Kim Chŏn-il (; 1537 – July 27, 1593) was a Korean military leader in the 16th century. He was a

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

dynasty official and became a ''

righteous army Righteous armies, sometimes called irregular armies or militias, are informal civilian militias that have appeared several times in Korean history, when the national armies were in need of assistance. The first righteous armies emerged during th ...

'' leader during the

Imjin war The Imjin River ( in South Korea) or Rimjin River ( in North Korea) is the 7th largest river in Korea. It flows from north to south, crossing the Demilitarized Zone and joining the Han River downstream of Seoul, near the Yellow Sea. The river i ...

to repel the 1592 Japanese invasion of Korea. He was killed in the second siege of Jinju in 1593.

Early life

Kim Cheon-il 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 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 ...

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 regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...

, the

Taiko are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called and to the form of ensemble drumming m ...

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

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

of three hundred men in his hometown of

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

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

Uiju Ŭiju County 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 ...

and defend 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 ...

from the invaders. They instead encamped on Gangwha island.

Siege of Jinju

In 1593, the Daimyo

Katō Kiyomasa was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. His court title was Higo-no-kami. His name as a child was ''Yashamaru'', and first name was ''Toranosuke''. He was one of Hideyoshi's Seven Spears of Shizugatake. Biography ...

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 Command is ...

. 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 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 ...

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 Chŏn-il 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 ba ...

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 (December 7, 1561 – October 22, 1626) was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Azuchi–Momoyama period through early Edo period. Hiroie's father was Kikkawa Motoharu and his mother was a daughter of Kumagai Nobunao. Biography He initially w ...

. 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 Chŏn-il committed suicide. In 1603,

posthumously awarded Kim Jwacheonsoung and in 1610,

Gwanghaegun of Joseon Gwanghae-gun or Prince Gwanghae (4 June 1575 – 7 August 1641), personal name Yi Hon (Hangul: 이혼, Hanja: 李琿), was the 15th ruler of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. As he was deposed in a coup d'état, he did not receive a temple name. ...

awarded Kim

Yeonguijeong ''Yeonguijeong'' () was a title created in 1400, during the Joseon Kingdom and the Korean Empire times (1392–1910) and given to the Chief State Councillor as the highest government position of "Uijeongbu" (State Council). Existing for over 500 ...

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Chon-il 1537 births 1593 deaths People of the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598) Joseon politicians