壬亂期 행주대첩의 승리요인 고찰

Abstract

Japanese Invasion of Korea began in 1592 as Japanese troops landed in Busanpo Port. This war lasted for as many as seven years. The capital city, Hanyang (Seoul) fell only twenty days after the invasion began, and King Seonjo abandoned the people and capital and fled to Uiju. The Japanese army chased King Seonjo with unresisted force to capture King Seonjo and destroy Joseon. Joseon was on the verge of collapse. However, the loyal soldiers who rose in revolt and reorganized government forces fought fiercely against the Japanese forces and won many victories nationwide. The triumph at Haengjusanseong Fortress, one of the three significant battles during the war, carries a significant meaning. A great victory in the region closest to the capital city, Hanyang, gave a sense of despair to the Japanese soldiers. On the contrary, it gave hope and confidence to Joseon that they could recover Hanyang and completely defeat the Japanese army in Joseon. While different scholars choose different factors for the victory at Haengjusanseong Fortress, this study chose the importance and role of the commander, the securing of strategic points and supply lines, the intelligence gathering and guerrilla warfare and the civilian-government-military integration as the key factors.