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Won Gyun (1540—1597) was a Korean general and admiral during the Joseon Dynasty. He is best known for his campaigns against Japanese during Hideyoshi's Invasions of Korea. Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Jamo redirects here. ... Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. ... The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ... McCune-Reischauer romanization is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced (a modified) McCune-Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000. ... Territory of Joseon after Jurchen conquest of King Sejong Capital Hanseong Language(s) Korean Religion Neo-Confucianism Government Monarchy Wang  - 1392 - 1398 Taejo (first)  - 1863 - 1897 Gojong (last)1 Yeong-uijeong  - 1431 - 1449 Hwang Hui  - 1466 - 1472 Han Myeonghoe  - 1592 - 1598 Ryu Seongryong  - 1894 Kim Hongjip History  - Coup of 1388... Combatants Joseon Dynasty Korea, Ming Dynasty China Japan under Toyotomi Hideyoshi Commanders Korea: Yi Sun-sin, Gwon Yul, Won Gyun, Kim Myung Won, Yi Il, Sin Lip, Gwak Jae-u, Kim Shi-min China: Li Rusong , Li Rubai, Ma Gui , Qian Shi-zhen, Ren Ziqiang, Yang Yuan, Zhang Shijue, Chen...

Early life and education

Won was a member of Wonju Won family. His father once bought a seat in local governmnet and was promptly removed due to incompetency and corruption charges brought against him. It is heavily suggested that Won Gyun's military qualification examination may have been tempered by his father's economical and political might to give him an extra edge. Won's incompetency in high level literacy was already noted during his early life as well. It is also worth noting all officers of Jeoson military are expected to be a good tactician and a good writer, Won lacked in both qualities especially the latter one. Wonju is a city in Gangwon province, South Korea. ...

Military career

Upon passing the qualification exam, he was assigned to the northern border to defend against the Jurchens, who frequently raided Korean villages. Won allegedly led successful campaigns along with Yi Il and Yi Sun Shin against the Jurchens. He was promoted to admiral in 1592 and sent to the southern coast of Gyeongsang Province to command the province's Eastern Fleet, along with Yi Sun Shin, who became admiral prior to Won and took command of Jeolla Province's Western Fleet. At the time, both Won and Yi were cavalry leaders who had no experience with naval warfare. The promotion of Won frowned few faces as his competency was constantly questioned. However, his political allies were able to use Yi's case to support Won's promotion since Yi jumped 4 ranks when he was promoted to the commander of Western Fleet of Jeolla Province thanks to his childhood friend and political ally Yu Seong-ryong. The Jurchens (Chinese: 女真, pinyin: nǚzhēn) were a Tungusic people who inhabited parts of Manchuria and northern Korea until the seventeenth century, when they became the Manchus. ... Yi Sun-sin (April 28, 1545 — December 16, 1598), was a famous Korean naval leader. ... Gyeongsang (Gyeongsang-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Jeolla (Jeolla-do) was one of the eight provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. ... Yu Seong-ryong (1542-1607), also often spelled Yu Songnyong, was a scholar-official of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea. ...

Prior to the Japanese Invasion

At this time, Japan was united after a long period of internal warfare by a new leader, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Hideyoshi had become supreme ruler over most of Japan by killing many rivals to rise to power. Hideyoshi decided to begin an expansionist war against Japan's neighbors. Some Koreans realized that the threat from Japan was great, and they argued that the Joseon dynasty needed to prepare for future invasion from Japan as well as the existing Jurchen menace. However the government was divided along factional lines, and the officials could not reach a decision- so Hideyoshi saw the chance to take Korea unprepared. This is a Japanese name; the family name is Toyotomi Toyotomi Hideyoshi ) February 2, 1536 or March 26, 1537 – September 18, 1598) was a sengoku daimyo who unified Japan. ...

Service During the First Wave of Japanese Invasion

On April 13, 1592, the Japanese fleet under Kato Kiyomasa launched a sudden strike on the Eastern Fleet of Gyeongsang province, and disabled every ship under its control. The main army under Kato and Konishi Yukinaga landed on Korean Peninsula on the next day, and marched northward. Won, who was commander of the Eastern Fleet of Kyungsang province, was also routed by the invading Japanese, and in a panic he hastily sunk most of his own battleships. Many of his staff strongly advised against the action but they had little to no effect. Few officers under Won's command volunteered to serve under Yi's command when they lost their command due to Won's action. These transfers were never authorized by Won himself but the transfer occurred anyway due to the critical shortage of qualified combat leaders. With only 4 ships left under his command, Won called for help from Yi Sun Shin, who had prepared for war and raised a smaller and battle ready fleet than that of Won. However Yi told Won that he required permission from the royal court to cross the boundary between the two different fleets. The strict segregation of the jurisdiction and area of responsibility was ironically requested by Won and the King approved it on his behalf prior to the invasion. King Seonjo finally ordered both admirals to fight against Japanese on May 2, 1592, and finally Won and Yi began their campaign two days later, along with Admiral Yi Eok Ki, the commander of the Eastern Fleet of Jeolla Province who later becomes the commander of Western Fleet of the same Province following Admiral Yi Sun Shin's promotion. Statue of Kato Kiyomasa in front of Kumamoto Castle Katō Kiyomasa (加藤清正, Katō Kiyomasa, July 25, 1562-August 2, 1611) was a daimyō during the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods of Japanese history. ... Konishi Yukinaga (小西 行長 Konishi Yukinaga, born 1555 and died November 6, 1600) was a Japanese (Christian) daimyo under Toyotomi Hideyoshi. ... King Seonjo ruled in Korea between 1567 and 1608. ... Yi Eok Ki was the commander of the Cholla Right Navy Station and was one of Yi-Sun-Shins good friends during the Seven Year War. ...

On May 7th, the Korean navy under Yi destroyed a Japanese fleet in the Battle of Okpo. Later Won was promoted to an army general, while Yi Sun Shin became naval commander-in-chief. Won's promotion was largely supported by the King himself who was in desperate need to find a political figure who can counter the rising popularity of Yi in both the royal court and people of Joseon. Won's phony battle report, which substantially enlarged his effort to the victory while downsizing that of Yi's, was submitted to the royal court as a supporting justification for the promotion. The Battle of Okpo was a battle of the first phase of the Seven Year War between Japan and Chosun (Korea). ...

Plot to Remove Yi Sun Shin

In 1597, Japanese decided to stop all negotiations with the Koreans and Chinese Ming Dynasty, and planned a re-invasion of Korea. To do so, they plotted to remove Admiral Yi Sun Shin from the navy. Japanese spies directed by Konishi Yukinaga spread word that Kato Kiyomasa was urging other Japanese to continue fighting and would soon be crossing the sea. King Seonjo ordered Admiral Yi to capture Kato, but Yi refused to do so as he knew that the words were the fabrications of Japanese agents. The King was in fear of a possible coup d'état attempt by Yi or his supporters, which was never plotted, since the King Seonjo convinced himself it could happen any day since Yi refused to carry out King's orders several times not to mention his fleet is the strongest combat force of all sides. Yi refused to carry out the orders purely due to tactical reasons but the act of insubordination itself, no matter how justifiable they were, frightened the King beyond his breaking point. King Seonjo finally ordered the execution of Yi but the royal court reluctantly yet successfully resisted the order and was able to lower the punishment to imprisonment and demotion of Yi to the rank of seaman. Yi was then placed under the command of Gwon Yul to recover from the wounds he sustained from the torture administered during the investigation of the charges brought against him. Seonjo then replaced Yi with Won Gyun, his political puppet, as the chief of naval operations. Won transferred many of Admiral Yi Sun Shin's officers out of personal hatrism towards Yi Sun Shin to land based duties. These are battle hardened and competent naval commanders but ironically due to this transfer orders their lives were saved from the total defeat of Korean fleet in Battle of Chilcheollyang. It is worth noting the fleet's combat strength was at its peak just prior to the Admiral Yi's removal from his post. For other uses, see Ming. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Combatants Fleet of Toyotomi Hideyoshi Korean navy Commanders Todo Takatora Katō Yoshiaki Wakisaka Yasuharu Konishi Yukinaga Shimazu Tadayuta Won Gyun† Choe Ho† Yi Eok-gi† Bae Seol Strength 500-1000 total ships 169 total ships Casualties minimal 157 ships lost The naval Battle of Chilcheollyang took place before dawn on...

Battle of Chilcheollyang - Won Gyun's First And Only Major Naval Engagement

Won also knew the information was false, and did not advance toward Busan for same tactical reasons Yi reported to the royal court prior to his removal from the post. The government continued to trust the information and ordered Won to attack Japanese ships at Ungcheon, and Won attacked Japanese, who were mostly unarmed and protected under the cease-fire treaty signed to support the negotiation process which was about to be terminated but was still in effect, and defeated them. He lost one of his battleship and the captain during the attack. He did not advance anymore after receiving a letter of protest from Japanese commander. Then Field Marshal Gwon Yul, who was also under heavy pressure from the king himself as well, recalled Won to his headquarters and once again ordered him to attack Busan. When Won refused, Gwon ordered Won to be clubbed in front of him for disobeying orders. This kind of punishment was never given to an admiral still in his post before and therefore enraged Won as much as it made him fear he'd be punished more severely if he refuses the order once more. In fear of more severe punishment, he led Korean navy toward Busan, along with famous admiral Yi Eok Ki. It is worth of noting Won actually advised the king to order the attack while Yi Sun Shin was still the chief of naval operations and also cited that he can mount a successful attack on Japanese fleet in Busan and the city itself. This report was highly politically motivated and little to no tactical analysis was included. The king used it to its full potential as this report was submitted to the royal court to remove Yi from his post for disobeying the king's order. Busan Metropolitan City, also known as Pusan[1] is the largest port city in the Republic of Korea. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Yi Eok Ki was the commander of the Cholla Right Navy Station and was one of Yi-Sun-Shins good friends during the Seven Year War. ...

The Japanese at first seemed to retreat, but it was a trick to trap the Korean fleet. The Japanese already prepared to devastate the Korean navy prior to land invasion and the number of Japanese ships was great that most Koreans were already frightened including Admiral Bae Seol. The Japanese fleet, commanded by famous naval commander Todo Tokatora, advanced toward Won Gyun's fleets. Won knew that he would lose the battle, but had no choice but to face the enemy. At the Battle of Chilchonryang, the Korean navy was utterly destroyed, and Won, who tried to escape by land, was killed by the surrounding Japanese, the accuracy of his death is still in debate as there are many reports of him being alive and well after the battle. The royal court, however, issued official report of his death after the war. There is a good chance the report was fabricated to cover the king's own fault of removing Yi out of his post and thus letting the entire fleet to be distorted in single battle. Only 12 ships under Bae Seol, who had decided to desert his comrades and flee to the Yellow Sea, survived. The Battle of Chilchonryang was a naval conflict in the Seven-Year War. ... ...

Aftermath

The battle opened the route for Japanese to advance to Yellow Sea, and Todo set up the plan to attack Hanyang from both land and sea with Kato Kiyomasa and Konishi Yukinaga. However, Japan's hopes were crushed again by Yi Sun Shin's return at the Battle of Myeongnyang, which would decide the winner of the devastating war. Short name Statistics Location map Map of location of Seoul. ... Combatants Fleet of Toyotomi Hideyoshi Joseon navy Commanders Todo Takatora Kurushima Michifusa† Katō Yoshiaki Wakisaka Yasuharu Yi Sunsin Kim Eokchu Strength 133 warships and at least 200 logistical ships [1] 13 Panokseon. ...

Won Gyun is looked upon poorly by many people due do this total lack of military competency, poor management skills, and terrible leadership traits.

Controversy Concerning His Death

The official report of the Royal Court released after the cease of hostility between two nations indicates Won Gyun was killed by Japanese troops on land. This report brought a huge uproar amongst many people, not because he was killed during the action but because of the place where he met his dismay. He abandoned his command and was on the run on foot signifying his total lack of competency as a naval commander. All the other officers of the fleet who were killed in action met their end at sea with their ships while engaging the enemy knowing they were in total tactical disadvantages. Unlike their commander, they fought honorably and bravely. Admiral Yi Eok Ki, the commander of Western Fleet of Jeolla Province, and former staff members of Admiral Yi Sun Shin met his end in similar way. The fact that Won Gyun abandoned a battle capable ship, much more a fully staffed and fitted fleet, was highly criticized even in the presence of the King Seonjo, who were desperately looking for a political figures to cover his own faults. Accepting Won's fault would ultimately make the King responsible for the total annihilation of the mighty Korean fleet. Thus, the King fabricated a story to glorify Won's life and death and awarded him the honors and titles equivalent to that of Yi Sun Shin. Yi Eok Ki was the commander of the Cholla Right Navy Station and was one of Yi-Sun-Shins good friends during the Seven Year War. ... Yi Sun-sin (April 28, 1545 — December 16, 1598), was a famous Korean naval leader. ...

Resent research revealed more shocking side of the story. There are numerous reports of Won's survival after the battle and there are many letters between the heavy political figures discussing how to handle Won's case, which all assumed he was still alive and well at the time of the discussion. Few officers who barely escaped death later personally reported to Yi Sun Shin with news of Won's defeat. Some reported they saw Won fleeing almost naked leaving his staff behind. None mentioned his death. Even King's own political officer attached to the fleet reported that he hasn't seen his death as well. King Seonjo's already crumbling political might would've taken a heavy toll if Won would have reported to the royal court. It is suggested, but never proven, he was forced to live in secret. Some historians presented even darker theory that King's own agents took Won's life away to prevent any political turmoil.

Legacy

Thanks to King Seonjo's personal glorification of Won Gyun, many young and under-appreciated historians made numerous attempts to glorify Won Gyun legitimately while dishonoring Yi Sun Shin. These attempts initially seemed successful but was heavily resisted and eventually dismissed by the scholars and historians. The most resent attempt was given out by a novelist called Kim Tak Whan and the TV show based on his novel called Bulmyul ei Yi Sun Shin(불멸의 이순신). The book itself and the TV show gain popularity in South Korea due to its arguably fresh interpretation of the history but was heavily criticized for its historical accuracy. The book is considered highly inaccurate and evidences of intentional distortion of historical facts can be found in the book.

See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• List of Koreans
• Military history of Korea

This is a list of Wikipedia articles on Korea-related people, places, things, and concepts. ... This is a list of famous Koreans or famous people of Korean descent. ... Korea has a long military history going back several thousand years, with an extensive series of wars that involved invasions, civil discord, counter-piracy actions against medieval Japan, the first use of armoured battleships in seabattles, and the devastation of rebellions against the Joseon era Japanese invasions, the forced peace...

References

Yi, Sunshin, Nanjung Ilgi [The War Diary], eds. Ha Tae-hung and Sohn Pow-key. Seoul:Yonsei University Press. 1977.

Sadler, A.L. “The Naval Campaign in the Korean War of Hideyoshi, 1592-1598.” In Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, ser. 2, vol. 14, June 1937, pp. 178-208.

Underwood, Horace Horton. “Korean Boats and Ships.” In Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch, Seoul, vol. 23, pp. 1-89, 1934.

Park, Yun-hee. Yi Sun-shin. Seoul: Hanjin. 1978.