The Battle of Yongin (용인 전투) happened during the

Japanese invasions of Korea Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

. The battle was fought from June 5–6, 1592 ( Gregorian July 13–14, 1592). Yi Gwang's force of 60,000 lost to the numerically inferior Japanese garrison of 1,600-1,900.Turnbull, Stephen: ''Samurai Invasion. Japan's Korean War 1592–98'' (London, 2002), Cassell & Co , p. 72

Background

In 1592,

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...

invaded Korea, intending to use it as a route to send his armies to conquer

Ming China The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...

. His forces achieved early success against the Korean army, capturing Seoul. Attempting to reach Seoul as fast as possible, the Japanese forces bypassed

Jeolla Province Jeolla Province (, ) was one of the historical Eight Provinces of Korea during the Kingdom of Joseon in today Southwestern Korea. It consisted of the modern South Korean provinces of North Jeolla, South Jeolla and Gwangju Metropolitan City as wel ...

. The governor of Jeolla, Yi Gwang, decided to lead his forces against the Japanese in a counterattack. Yongin was a Japanese communication fortress, near Suwon. It was held by the daimyo

Wakisaka Yasuharu (1554 – September 26, 1626), sometimes referred to as Wakizaka Yasuharu, was a ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of Awaji Island who fought under a number of warlords over the course of Japan's Sengoku period. Wakisaka originally served under A ...

. Yi Gwang led a force of 60,000 against it.

Course of battle

Against

Kwon Yul Gwon Yul (; December 28, 1537 - July 6, 1599) was a Korean Army General and the Commander-in-chief (도원수; 導元帥) of the Joseon Dynasty, who successfully led the Korean forces against Japan during the Japanese invasions of Korea (임진� ...

's warnings and advice, Yi Kwang launched an attack without making a reconnaissance. One group of the Korean army took up positions on a hill, while the other attacked the fortress itself. Wakisaka's forces counterattacked, and destroyed the Korean army through an ambush.

Result

Many of the Korean officers were captured by the Japanese in the battle. Nevertheless, Gwon Yul and Hwang Jin retreated in good order and were able to gather surviving scattered troops for the victory at the

Battle of Ichi The Battle of Ichi was fought on August 14, 1592, in Jeolla Province during the Japanese invasions of Korea. Kwon Yul and Hwang Jin's one-thousand-man army battled against the two-thousand-man army of Kobayakawa Takakage. The Koreans won this battl ...

. Thus, Jeolla remained outside Japanese control for the rest of the first Japanese invasion of Korea. On the other hand, the defeat of Yongin (along with the defeat at the Imjin River) convinced King

Seonjo Seonjo of Joseon (26 November 1552 – 16 March 1608) was the fourteenth king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1567 to 1608. He was known for encouraging Confucianism and renovating state affairs at the beginning of his reign. However, politi ...

to abandon Pyeongyang and evacuate to Uiju. Historian Kim Haboush describes the destruction of the Joseon relief force at Yongin as one that dashed any hopes of Joseon regaining the initiative and bringing a quick conclusion to the war. Although the Korean troops would eventually retake Seoul after winning a decisive victory at Hangju in 1593, the Koreans would never field an army of 60,000 at one point for the remaining of the war.

In popular culture

The battle is repeatedly referenced in the 2022 film '' Hansan: Rising Dragon'' directed by

Kim Han-min Kim Han-min (born November 5, 1969) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He directed the feature films ''Paradise Murdered'' (2007), '' Handphone'' (2009), ''War of the Arrows'' (2011), and '' The Admiral: Roaring Currents'' (2014). ...

. In the movie, Japanese Commander

is considered a formidable foe by Korean commanders due to his stunning victory over the numerically superior Joseon forces at Yongin.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yongin Battles of the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598) 1592 in Asia 1592 in Japan Conflicts in 1592