Timeline of the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598)

Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598)

Pre-war

Year	Date	Event
1544		Wokou raid Saryang-jin[1]
1555		Wokou raid Joseon[1]
1583		I Sunsin defeats a Jurchen force near the Tumen River[2]
1587		I Sunsin is demoted to a common soldier after annoying I Il[2]
		Toyotomi Hideyoshi sends an insulting letter to the Joseon court[3]
1588		Toyotomi Hideyoshi sends envoys asking the Joseon court to aid them in invading the Ming dynasty[4]
1589		Toyotomi Hideyoshi orders Shō Nei of the Ryukyu Kingdom to suspend trade with the Ming dynasty, but he refuses and reports the matter to Ming envoys instead[5]
1590	4 August	Siege of Odawara (1590): The Later Hōjō clan is defeated and most of the northern daimyō submit without a fight[6]
	August	Joseon envoys arrived in Japan[7]
1591	March	Envoys return to Joseon and refuse to aid Japan in invading the Ming dynasty[8]
	8 March	I Sunsin is appointed to the post Left Naval Commander of Jeolla following Ryu Seong-ryong's recommendation[9]
		A Chinese trader captured by the Japanese sends a message to Zhejiang stating that 100,000 Japanese troops are being amassed to invade the following year[5]
		The Wanli Emperor orders coastal defenses to be strengthened[5]
		Joseon sends a request for help to the Ming dynasty[5]
1592	April	The Japanese army assembles at Nagoya[10]

1592

Year	Date	Event
1592	23 May	The Japanese First Division under Konishi Yukinaga and Sō Yoshitoshi arrive at Busan[11]
	24 May	Siege of Busanjin: Japanese First Division takes Busan[12]
		Battle of Dadaejin: Japanese First Division takes a neighboring coastal fort[12]
	25 May	Siege of Dongnae: Japanese First Division takes Dongnae[12]
	26 May	Japanese First Division takes Yangsan and Miryang[13]
	28 May	Japanese First Division takes Daegu[13]
		Japanese Second Division under Katō Kiyomasa arrives in Busan and takes Ulsan, Gyeongju, Yeongcheon, Sinnyeong, and Gumi[14]
	29 May	Japanese Third Division under Kuroda Nagamasa arrives west of Busan and takes Gimhae before heading north[14]
	3 June	Battle of Sangju: Japanese First Division takes Sangju[15]
	4 June	Japanese Third Division takes Cheongju[16]
	5 June	Japanese First and Second divisions meet up at Mungyeong[15]
	6 June	Battle of Chungju: Japanese First Division takes Chungju[17]
	8 June	Gwanghae is installed as prince[18]
	9 June	The Joseon royal family departs from Hanseong and the city descends into chaos[18]
	11 June	Katō Kiyomasa's Second Division crosses the Han River[19]
	12 June	Japanese First Division takes Hanseong and the Second Division arrives a few hours later[19]
	13 June	I Sunsin's fleet of 39 warships depart from Yeosu[20]
	14 June	I Sunsin arrives at Dangpo to rendezevouz with Won Gyun, who doesn't show up[20]
	15 June	Won Gyun arrives at Dangpo with 4 warships and together they depart for Geoje[20]
	16 June	Kuroda Nagamasa's Third Division and Ukita Hideie's Eighth Division arrive at Hanseong while the other five divisions have landed at Busan[19]
		I Sunsin's fleet reaches Okpo where they find Japanese ships at anchor[20]
		The Joseon royal family arrives at Pyeongyang[21]
	17 June	Battle of Okpo: I Sunsin and Won Gyun defeat a fleet of 50 Japanese transport ships, but split up and return home after receiving news of the fall of Hanseong[22]
	18 June	I Sunsin arrives back at Yeosu[22]
	7 July	Battle of Imjin River (1592): The Korean defense is defeated and the three vanguard Japanese divisions cross the river and take Gaeseong[23]
	8 July	Battle of Sacheon (1592): I Sunsin destroys more than 12 large Japanese ships at Sacheon[24]
	9 July	Battle of Dangpo: I Sunsin defeats a fleet of 21 Japanese warships[24]
	12 July	Battle of Danghangpo: I Sunsin's fleet destroys 26 Japanese ships[24]
	16 July	Konishi Yukinaga arrives at the Daedong River and Kuroda Nagamasa joins him a few days later[25]
	18 July	The Korean fleet dissolves and each commander heads back to their respective ports to recuperate[26]
	19 July	Seonjo of Joseon departs from Pyeongyang and heads for Yeongbyeon[27]
	24 July	Siege of Pyongyang (1592): Japanese First and Third divisions take Pyeongyang[27]
	26 July	Seonjo of Joseon meets a token force of 1,000 from the Ming dynasty at Gwaksan[28]
	30 July	Seonjo of Joseon arrives at Uiju with Tai Zhaobian and Shi Ru[29]
	July	Gwak Jaeu leads a force of 1,000 in resistance against Japanese occupation in the south but later enters government service when he's accused of robbery[30]
	7 August	Go Gyeong-myeong dies in a failed attack on Japanese held Geumsan[31]
	8 August	The Ming dynasty decides to dispatch troops to Joseon[28]
	10 August	I Eokgi joins with I Sunsin at Yeosu to practice naval formations[32]
	12 August	I Sunsin and I Eokgi rendezvous with Won Gyun at Noryang[33]
	14 August	Battle of Hansan Island: I Sunsin, I Eokgi, and Won Gyun defeat a Japanese fleet[34]
	15 August	Battle of Hansan Island:I Sunsin, I Eokgi, and Won Gyun defeat another Japanese fleet at Angolpo[34]
		Zhao Chengxun arrives at Uiju with a force of 5,000[28]
	23 August	Battle of Pyongyang (1592): Zhao Chengxun and Shi Ru attack Pyeongyang and are defeated[35]
	August	Gim Cheonil entrenches himself on Ganghwa Island[36]
	6 September	Battle of Cheongju: Jo Heon takes Cheongju[16]
	12 September	Konishi Yukinaga heads to Hanseong to discuss future defense plans with Ukita Hideie[35]
	22 September	Jo Heon attacks Geumsan and dies and the monk Yeonggyu follows up soon after and dies as well[37]
	29 September	I Sunsin and I Eokgi set sail from Yeosu with a reconstructed fleet of 166 ships and Won Gyun joins them the day after[38]
	3 October	Kuroda Nagamasa fails to take Yeonan[37]
	4 October	I Sunsin's fleet reaches Nakdong River[39]
		A 50-day armistice is signed by Shen Weijing at Pyeongyang[40]
	5 October	Battle of Busan (1592): I Sunsin's fleet bombards the Japanese fleet and destroys 130 ships before retreating[39]
	6 October	The Wanli Emperor sends an edict to Seonjo of Joseon stating his support for driving out the Japanese[35]
		I Sunsin's fleet is disbanded and he returns home for resupplies[39]
		Kuroda Nagamasa fails to take Yeonan again[37]
	12 October	Bak Jin retakes Gyeongju[41]
	October	Hamgyong campaign: Katō Kiyomasa's Second Division occupies Hamgyeong[30]
		Nurhaci offers to join the war against the Japanese but is rejected by both the Ming dynasty and Joseon[39]
	13 November	Siege of Jinju (1592): Japanese Seventh Division fails to take Jinju[42]
	23 December	Shen Weijing returns to Pyeongyang and tells the Japanese that there would be no further negotiations until they retreat all the way back to Busan[40]
	29 December	Konishi Yukinaga tells Shen Weijing that they would withdraw from Pyeongyang if the Ming dynasty gave them rights to ports along China's coast[43]

1593

Year	Date	Event
1593	5 January	Wu Weizhong leads 5,000 men across the Yalu River[44]
	26 January	Li Rusong's army of 35,000 reaches the Yalu River[45]
	6 February	Siege of Pyongyang (1593): The allied Ming-Joseon army lays siege to Pyeongyang[45]
		The Ayutthaya Kingdom's offer to send ships is rejected by the Ming dynasty[46]
	8 February	Siege of Pyongyang (1593): Konishi Yukinaga's First Division retreats from Pyeongyang, ending the siege[47]
	17 February	Konishi Yukinaga's remaining men reache Hanseong[48]
	19 February	Li Rusong takes Gaeseong[48]
	22 February	Katō Kiyomasa and Nabeshima Naoshige's Second Division depart from Anbyeon and make their way back to Hanseong[48]
	27 February	Battle of Byeokjegwan: The Ming army's advance towards Hanseong is repelled[49]
	8 March	I Sunsin leaves for Geoje where he and Won Gyun rendezvous[50]
	9 March	I Eokgi joins I Sunsin and Won Gyun[50]
	14 March	Battle of Haengju: The Japanese fail to take Haengju on the Han River[51]
	20 March	I Sunsin destroys 10 Japanese vessels near Ungchon[50]
	24 March	I Sunsin attacks Ungchon and releases five Korean prisoners[50]
	3 May	I Sunsin returns to Yeosu[52]
	7 May	Li Rusong returns to Gaeseong[52]
	18 May	The Japanese abandon Hanseong[53]
	19 May	The Ming army retakes Hanseong[51]
	May	"Big Sword" Liu Ting crosses the Yalu River with 5,000 Southern Chinese reinforcements[46]
	22 June	Xie Yongzu and Yu Yihuan negotiate with Konishi Yukinaga at Nagoya[54]
	June	The Japanese retreat to 17 fortresses on Korea's southern coast and the allied army makes camp at Uiryeong and Changnyeong[55]
	27 July	Siege of Jinju (1593): The Japanese conduct a massacre at Jinju[56]
	1 September	Hideyoshi Toyotomi gives the order to withdraw 40,000 troops from Korea.[57]
	16 September	Most of the Ming army departs from Korea, leaving a garrison force of 16,000[58]
	24 October	Seonjo of Joseon returns to Hanseong[59]

1594

Year	Date	Event
1594	April	I Sunsin destroys 39 Japanese ships[60]
	December	All Ming soldiers are withdrawn from Korea[57]

1596

Year	Date	Event
1596	22 October	Negotiations break down as Hideyoshi Toyotomi realizes the Ming and Joseon envoys aren't in Japan to show obeisance to the greatness of Nippon civilization[61]

1597

Year	Date	Event
1597	1 March	Katō Kiyomasa lands at Jukdo with 10,000 men[62]
	2 March	Konishi Yukinaga arrives at Busan with 7,000 men[62]
	12 April	I Sunsin is arrested and replaced by Won Gyun[63]
	16 May	I Sunsin is released from prison[64]
	June	Yang Yuan crosses the Yalu River with 3,000 soldiers[65]
	31 July	Won Gyun leads a fleet east from Hansando but returns after meeting a small squadron of Japanese ships at Geoje[66]
	July	Yang Yuan reaches Namweon[67]
	15 August	Ma Gui arrives at Hanseong with 1,000 troops[68]
	17 August	Won Gyun takes the entire fleet and sails east to Busan[66]
	20 August	Battle of Chilcheollyang: The Korean fleet is repelled near Busan[69]
	28 August	Battle of Chilcheollyang: Nearly the entire Korean fleet is destroyed, Won Gyun and I Eokgi are both killed[69]
	August	Total Japanese forces in Korea reach 141,900[62]
	11 September	Ukita Hideie marches west from Busan with a force of 49,600[70]
	13 September	I Sunsin is reinstated[71]
	23 September	Siege of Namwon: A Japanese army of 50,000 lays siege to Namweon[72]
	26 September	Siege of Namwon: The Japanese take Namweon[73]
		The Japanese take Hwangseoksan[74]
	28 September	I Sunsin arrives at Hoeryeong[75]
	30 September	The Japanese take Jeonju[74]
	4 October	Yang Yuan retreats to Hanseong[74]
	8 October	I Sunsin scares off an advance Japanese scout party at Oranpo[75]
	16 October	Battle of Jiksan: The Japanese advance north is checked by Ming forces and forced to retreat[76]
	17 October	The Japanese take Oranpo but are repelled at Jindo[77]
	24 October	200 Japanese ships approach Oranpo[77]
	26 October	Battle of Myeongnyang: The Japanese fleet is repelled by I Sunsin[78]
	23 November	Ma Gui arrives at Jeonju[79]

1598

Year	Date	Event
1598	26 January	Yang Hao, Ma Gui, and Gwon Yul meet at Gyeongju, forming an army of 50,000[80]
	29 January	Siege of Ulsan: The allied army lays siege to Ulsan[81]
	19 February	Siege of Ulsan: The allies fail to take Ulsan and retreat, suffering heavy casualties[82]
	23 May	I Sunsin leads his ships to establish base at Gogeum[83]
	May	Chen Lin arrives at Tongjak with the Ming fleet[84]
	26 June	Toyotomi Hideyoshi orders the withdrawal of half his troops from Korea[81]
	July	Liu Ting arrives at Hanseong with 20,000 troops[85]
	12 August	Yang Hao leaves Hanseong to face charges against him in Beijing[86]
	17 August	Chen Lin arrives at Gogeum and joins with I Sunsin[87]
	18 September	Hideyoshi Toyotomi dies[88]
	19 October	Siege of Suncheon: Allied forces lay siege to Suncheon[89]
	October	Second Siege of Ulsan: Allied forces lay siege to Ulsan[90]
	2 November	Second Siege of Ulsan: Allied forces retreat from Ulsan[91]
		Siege of Suncheon: Allied forces retreat from Suncheon[92]
	6 November	Battle of Sacheon (1598): Allied forces lay siege to Sacheon[93]
	11 November	Battle of Sacheon (1598): Allied forces are forced to retreat from Sacheon[94]
	16 December	Battle of Noryang: The Japanese fleet is defeated by I Sunsin[95]
	24 December	The last Japanese ships leave Korea[96]

See also

• List of battles during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598)
• List of naval battles during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598)
• Military history of Korea
• Naval history of Korea
• Military history of Japan
• Military history of China (pre-1911)

References

• 이민웅 [Lee, Min-Woong], 임진왜란 해전사 [Imjin Wae-ran Haejeonsa: The Naval Battles of the Imjin War], 청어람미디어 [Chongoram Media], 2004, ISBN 89-89722-49-7.

1. Turnbull 2008, p. 8.
2. Turnbull 2008, p. 16.
3. Hawley 2005, p. 88-89.
4. Hawley 2005, p. 89.
5. Turnbull 2008, p. 9.
6. Turnbull 2008, p. 14.
7. Hawley 2005, p. 93.
8. Hawley 2005, p. 96.
9. Turnbull 2008, p. 17.
10. Hawley 2005, p. 110.
11. Swope 2009, p. 89.
12. Turnbull 2008, p. 10.
13. Hawley 2005, p. 150.
14. Hawley 2005, p. 157.
15. Hawley 2005, p. 160.
16. Hawley 2005, p. 278.
17. Hawley 2005, p. 164.
18. Hawley 2005, p. 167.
19. Hawley 2005, p. 170.
20. Hawley 2005, p. 188.
21. Hawley 2005, p. 211.
22. Hawley 2005, p. 191.
23. Hawley 2005, p. 220.
24. Hawley 2005, p. 204.
25. Hawley 2005, p. 224.
26. Hawley 2005, p. 207.
27. Hawley 2005, p. 227.
28. Hawley 2005, p. 243.
29. Hawley 2005, p. 231.
30. Hawley 2005, p. 268.
31. Hawley 2005, p. 271.
32. Hawley 2005, p. 232.
33. Hawley 2005, p. 235.
34. Hawley 2005, p. 239.
35. Hawley 2005, p. 246.
36. Hawley 2005, p. 275.
37. Hawley 2005, p. 282.
38. Hawley 2005, p. 249.
39. Hawley 2005, p. 250.
40. Hawley 2005, p. 253.
41. Hawley 2005, p. 285.
42. Hawley 2005, p. 290.
43. Hawley 2005, p. 303.
44. Turnbull 2008, p. 54.
45. Hawley 2005, p. 304.
46. Hawley 2005, p. 337.
47. Turnbull 2008, p. 61.
48. Hawley 2005, p. 311.
49. Hawley 2005, p. 314.
50. Hawley 2005, p. 326.
51. Turnbull 2008, p. 63.
52. Hawley 2005, p. 330.
53. Swope 2009, p. 170.
54. Hawley 2005, p. 347.
55. Hawley 2005, p. 341.
56. Turnbull 2008, p. 71.
57. Hawley 2005, p. 365.
58. Swope 2009, p. 177.
59. Hawley 2005, p. 369.
60. Hawley 2005, p. 376.
61. Hawley 2005, p. 412.
62. Hawley 2005, p. 436.
63. Hawley 2005, p. 425.
64. Hawley 2005, p. 430.
65. Hawley 2005, p. 439.
66. Hawley 2005, p. 446.
67. Hawley 2005, p. 443.
68. Hawley 2005, p. 465.
69. Hawley 2005, p. 450.
70. Hawley 2005, p. 455.
71. Swope 2009, p. 240.
72. Hawley 2005, p. 457.
73. Hawley 2005, p. 458.
74. Hawley 2005, p. 462.
75. Hawley 2005, p. 468.
76. Hawley 2005, p. 467.
77. Hawley 2005, p. 471.
78. Hawley 2005, p. 475.
79. Hawley 2005, p. 487.
80. Hawley 2005, p. 491.
81. Hawley 2005, p. 500.
82. Hawley 2005, p. 495.
83. Hawley 2005, p. 503.
84. Hawley 2005, p. 507.
85. Hawley 2005, p. 510.
86. Hawley 2005, p. 518.
87. Hawley 2005, p. 514.
88. Hawley 2005, p. 517.
89. Hawley 2005, p. 528.
90. Swope 2009, p. 268.
91. Hawley 2005, p. 533.
92. Hawley 2005, p. 531.
93. Swope 2009, p. 269.
94. Swope 2009, p. 270.
95. Hawley 2005, p. 538.
96. Hawley 2005, p. 541.

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