![Hwacha2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Hwacha2.jpg)
The Battle of Haengju took place on 14 March 1593 during the
1592–1598 Japanese invasion of Korea. The Japanese attack failed to overcome Haengju fortress.
Background
Gwon 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 ...
was stationed at the fortress of
Haengju, a wooden stockade on a cliff over the
Han River. Haengju posed a threat to
Hanseong
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
(modern Seoul) due to its proximity so the Japanese attacked it in March.
The attack
The Japanese attack led by
Konishi Yukinaga
Konishi Yukinaga (小西 行長, baptized under the personal name Agostinho (Portuguese for Augustine); 1558 – November 6, 1600) was a Kirishitan daimyō under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He is notable for his role as the vanguard of the Japanes ...
happened on 14 March 1593 with 30,000 men. They took turns attacking the stockade due to the limited space. The Koreans retaliated with arrows, cannons, and
hwacha
The ''hwacha'' or ''hwach'a'' ( ko, 화차; Hanja: ; literally "fire cart") was a multiple rocket launcher and an organ gun of similar design which were developed in fifteenth century Korea. The former variant fired one or two hundred rocket-po ...
.
After three attacks, one with siege tower, and one where
Ishida Mitsunari was wounded,
Ukita Hideie
was the ''daimyō'' of Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces (modern Okayama Prefecture), and one of the council of Five Elders appointed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Son of Ukita Naoie, he married Gōhime, a daughter of Maeda Toshiie. Having fought again ...
managed to breach the outer defenses and reach the inner wall. However he was wounded as well and had to fall back.
In the last attack
Kobayakawa Takakage
was a samurai and daimyō (feudal lord) during the Sengoku period and Azuchi–Momoyama period. He was the third son of Mōri Motonari who was adopted by the Kobayakawa clan and became its 14th clan head. He merged the two branches of the Koba ...
burned a hole through the fort's log pilings, but the Koreans managed to hold them back long enough for it to be repaired.
When the Koreans had nearly run out of arrows,
I Bun
I, or i, is the ninth letter and the third vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''i'' (pronounced ), plural ...
arrived with supply ships containing 10,000 more arrows, and they continued to fight on until dusk when the Japanese retreated.
Aftermath
Aside from the defeat, the Japanese situation became even more tenuous after
Zha Dashou Zha or ZHA may refer to:
* Zha (surname) (查), a Chinese surname
* Zhanjiang Airport, IATA code ZHA
* Zhuang languages, ISO 639 code zha
* Zimperium Handset Alliance, an association of device vendors and carriers exchanging security-related And ...
led a small group of raiders to
Hanseong
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
, burning more than 6,500 tons of grain. This left the Japanese with less than a month of provisions.
After several negotiations with
Shen Weijing __NOTOC__
Shen may refer to:
* Shen (Chinese religion) (神), a central word in Chinese philosophy, religion, and traditional Chinese medicine; term for god or spirit
* Shen (clam-monster) (蜃), a shapeshifting Chinese dragon believed to create mi ...
, the Japanese abandoned Hanseong on 17 May 1593. What
Li Rusong
Li Rusong (1549–1598) was a Ming dynasty general from Tieling, Liaodong. He was a Ming army commander in the first half of the Imjin War that took place in the Korean peninsula. Upon the request of the Korean King Seonjo of Joseon, the Ming Wa ...
and
Song Yingchang Song Yingchang (; 1536-1606) was an administrative official during the Ming dynasty, most famously known for managing the first Ming campaign of the Imjin war during 1592-1593 .
Career
Song entered public service in 1565, during his career he hel ...
witnessed upon entering the city was a people who "looked like ghosts."
See also
*
Castles in Korea
Korea has a variety of fortresses, including ''sanseong'' (mountain fortress), ''jinseong'' (camp fortress), and ''eupseong'' (city fortress). This is a list of notable fortresses.
Ancient
* Hwando Fortress (Hangul: 위나암성 Hanja: 尉 ...
*
1592–1598 Japanese invasion of Korea
*
Gwon 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 ...
Citations
Bibliography
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* 桑田忠親
uwata, Tadachika ed., 舊參謀本部編纂,
yu Sanbo Honbu 朝鮮の役
housen no Eki(日本の戰史
ihon no SenshiVol.5), 1965.
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External links
Haengju Mountain Fortress
{{DEFAULTSORT:Siege Of Haengju
Haengju
1593 in Asia
1593 in Japan
Haengju
Haengju