Kwŏn Yul (general)

Kwŏn Yul (28 December 1537 – 6 July 1599) was a Korean army general who served as the commander-in-chief of Joseon forces during the Japanese invasions of Korea. He is most famous for the Battle of Haengju, where his 2,800 troops defeated a Japanese force of about 30,000.

Early life

Kwŏn came from the prominent Andong Kwŏn clan; his father, Kwŏn Ch'ŏl, had been the yeonguijeong. Despite this background, Kwŏn did not enter government or military service until he was 46. He received his first official post in 1582 and held several positions, including mayor of Uiju in 1591.

Battle of Ichi

When the Japanese invaded in 1592, Kwŏn was mayor of Gwangju in Jeolla province and held military command there. He joined his superior Yi Kwang in a march toward Seoul, but after Yi was defeated at Yongin, Kwŏn retreated to Gwangju and gathered about 1,000 militia. At the Battle of Ichi, Kwŏn’s roughly 1,000 men faced 10,000 Japanese troops under Kobayakawa Takakage and won, securing the recapture of Jeolla province. Kwŏn personally executed deserters to maintain discipline, and his vanguard commander Hwang Chin fought on despite a gunshot wound.

Siege of Doksan

In 1593, Kwŏn was named governor of Jeolla. He led 10,000 troops toward Gyeonggi Province, gathering local militia and monks to reach about 20,000 men. At Doksan Fortress near Suwon, Japanese forces under Ukita Hideie besieged him for a month. Running low on water, Kwŏn ordered war horses brought onto the fort wall and washed with grains of rice.

From a distance, the Japanese believed the fort had ample water, lost morale, and retreated to Seoul. Kwŏn pursued them, inflicting over 3,000 casualties. King Seonjo later erected a monument called Semadae at Doksan to honor the ruse.

Battle of Haengju

Kwŏn then set up camp at the ruined Haengju fortress near Seoul with no more than 2,800 men, joined by local militias and monk soldiers. Japanese commanders Katō Kiyomasa and Ukita Hideie attacked with 30,000 troops on 12 February 1593. Kwŏn’s forces and civilians defended with rocks, arrows, iron pellets, burning oil, molten iron, hwachas, and explosive cannon shells. The Japanese suffered over 10,000 casualties, and top generals Ukita, Ishida Mitsunari, and Kikkawa Hiroie were wounded, forcing a retreat.

Kwŏn remained in his post until peace talks between the Ming emperor and Toyotomi Hideyoshi began, then moved to Jeolla and was appointed Dowonsu, commander-in-chief. He was briefly removed for harsh treatment of deserters but reinstated the following year.

He ordered Admiral Wŏn Kyun into battle at Chilchonryang, which ended in Japanese victory, though Yi Sun-sin later defeated the Japanese at Myeongnyang. In 1597, Kwŏn and Chinese commander Ma Gui planned to attack the Japanese at Ulsan, but the Chinese commander-in-chief ordered a withdrawal. A later plan to strike Suncheon was also rejected by the Chinese.

After the war, Kwŏn retired from all posts and died on 6 July 1599. He was posthumously granted the title of Yeonguijeong and named an Ildŭng Sŏnmu Kongsin alongside Yi Sun-sin and Wŏn Kyun.