Imjin War Timeline

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Imjin War (1592-1598) consisted of two successive Japanese invasions of Korea.

1543 Japan trades with Portuguese ships. They learn about arquebuses and immediately begin making them.

April 28, 1545 Admiral Yi Sun-sin is born.

1566 Yi begins to study military arts.

1567 Seonjo of Joseon ascends to the throne.

1569 Yu Song-nyong is sent to Ming China for diplomatic reasons.

1572 Yi falls off his horse and fails the military examinations

1576 Yi passes military exam.

1577 Yi is sent to the north to protect Korean borders from the Jurchen.

1578 Yi I, a scholar, strongly suggests that Korea should train an army of 100,000.

1582 Korean soldiers fail to repel a Jurchen attack.

1582 Toyotomi Hideyoshi comes to power in Japan.

1583 Yi captures Jurchen leader Mu Pai Nai. Yi's father dies and Yi mourns.

1586 Toyotomi Hideyoshi first reveals his plan to attack Korea and China, and Hideyoshi begins to ready his invasion fleet.

1587 Yi is wounded by Jurchen arrows.

1588 Yu repeatedly urges for castle reconstruction and soldier training but is rejected.

1588 Some officials propose building military bases on southern islands.

1590 Some officials propose fortifying islands off Busan.

1590 Japanese ambassadors send an arquebuse to King Seonjo.

1591 Yi becomes Commander of Jeolla Left Station and begins his naval career.

1591 Yi begins to construct the innovative Turtle Ships and strengthens the navy.

1591 King Seonjo sends envoys to Japan, who confirm that Japan is not going to attack Korea.

May 23, 1592 150,000 Japanese forces land in Korea and capture Busan and Tadaejin in a shock attack. Japanese First and Second Divisions under Konishi Yukinaga and Kato Koyimasa begin to march north.

• • Siege of Busan - includes the Battle of Tadaejin
  • Siege of Dongnae

May 1592 Third and Fourth Divisions arrive and begin marching towards Seoul as well.

1592 Yu is appointed as Prime Minister of Korea.

May 1592 Battle of Sangju, Japanese victory.

May 1592 Korean forces fail to repel Japanese at Choryang Pass. This consequently leads to the capture of Seoul.

May 1592 King Seonjo and his court flee to Pyongyang.

April 1592 Battle of Chungju, Japanese victory.

April 1592 Japanese First Division captures a deserted Seoul.

September 1592 Admiral Yi attacks and wins the Battle of Okpo and the Battle of Sacheon (1592). Admiral Yi also wins several more vitories. Turtle Ships make their first appearance.

1592 Battle at Uiryong. Little known battle but first victory for Korean forces.

• • Battle of Imjin River
  • Dangpo Battle - naval battle

August 1592 Battle of Hansando. Large Korean naval victory by Admiral Yi. Japanese forces fail to capture Yosu and retreat to Busan.

• • Battle of Hansan - naval battle
  • Siege of Pyeongyang - the city was sieged twice in this year.
  • Battle of Jeonju
  • Battle of Haejeongchang

September 1592 Admiral Yi attacks and destroys the Japanese fleet at Busan.

• • Battle of Busan - naval battle

Fall of 1592 Siege of Jinju (1592). Korean victory and the failure for Japanese forces to enter Jeolla Province.

January 1593 King Seonjo retreats to China and Chinese forces begin to move into Korea.

Early 1593 Japanese Second Division under Kato reach the northern border of Korea and win a string of victories along Korea's eastern coast in the north.

1593 Battle of Haejungchang. The first strong resistance for Second Division in northern Korea. Japanese victory.

1593 Kato attacks Jurchen castles and enters China.

February 1593 A large Chinese and Korean force attacks Pyongyang and forces the First, Third, Fourth, and other divisions retreat.

• • Siege of Pyeongyang
  • Battle of Byeokjegwan

February 1593 Korean forces under Kwon Yul defend and win a large battle against Japanese forces at the Battle of Haengju. Japanese forces retreat again.

• • Battle of Haengju - Battle at Haengju mountain fortress
  • Siege of Jinju - the second siege on Jinju castle in the War. Japanese victory.

February 1593 Chinese forces burn a huge supply of rice and Japanese forces retreat again to escape starvation.

1593 Korean naval victories keep Japanese reinforcements from coming to Seoul and the counter attack to Pyongyang is stopped.

Spring of 1593 Kato is repelled by Jurchen forces. Japanese soldiers never reach China again and the Second Division retreats.

1593 Irregular armies including Korean commoners and Buddhist monks form under leaders like Kwak Jae-woo and Jo Heon.

1593 Kwak makes first attack on Japanese supply ships heading to Seoul.

• 1597
  • Battle of Chilchonryang - naval battle
  • Siege of Namwon
  • Battle of Myeongnyang - naval battle, 13 Korean ships destroy Japanese fleet of 333.
  • Siege of Ulsan

• 1598
  • Battle of Sacheon
  • Battle of Noryang Point - final naval battle of the Seven-Year War