Battle of Haengju
Haengjusanseong fortress, on the Han River, Goyang, South Korea
What happened
About 2,300 Korean (Joseon) defenders under General Gwon Yul held a hilltop fortress against a much larger Japanese army whose commanders included Ukita Hideie and Konishi Yukinaga. During the Japanese invasion of Korea, Gwon Yul's troops held a wooden stockade on a cliff above the Han River. The Japanese attacked again and again, taking turns because the space was narrow. When the Korean arrows were nearly gone, supply boats brought 10,000 more, and at dusk the Japanese withdrew.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It is remembered as one of the three great Korean victories of the war. Soon after, with their food supplies burned in a separate raid, the Japanese left the capital, Hanseong (Seoul).
What came next
The Japanese abandoned Hanseong on 17 May 1593. A monument to the battle was built on the mountaintop in 1603.
Did you know?
A shrine on the mountain, Chungjangsa, keeps a portrait of Gwon Yul.
Timeline
- 1592Korea wins at Hansan Island.
- 14 March 1593Gwon Yul's defenders win at Haengju.
- 17 May 1593The Japanese abandon Hanseong.
- 1603A battle monument is put up on the mountaintop.
- 21 January 1963Haengjusanseong is named a Historic Site.