Kim Ch'ŏnil (; 1537 – July 27, 1593) was a Korean military leader in the 16th century. He was a

Joseon Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...

dynasty official and became a

righteous army Righteous armies (), sometimes translated as irregular armies or militias, were informal civilian militias that appeared several times in Korean history, when the national armies were in need of assistance. The first righteous armies emerged d ...

leader during the 1592–1598

Imjin War The Imjin War () was a series of two Japanese invasions of Korea: an initial invasion in 1592 also individually called the "Imjin War", a brief truce in 1596, and a second invasion in 1597 called the Chŏngyu War (). The conflict ended in 159 ...

. He was killed in the second siege of Jinju in 1593.

Early life

Kim Ch'ŏnil was born in 1537. He was a good hearted man with a great interest in academics. When Kim was 32 years old,

Seonjo of Joseon Seonjo (; 6 December 1552 – 6 March 1608), personal name Yi Yeon (), was the 14th monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was known for promoting Confucianism and attempting reforms at the beginning of his reign. However, he later gained ...

said that he was upset about not bringing Kim as one of his officials. 5 years later, Kim was recommended to get a job in the government and Kim successfully got one. For years, Kim stayed as one of Seonjo's great officials.

Outbreak of war

In 1592,

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

, the

Taiko are a broad range of Traditional Japanese musical instruments, Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese language, Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various J ...

of Japan, invaded Korea with the intent of using it as a route to invade

Ming China The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

. His Samurai armies achieved early successes, conquering much of the southern Korean peninsula. Kim Ch'ŏnil, a middle-rank official who was then fifty-five years old, raised a small

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

of three hundred men in his hometown of

Naju Naju (; ) is a city in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. The capital of South Jeolla Province was located at Naju until it was moved to Gwangju in 1895. The name Jeolla Province actually originates from the first character of Jeonju () and the ...

. He marched the militia north, recruiting along the way, intending to reach

Uiju Ŭiju is a kun, or county, in North Pyongan Province, North Korea. The county has an area of 420 km2, and a population of 110,018 (2008 data). Name Ŭiju appears as Uiju in South Korea's Revised Romanization and as Yizhou in Chinese source ...

and defend King Seonjo from the invaders. They instead encamped on Ganghwado.

Siege of Jinju

In 1593, the Daimyo

Katō Kiyomasa was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Azuchi–Momoyama period, Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. His court title was . His name as a child was ''Yashamaru'', and first name was ''Toranosuke''. He was one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Hideyoshi's Seven ...

moved to attack the city of

Jinju Jinju (; ) is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It was the location of the first (1592) and second (1593) Sieges of Jinju by Japanese forces during the Imjin War. The Republic of Korea Air Force Education and Training Comman ...

. This city had successfully withstood a siege the previous year, and Kato wanted revenge for the setbacks Japan had suffered in the Imjin war.

Konishi Yukinaga Konishi Yukinaga (小西行長, baptized under the Portuguese personal name Agostinho; 1558 – November 6, 1600) was a Japanese daimyō who served under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Known as a Kirishitan daimyo, he is notable for his role as the ...

informed Ming military advisor Shen Weijing of Kato's intent to attack, and told him that it was merely a face saving gesture rather than a new offensive. Shen advised the Korean military to avoid Jinju, and let the Japanese destroy it. Kim Ch'ŏnil did not heed Shen's advice, and brought his militia into Jinju, intending to defend it from Kato. He was joined by Korean military personnel led by

Hwang Jin Hwang Jin (, 1550–1593) was a general during Japanese invasions of Korea. His courtesy name was Myeongbo and his posthumous name was Mumin. He is best known for his defense at the castle of Jinju at the Siege of Jinju (1593). There were two b ...

and others, as well as another Righteous Army led by Ko Chong-hu. Jinju was encircled by Samurai armies led by Kato, Konishi, Ukita Hideie, and Kikkawa Hiroie. The Japanese commanders sent the defenders a message demanding they surrender. Kim replied that Chinese reinforcements were coming to rescue them. This was not true; Shen Weijing and his fellow Chinese generals had decided not to defend Jinju. On July 27, the Japanese penetrated Jinju's walls. As the Japanese massacred the remaining defenders, Kim Ch'ŏnil committed suicide. In 1603,

posthumously awarded Kim Jwacheonsoung and in 1610,

Gwanghaegun of Joseon Gwanghaegun or Prince Gwanghae (; 4 June 1575 – 7 August 1641), personal name Yi Hon (), was the 15th monarch of the Joseon, Joseon dynasty of Korea. As he was deposed in a ''coup d'état'', he did not receive a temple name. Biography Bi ...

awarded Kim Yŏngŭijŏng.

References

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Ch'ŏnil 1537 births 1593 deaths People of the Imjin War Joseon politicians