임란초기 영천지역 의병 항쟁과 영천성 복성復城

Abstract

In Yeongcheon, righteous armies and the government army cooperated with each other and recovered the Yeongcheon Wall. The recovery of the Yeongcheon Wall was the first victory that Korean forces won in ground battles during Imjin Waeran (Japanese Invasion of 1592‐1599). This victory was so meaningful that even people in those days called it the greatest victory by the Joseon army along with the Great Battle of Myeongryang. However, their campaigns have been forgotten now. In order to review the roles and meanings of righteous armies during Imjin Waeran, we need to reilluminate the forgotten activities of righteous armies in the Yeongcheon area. This study was conducted for this purpose. Yeongcheon is situated in the middle of Gyeongsang‐do, and was an important strategic place connecting Gyeongju to Andong. For this reason, Kato Kiyomasa’s force that occupied Yeongcheon left 1,000 soldiers behind to defend the area. This remaining force raided nearby areas through major routes, and in response to the invasions, righteous armies began to rise for local defense. In Yeongcheon and Sinnyeong, leaders such as Jeong Se‐ah, Jeong Dae‐im, and Kwon Eung‐soo raised righteous armies based on their hometown. At the beginning, their campaigns were limited to attacking small units of Japanese army plundering villages. Gradually, however, righteous armies in the Yeongcheon area began to expand the scope of their activities. Factors inducing such expansion were as follows. First, Choyusa (Overseer) Kim Seong‐il appointed the leaders of righteous armies and this established the command system. Second, as the Ming Army joined in the war, the war situation turned favorable to Joseon. Third, Yeongcheon righteous armies’ victories at a number of battles stirred up the morale. As a result, righteous armies in Yeongcheon and nearby areas formed a united front. The joint force of righteous armies won a great victory at the Bakyeon Battle. With enhanced spirit, the leaders of righteous armies in Yeongcheon went up to the front line in order to reclaim the Yeongcheon Wall. For this, righteous armies from at least 10 counties and villages were encouraged to join the united force. Along with the righteous armies, the command post of the government army also participated, and explosives and weapons were supplied. Moreover, the invincible will of the command post and the strategic choice of attacking with fire led to the reclamation of the Yeongcheon Wall. With the recovery of the Yeongcheon Wall, Japanese forces stationed in Gyeongsangjwa‐do to the south of Andong were isolated because the supply route through Gyeongju, Yeongcheon, and Andong was blocked. This inflicted a severe blow to the Japanese forces, and seizing the momentum, the righteous armies recovered Gyeongju and Ulsan as well. The recovery of the Yeongcheon Wall was attained through joint operation of government and civil forces, and this raises the necessity to reexamine the relationship between the command post of the government army and the leaders of righteous armies. It is because behind the brilliant military achievements of the righteous armies were superior weapons of the government army and excellent tactics of the command post. A new approach to this aspect may provide opportunities to overcome the distorted perception that the Joseon Dynasty was incompetent and devoid of national crisis management systems.