court handed to Shigenobu[47] and Genso, Hideyoshi's third embassy, King Seonjo's letter rebuking Hideyoshi for challenging the Chinese tributary system. Hideyoshi replied with another letter, but since it was not presented by a diplomat in person as expected by custom, the Korean Court ignored it.[60] After this denial of his second request, Hideyoshi proceeded to launch his armies against Korea in 1592.
Military capabilities[edit]
Main articles: Military history of Korea, Military history of Japan, and Military history of China (pre1911)
of new military technologies in Asia, Korea was one of the manufacturing base of warship of the Mongol Empire.[63][64] Japan, on the other hand, had been in a state of civil war for over a century, which had the result of turning Japan into a very proficient warlike society. When traders from Portugal arrived in Japan and introduced arquebuses and muskets, the Japanese warlords were quick to adapt to this innovative weapon, giving them a large advantage over the Korean armies. On land, however, the charging Japanese infantry were very difficult targets for the Korean cannons, and the small arms carried by Japanese soldiers had greater advantage. This strategic difference in weapons development and implementation contributed to the in-war Japanese dominance on land, and The Allied Forces dominance of the West Coast in the Korean Peninsula. As Japan had been at war since the mid-15th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had half a million battlehardened soldiers at his disposal[65] to form a remarkable professional army in Asia for the invasion of Korea.[66] While Japan's chaotic state had left the Koreans with a very low estimate of Japan as a military threat,[66] a new sense of unity among the different political factions in Japan, the "Sword hunt" in 1588, (the confiscation of all weapons from the peasants) indicated otherwise. [67] Along with the hunt came "The Separation Edict" in 1591, which effectively put an end to all Japanese wak piracy by prohibiting the daimys to support the pirates within their fiefs.[67] Ironically enough, the Koreans believed that Hideyoshi's invasion would be just an extension of the previous pirate raids that had been repelled before.[68] As for the military situation in Joseon, the Korean scholar official Yu Seong-ryongobserved, "not one in a hundred [Korean generals] knew the methods of drilling soldiers":[69] rise in ranks depended far more on social connections than military knowledge.[70] Korean soldiers were disorganized, ill-trained and ill-equipped,[70] and they were used mostly in construction projects such as building castle walls.[71]
Japanese arquebuses of the Edo era. These types offirearms were used by Japanese soldiers during Hideyoshi's invasions.
There were several defects with the organization of the Joseon-era Korean military defence system.[72] An example was a defence policy that stated local officers could not individually respond to a foreign invasion outside of their jurisdiction until a higher ranking general, appointed by the king's court, arrived with a newly mobilized army.[72] This arrangement was highly inefficient since the
nearby forces would remain stationary until the mobile border commander arrived on the scene and took control.[72] Secondly, as the appointed general often came from an outside region, he was likely to be unfamiliar with the natural environment, the available technology and manpower of the invaded region.[72] Finally, as a main army was never maintained, new and ill-trained recruits conscripted during war constituted a significant part of the army.[72] The Korean court managed to carry out some reforms, but they remain problematic. For example, the military training center established in 1589 in the Gyeongsang province recruited mostly either too young or too old soldiers (as able men targeted by the policy had higher priorities such as farming and other economic activities), augmented by some adventure-seeking aristocrats and slaves buying their freedom.[72] The dominant form of the Korean fortresses was the "Sanseong", or the mountain fortress,[73] which consisted of a stone wall that continued around a mountain in a serpentine fashion.[66] These walls were poorly designed with little use of towers and cross-fire positions (usually seen in European fortifications) and were mostly low in height.[66] It was a wartime policy for everyone to evacuate to one of these nearby fortresses and for those who failed to do so to be assumed to be collaborators with the enemy; however, the policy never held any great effect because the fortresses were out of reach for most refugees.[66]
Troop strength[edit]
Hideyoshi mobilized his army at the Nagoya Castle on Kysh (present-day Karatsu), newly built for the sole purpose of housing the invasion forces and the reserves.[74] The first invasion consisted of nine divisions totaling 158,800 men, of which the last two of 21,500 were stationed as reserves in Tsushima andIki respectively.[75] The Japanese used a total of 500,000 troops throughout the entire war.[65] On the other hand, Joseon maintained only a few military units with no field army, and its defense depended heavily on the mobilization of the citizen soldiers in case of emergency.[71] During the first invasion, Joseon deployed a total of 84,500 regular troops throughout, assisted by 22,000 nonregular volunteers.[76] Ming troops never numbered more than 60,000 troops in Korea at any point of the war.[77]
Weapons[edit]
Joseon cannons such as this one were extensively used in the Joseon navy.
An illustration of an ampulliform Chinese fire-lance with a gunpowder charge shooting a blast of flame with lead pellets as coviative projectiles. The weapon was called the 'phalanx-charging fire-gourd'
Chinese also demonstrated massive use of rocket-propelled arrows, notably during the Siege of Pyongyang in January 1593. During siege actions, Chinese deployed rattan shields and iron pavises (large shields), reputed to be musket-proof. The Japanese defeated successive Korean armies with a combination of muskets, spears and swords. While muskets used by the Japanese were superior to Korean bows in terms of penetration, the former lacked the range, accuracy, and fire rate of the latter.[citation needed] Numerous battle accounts from the Annal of Joseon dynasty and various essays, diaries of Korean officials and commanders show that musket alone could not ensure victory. By employing both musket and arme blanche ("cold steel", swords, lances, spears, and the like), the Japanese were able to achieve success during the early phase of war. Indeed, the ferocious charge of Japanese troops with spears and swords were often more decisive than with muskets. This is because the Koreans, who fare fairly well in ranged combat by employing small firearms and bows, were poorly trained in close combat, and lacked battlefield experience and discipline. Thus Korean soldiers were unable to hold their line against charging Japanese soldiers. The following words from a Korean military official named Shieon Lee to the Korean king clearly shows such weakness: The King asked him (Shi-eon Lee), "You have already told me about the low accuracy of Japanese muskets. Why, then, are Korean armies having great problem with defeating them?" He then answered, "The Korean soldiers cower before the enemy and flee for their lives even before they have engaged the enemy. As for the commanders, they seldom leave their positions because they fear that they might be executed for deserting. However, there is a limit to executing deserting soldiers since there are so many of them. Truly, the Japanese aren't good musketeers, but they advance so rapidly that they appear right in front of the Koreans in the time Koreans can shoot only two arrows. It is said that Koreans are good archers, but they seldom hit the targets when the enemy is too far away, and are too scared to shoot when the enemy is near because they fear Japanese swords[verification needed][page needed]. Archery often becomes useless because Koreans, fearing the Japanese arme blanche, can barely shoot. The Japanese are reputed to be good swordsmen, but it is possible for Koreans to draw swords and hold their ground. However, the Koreans seldom do this and merely run for their lives[verification
needed][page needed]
."[85]
As for field artillery, it seems the Koreans seldom employed them, with cannons mainly used in siege action and in defending castles. According to the "The Diary of a Militia" (; Hyangbyeong-ilgi), which is stored in the database of National Institute of Korean History, there are a few cases of Koreans employing artillery in the field. At the battle of Haengju, the Korean army employed "Earth" class cannon (Jija-chongtong) behind field fortification. In addition, irregular Korean units with government-supplied weapons used explosive shots fired from mortars at the open terrain in Ban-am, Gyeongsang district. The Chinese seem to have been
more active in employing field artillery than the Koreans. One of the notable Chinese field gun was "Great General Cannon". This was a large breech-loading cannon with two-wheeled cart, shooting an iron ball weighing about 10 kilograms. The Japanese, on the other hand, employed virtually no artillery neither in siege or field warfare. The Koreans actively deployed their cavalry divisions in action, however they often suffered significant disadvantages. Terrain was often mountainous, lacking both the flat plains suitable for cavalry charges, the land was prone to ditches, and it lacked grass essential in feeding their horses. In addition, Japanese use of the arquebus at long range and in concentrated volleys negated effective cavalry tactics.[83] Korean cavalrymen's primary weapons were bows, with swords and lances holding only subsidiary positions. Most of cavalry action for the Koreans took place in the Battle of Chungju at the beginning of the war where they were outnumbered and wiped out by Japanese infantry.[86] Although the Japanese divisions also fielded cavalry (they, however, dismounted when engaged in action, acting more like mounted infantry) and occasionally specialized firearms were used on horseback, though most cavalrymen preferred the conventional yari (spear),[87] their use was reduced by increasing logistical difficulties and the increasing use of firearms by the Koreans and Chinese.[88]
Naval power[edit]
In addition to a lack of effective naval armament, most Japanese ships were modified merchant vessels more suited for transportation of troops and equipment than fielding artillery weapons.[63][91] Most Japanese ships were also constructed with a deep keel and a single sail, that while provided speed limited movement to favourable winds and manouevrability was considerably disadvantaged by Korea's narrow coastal waters. Korean ships in contrast fielded multiple sails and crews providing oar power, and were constructed with a flat keel that enabled sharp turns[citation needed]. Additionally Japanese ships were constructed with iron nails while the Korean panokseons used wooden pegs. In water, nails corroded and loosened while wooden pegs expand and strengthened the joints[citation needed]. Admiral Yi's leadership and strategic thinking was also a large factor in Korea's naval dominance, using a superior naval force to disrupt the Japanese logistical network of the Korean Peninsula coast, This dominance, however, had limited effect on Japan's ability to continuously reinforce on the Korean peninsula in the area of Pusan, once Korean naval bases in the immediate area were neutralized. In order to bolster his fleet, Hideyoshi attempted unsuccessfully to hire two Portuguese galleons to join the invasion.[92]
3rd div.
4th div.
Shimazu Yoshihiro Mri Yoshimasa (ja) Takahashi Mototane (ja), Akizuki Tanenaga, It Suketaka (ja), Shimazu Tadatoyo[94]
2,000
14,000
5th div.
Fukushima Masanori Toda Katsutaka Chsokabe Motochika Ikoma Chikamasa Ikushima (Kurushima Michifusa)?
7,200
6th div.
Kobayakawa Takakage Kobayakawa Hidekane, Tachibana Muneshige, Tachibana Naotsugu (ja),Tsukushi Hirokado, Ankokuji Ekei
10,000
5,700
15,700
Mri Terumoto
10,000
(9th div.)
11,500 21,500
Subtotal Stationed force at Nagoya Subtotal Naval force exclusion Total (rounded) Kuki Yoshitaka, Wakizaka Yasuharu,Kat -9,000 Yoshiaki, tani Yoshitsugu
158,700
75,000
233,700
225,000
Initial attacks[edit]
Busan and Dadaejin[edit]
Main articles: Siege of Busan and Battle of Dadaejin On May 23, 1592, the First Division of the Japanese invasion army consisting of 7,000 men led by Konishi Yukinaga[95] left Tsushima in the morning, and arrived at the port city of Busan in the evening.[96] Korean naval intelligence had detected the Japanese fleet, but Won Gyun, the Right Naval Commander of Gyeongsang, misidentified the fleet as trading vessels on a mission. [97] A later report of the arrival of an additional 100 Japanese vessels raised his suspicions, but the general did nothing about it.[97]S Yoshitoshi landed alone on the Busan shore to ask the Koreans for a safe passage to China for the last time; the Koreans refused, and S Yoshitoshi laid siege to the citywhile Konishi Yukinaga attacked the nearby fort of Dadaejin the next morning.[96]Japanese accounts claim that the battles dealt the Koreans complete annihilation (one claims 8,500 deaths, and another, 30,000 heads), while a Korean account claims that the Japanese themselves took significant losses before sacking the city. [98]
Dongnae[edit]
"Dongnaebu Sunjeoldo", a Korean painting from 1760 depicting the Battle of Dongnae.
Main article: Siege of Dongnae On the morning of May 25, 1592, the First Division arrived at Dongnae eupseong.[98] The resulting fight lasted twelve hours, killed 3,000, and resulted in Japanese victory. [99] A popular legend describes the governor in charge of the fortress, Song Sang-hyeon. When Konishi Yukinaga again demanded before the battle that the Koreans allow the Japanese to travel through the peninsula, the governor was said to have replied, "It is easy for me to die, but difficult to let you pass."[99] Even when the Japanese troops neared his commanding post during the battle, Song remained seated with cool dignity.[99]Finally, when a Japanese soldier cut off Song's right arm holding his staff of command, Song picked up the staff with his left arm, which was then cut off; again Song picked it up, this time with his mouth, but was killed by a third blow.[99] The Japanese, impressed by Song's defiance, treated his body with proper burial ceremony.[99]
Miryang castle on the afternoon of May 26.[102] The First Division secured the Cheongdo fortress in the next few days, and destroyed the city of Daegu.[102] By June 3, the First Division crossed the Nakdong River, and stopped at the Sonsan mountain.[102]
Joseon response[edit]
Upon receiving the news of the Japanese attacks, the Joseon government appointed General Yi Il as the mobile border commander, as was the established policy.[103] General Yi headed to Myongyong near the beginning of the strategically important Choryong pass to gather troops, but he had to travel further south to meet the troops assembled at the city of Daegu.[102] There, General Yi moved all troops back to Sangju, except for the survivors of the Battle of Dongnae who were to be stationed as a rearguard at the Choryong pass.[102]
Battle of Sangju[edit]
Main article: Battle of Sangju (1592) On April 25,[104] General Yi deployed a force of less than 1,000 men on two small hills to face the approaching First Division.[105] Assuming that a rising smoke was from the burning of buildings by a nearby Japanese force, General Yi sent an officer to scout on horseback; however, as he neared a bridge, the officer was ambushed by Japanese musket fire from below the bridge, and was beheaded.[105] The Korean troops, watching him fall, were greatly demoralized.[105] Soon the Japanese began the battle with their arquebuses; the Koreans replied with their arrows, which fell short of their targets.[105] The Japanese forces, having been divided into three, attacked the Korean lines from both the front and the two flanks; the battle ended with General Yi Il's retreat and 700 Korean casualties.[105]
Battle of Chungju[edit]
Main article: Battle of Chungju General Yi Il then planned to use the Choryong pass, the only path through the western end of the Sobaek mountain range, to check the Japanese advance.[105] However, another commander, Sin Rip, appointed by the Joseon government had arrived in the area with a cavalry division, and moved 8,000 combined troops to the Chungju fortress, located above the Choryong pass.[106] General Sin Rip then wanted to fight a battle on an open field, which he felt ideal for the deployment of his cavalry unit, and placed his units on the open fields of Tangeumdae.[106] As the general feared that, since the cavalry consisted mostly of new recruits, his troops would flee in battle easily,[107] he felt the need to trap his forces in the triangular area formed by the convergence of the Talcheon and Han rivers in the shape of a "Y".[106] However, the field was dotted with flooded rice paddies, and was not suitable for cavalry action.[106] On June 5, 1592 the First Division of 18,000 men[107] led by Konishi Yukinaga left Sangju, and reached an abandoned fortress at Mungyong by night.[108]The next day, the First Division arrived
at Tangumdae in the early afternoon, where they faced the Korean cavalry unit at the Battle of Chungju. Konishi divided his forces into three, and attacked with arquebuses from both flanks and the front.[108] The Korean arrows fell short of the Japanese troops, which were outside their range, and General Sin led two charges that failed against the Japanese lines. General Sin then killed himself in the river, and the Koreans that tried to escape by the river either drowned, or were decapitated by the pursuing Japanese.[108]
Capture of Seoul[edit]
The Second Division led by Kat Kiyomasa arrived at Chungju, with the Third Division not far behind.[109] There, Kat expressed his anger against Konishi for not waiting at Busan as planned, and attempting to take all of the glory for himself; then Nabeshima Naoshige proposed a compromise of dividing the Japanese troops into two separate groups to follow two different routes to Hanseong (the capital and present-day Seoul), and allowing Kat Kiyomasa to choose the route that the Second Division would take to reach Seoul.[109] The two divisions began the race to capture Hanseong on June 8, and Kat took the shorter route across the Han River whil e Konishi went further upstream where smaller waters posed a lesser barrier.[109] Konishi arrived at Hanseong first on June 10 while the Second Division was halted at the river with no boats with which to cross.[109] The First Division found the castle undefended with its gates tightly locked, as King Seonjo had fled the day before.[110] The Japanese broke into a small floodgate, located in the castle wall, and opened the capital city's gate from within.[110] Kat's Second Division arrived at the capital the next day (having taken the same route as the First Division), and the Third and Fourth Divisions the day after.[110] Meanwhile, the Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Divisions had landed on Busan, with the Ninth Division kept in reserve on the island of Iki.[110] Parts of Hanseong had already been looted and torched, including bureaus holding the slave records and the weapons, and they were already abandoned by its inhabitants.[110] General Kim Myong-won, in charge of the defenses along the Han River, had retreated.[111] The King's subjects stole the animals in the royal stables and fled before him, leaving the King to rely on farm animals.[111] In every village, the King's party was met by inhabitants, lined up by the road, grieving that their King was abandoning them, and neglecting their duty of paying homage.[111] Parts of the southern shore of the Imjin River was burnt to deprive the Japanese troops of materials with which to make their crossing, and General Kim Myong-won deployed 12,000 troops at five points along the river.[111]
remaining Japanese troops on the southern shore of the Imjin River.[111] The main Japanese body retaliated against the isolated Korean troops, and acquired their boats; in response the Korean General Kim Myong-won retreated with his forces to theKaesong fortress.[112]
Capture of Pyongyang[edit]
The First Division under Konishi Yukinaga proceeded northward, and sacked Pyongsan, Sohung, Pungsan, Hwangju, and Chunghwa on the way.[114] At Chunghwa, the Third Division under Kuroda Nagamasa joined the First, and continued to the city of Pyongyang located behind the Taedong River.[114] 10,000 Korean troops guarded the city against 30,000 Japanese [115] under various commanders including the Generals Yi Il and Kim Myong-won, and their defense preparations had assured that no boats were available for Japanese use.[114] At night, the Koreans silently crossed the river and launched a successful surprise attack against the Japanese encampment.[114] However, this stirred up the rest of the Japanese army, which attacked the rear of the Korean positions and destroyed the reinforcements crossing the river.[116] Then the rest of the Korean troops retreated back to Pyongyang, and the Japanese troops gave up their pursuit of the Koreans to observe the way the Koreans crossed the river.[116] The next day, using what they had learned from observing the retreating Korean troops, the Japanese began sending troops to the other shore over the shallow points in the river, in a systematic manner, and at this the Koreans abandoned the city overnight.[117] On 20 July 1592, the First and Third Divisions entered the deserted city of Pyongyang.[118][117] In the city, they managed to gather 100,000 tons of military supplies and grain.[118] Following the fall of Pyongyang, King Seonjo requests the assistance of the Ming Dynasty, who send 5,000 soldiers led by Zhu Chengxun.[119]
The Fourth Division under the command of Mri Yoshinari set out eastward from the capital city of Hanseong in July, and captured the fortresses down the eastern coast from Anbyon to Samcheok.[117] The division then turned inward to capture Jeongseon, Yeongwol, and Pyeongchang, and settled down at the provincial capital of Wonju.[117] There Mri Yoshinari established a civil administration, systematized social ranks according to the Japanese model, and conducted land surveys.[117] Shimazu Yoshihiro, one of the generals in the Fourth Division, arrived at Gangwon late, due to the Umekita Rebellion, and finished the campaign by securing Chunchon.[120]
assault from the Jurchens.[122] Despite having the advantage, Kat Kiyomasa retreated with his forces to avoid heavy losses.[122]Because of this invasion, rising Jurchen leader Nurhachi offered military assistance to Joseon and Ming in the war. However, the offer was refused by both countries, particularly Joseon, citing that it would be disgraceful to accept assistance from the "Barbarians" to the north. The Second Division continued east, capturing the fortresses of Jongseong, Onsong, Kyongwon, and Kyonghung, and finally arrived at Sosupo on the estuary of the Tumen River.[122] There the Japanese rested on the beach, and watched a nearby volcanic island rising on the horizon that they mistook asMount Fuji.[122] After the tour, the Japanese continued their previous efforts to bureaucratize and administrate the province, and allowed several garrisons to be handled by the Koreans themselves.[123]
Battle of Okpo