Info - Chosun army and militia leaders

[florel]

We have already Info threads about Chosun Navy commanders and about Japanese and Chinese warriors. This new thread is destined for informations on Chosun warriors on land. ;D

Please feel free to add informations on this thread.

[florel]

There were many army commanders during the Imjin War. But I just make a list of provincial army commanders in Kyungsang, Cholla and Chung-chong provinces because I have the richest informations about these posts. The list of commanders' names is not complete, though. The dates indicating term of office are approximative.



Chosun Army Commanders during the Imjin War

- bald letters : those who were shown or mentioned in IYSS drama.
- underlined bald letters : those who show up in IYSS drama as provincial army commander.



Left Kyungsang Army

- Yi Gak* (until April 1592)
- Yi Bin (May 1592)
- Pak Jin (from June 1592)
- Kwon Eung-Su (1593)
- Ko Uhn-Baek (1593-1594?)
- ?
- Sung Yun-Mun (1597-1598)


* Yi Gak took flight when the invasion started, then he was arrested and executed by Marshal Kim Myung-Won in May 1592.




Right Kyungsang Army

- Kim Sung-Il (April 1592)
- Yu Sung-In (after June 1592 - October 1592)
- Kim Myun (January - March 1593)
- Choe Kyung-Hoe* (March - June 1593)
- ?
- Pak Jin (February - October 1594)
- Sung Yun-Mun (end 1594 ?)
- Kim Eung-Suh** (1595 - July 1597)
- Chung Ki-Ryong (1597-1598)


* Choe Kyung-Hoe dies in the 2nd battle of Chinju. He was the husband of famous Non-Gae.

** Kim Eung-Suh (also spelled as Kim Ung-So) was sacked and punished after the Chosun navy's defeat at Chil-cheon-ryang in 1597.




Cholla Army

- Choe Won (1592)
- Seon Geo-Yi (1592-1593)
- Kim Eung-Suh (1593-1594)
- Yi Bok-Nam (1594)
- Pak Jin (October 1594 - 1596)
- Won Kyun (July 1596 - February 1597)
- Yi Bok-Nam* (February - August 1597)
- Yi Gwang-Ak** (August 1597 - 1598)


* Yi Bok-Nam fought at the battle of Ungchi Pass in 1592. He committed suicied when Namwon Castle was fallen into the Japanese hands in 1597.

** Yi Gwang-Ak fought in the 1st battle of Chinju with Kim Shi-Min.




Chungchong Army

- Shin Ik* (1592)
- Huh Uk (Early 1593)
- Hwang Jin** (March - June 1593)
- ?
- Seon Geo-Yi (1594 - February 1595)
- Won Kyun (February 1595 - July 1596)
- Yi Shi-Uhn (July 1596 - 1597?)


* Shin Ik was jailed after the battle of Yong-In in 1592.

** Hwang Jin participated in the battles of Yong-In and of Ichi Pass. He was killed in the 2nd battle of Chinju.



Correction : I made a correction of small faults of dates.
Won Kyun became Commander of Cholla Army on the 9th July 1596 before he was appointed Supreme Naval Commander.

[florel]

* Gwak Jae-Woo (1552-1617, also spelled as Kwak Jae-Woo)

Militia guerrilla leader during the Imjin War. Born in Ui-ryong, Right Kyungsang province. He was talented for both letters and sword.

In 1585, he passed an examination for civil officials as second winner but his qualification was canceled because the critical content of his dissertation made the king angry. Thereafter, he passed time idly with doing fishing in his native village.

In 1592, when the Imjin War started, he raised the first militia volunteer troops in Right Kyungsang province and fought against the Japanese army. His militia troops, started with 10 men, increased up to 4,000 men. With his brilliant tactics and strategies, Gwak Jae-Woo gained many victories in battles at Ui-ryong, Hyun-pung, Chang-nyong, Young-san and Chinju. He wore red costumes and rode a white horse in battle, earning him the name "Red Robed General".

After the end of the war, declining many offers of military posts from the government, he retired from the world and lived in his hermitage in the mountains.






Gwak Jae-Woo's swords

[JPh]

"After the end of the war, declining many offers of military posts from the government, he retired from the world and lived in his hermitage in the mountains."


That was probably a very smart thing to do if one wanted to live long during the Chosun periods. It was unpredicatable when the king and/or his courts become displeased with you for whatever reason and end up sacking you no matter what good you did. It's kinda hard to become a good civil servant serving under despotic regimes.

[captainamazing]

I thought that Kwon Yul was given command of the Cholla army after Young-in? Or did the writers of the drama alter facts a bit for the sake of simplifying things?

[florel]

Kwon Yul participated in the battle of Yong-In as High Constable{*my translation of moksa*} of Gwangju.

At the battle of Ichi, he is often called as "jeol-je-sa" of Cholla province instead of moksa of Gwangju.

What I'm not sure is if Kwon Yul would or would not have received a new title of "jeol-je-sa" of Cholla province after the battle of Yong-In as the show depicts.
The provincial administrator moksa took the military title "jeol-je-sa" at the same time. But there were at least three High Constables in Cholla province, so I'm not sure if "jeol-je-sa" of Cholla province would be something other than "jeol-je-sa" of specific cities. (I'm trying to study about this but I don't have sufficient informations. The military system of Chosun is too complicated ! lol)


Kwon Yul became Governor of Cholla province (gwan-chal-sa aka gam-sa) after the battle of Ichi Pass.


*******************************************
JPh, you seem to be a pessimist. ;D

[florel]

* Additional information :

In the drama, you can discern Gen. Kwon Yul's promotion with the color of his uniform belt.

- Kwon Yul with bleu belt : High Constable of Gwangju, jeol-je-sa (both on the 3rd High Rank)
- Kwon Yul with purple belt : Governor of Cholla province (on the 2nd Low Rank), then Commander-in-Chief (Marshal)



*****************************************************

Military ranks in Cholla province (simplified version)

- gwan-chal-sa : Governor (2nd Low Rank, Chief provincial commander)

-- byong-sa : Army Commander (2nd Low Rank)

--- jeol-je-sa : Mayor (buyun) of Jeonju, High Constables+ (moksa) of Naju, Gwangju and Jeju (3rd High Rank)

--- susa : Left and Right Commanders of Cholla Navy (3rd High Rank)

---- busa : Constables of Namwon, Dam-yang, Suncheon, Jang-heung (3rd Low Rank)

---- chumsa : Garrison Commanders+ (3rd Low Rank)

----- gunsu : High Magistrates+ (4th Low Rank)

----- manho : Captains (4th Low Rank)

----- pan-gwan : Assistant officials+ (5th Low Rank)

----- hyun-ryong : Mid-rank Magistrates+ (5th Low Rank)

----- hyun-gam : Magistrates (6th Low Rank)

------ gun-gwan, gwon-gwan : Lieutenants (9th Low Rank)


+ my translations of special office terms.


*****************

For example, in early July 1592 at the moment of Ungchi/Ichi and Hansando battles... (Ep. 73-74)

(I just mention those who are shown in the drama.)


Military ranks in Cholla province (Early 1592)

- gwan-chal-sa (Governor) : Yi Kwang

-- byong-sa (Army Commander) : (not mentioned in the drama)

--- jeol-je-sa : Kwon Yul

--- susa (Navy Commander) : Yi Soon-Shin, Yi Ok-Ki

---- busa (Constable) : Kwon Jun (Suncheon), Hwang Se-Deuk (Jang-heung)

---- chumsa : Yi Soon-Shin the homonym (Bang-dap), Kim Wan (Sado)

----- gunsu : Shin Ho (Nak-an), Chung Dam (Kim-je)

----- manho (Captain) : Chung Wun (Nokdo)

----- pan-gwan : Yi Bok-Nam (Naju)

----- hyun-gam (Magistrate) : Uh Young-Dam (Gwang-yang), Hwang Jin (Dong-Bok)

------ gun-gwan (Lieutenants) : Song Hui-Rip, Na Dae-Yong, Yi Uhn-Ryang




Hwang Se-Deuk (Constable of Jang-heung)



Uh Young-Dam (Magistrate of Gwang-yang)



Song Hui-Rip



Yi Uhn-Ryang (Commandant of the Turtle Ship of Bang-dap)

[florel]

Kim Sung-Il (1538-1593)


- Kim Sung-Il was another controversial personage of the Imjin War.
He was a disciple of the great confucian Yi Hwang and Yu Sung-Ryong's academic school comrade. In 1568, he passed the civil official examination and started his bureaucratic career. In 1590, he was dispatched to Japan as one of envoys. When he returned to Chosun next year, Kim Sung-Il reported that there would be no invasion.

In 1592, he became Commander of Right Kyungsang Army when the invasion started. But the king ordered to discharge and arrest him on the 22th April 1592 because of his report on the unlikeliness of the war. (Cf. The third Contingent of Kuroda Nagamasa entered in Right Kyungsang province on the 19th April.) But Kim Sung-Il was acquitted before being brought to Seoul for trial and appointed as recruiting officer. Yu Sung-In is appointed as his successor to the post of Right Kyungsang Army Commander.

During the war time, Kim Sung-Il contributed a lot to the organization of regional defense. Along with Kim Myun, he intermediate between regular army commanders and militia leaders who didn't like each other. (Especially Gwak Jae-Woo was on bad terms with Kim Su, Governor of Kyungsang Province and with Yu Sung-In, Commander of Right Kyungsang Army.)

It was Kim Sung-Il who appointed Kim Shi-Min as Commander of Chinju (=Jinju) Castle and who supervised the whole defense of the 1st Battle of Chinju (=Jinju). But it's not mentioned in the drama and the character disappeared after the invasion.

He died of sickness in Chinju in April 1593 when he was preparing another defense for the 2nd Chinju Battle.

[TheBo]

That guy who plays Kim Shi-Min is a cutie pie, Florel. I especially like his little scar over his lip. He seems to have a few scars, but that particular one looks like a sword scar. Attractive-y.

Bo

[florel]

thebo said:

That guy who plays Kim Shi-Min is a cutie pie, Florel. I especially like his little scar over his lip. He seems to have a few scars, but that particular one looks like a sword scar. Attractive-y.

Bo

You have excellent eyesight, Bo. I didn't realize that sexy scar before your tell it.

The actor of Kim Shi-Min is really handsome guy (especially with his scars? ;D). I'm impressed at the fact that he looks very different from the evil character he played in AOW. (Cf. Related comments in New AOW Actors)

[TheBo]

Oh, I did not get to see much of AOW. (I have to have SOME kind of life, lol.)

I got the impression that AOW and DOE were sister shows, that there was a series of series, if you get my drift, tracing the founding of the Korean nation. Is that correct? If so, are there more in the series? (I liked DOE, although I did not get to see much of it, either.)

Bo

[florel]

I never viewed DOE. But I heard that it is included in the series of Koryo history project planned by KBS. They made EWG, DOE and AOW (chronologically). Then the project was abandonned and they jumped on the Chosun period making IYSS instead.

[TheBo]

Ah, okay. Now, lemmee see, for our non-jargon-speaking viewers (LOL)--EWG is Emperor Wang Guhn, DOE (DOW! Hah!) is Dawn of Empire, and AOW is Age of Warriors. I wonder why they abandoned the project. I thought it was really well done, I was enjoying what I could catch of it.

I don't want to fan any flames here, but I wonder if it has anything to do with the movement in Japan to whitewash the history between Japan and its neighbors? I was thinking about how the Japanese are depicted in IYSS, how they are somewhat caricatured (as if the real people were not bad enough), and have the flavor of war propoganda figures. What do you all think?

Try to be nice about it.

Bo

[florel]

thebo said:

Ah, okay. Now, lemmee see, for our non-jargon-speaking viewers (LOL)--EWG is Emperor Wang Guhn, DOE (DOW! Hah!) is Dawn of Empire, and AOW is Age of Warriors. I wonder why they abandoned the project. I thought it was really well done, I was enjoying what I could catch of it.

I corrected the spell mistake. But I think DOW and AOW form a good rime. LOL ;D

I don't know well the situation in Korea. But, from what I heard, it seems that the abandon of Koryo project was due to the commercial failure of DOE and of AOW in South Korea.

thebo said:

I don't want to fan any flames here, but I wonder if it has anything to do with the movement in Japan to whitewash the history between Japan and its neighbors? I was thinking about how the Japanese are depicted in IYSS, how they are somewhat caricatured (as if the real people were not bad enough), and have the flavor of war propoganda figures. What do you all think?

Try to be nice about it.

Bo

Personally, I think IYSS is rather a commercial drama than a political one. But there are some contemporary political allusions, of course. The Japanese are not the only one who are carricatured in this drama. There are also the Westerners (who can be paralleled with the Korean conservative party) and the Mings (paralled with... Hmm... some of you could find the answer).

[kathleen34]

I don't want to fan any flames here, but I wonder if it has anything to do with the movement in Japan to whitewash the history between Japan and its neighbors? I was thinking about how the Japanese are depicted in IYSS, how they are somewhat caricatured (as if the real people were not bad enough), and have the flavor of war propoganda figures. What do you all think?

Try to be nice about it.

I agree with you Bo - rewriting history is, unfortunately, a regular pasttime. And if you don't know the basic REAL history, one can be led so easily to believe what the re-writers come up with. We're submerged in propaganda so it's always to our advantage to research what we're spoonfed.