Seven-Year War

:For the 1756–1763 war, see Seven Years' War. For the 1563–1570 war, see Nordic Seven Years' War.

The second invasion

Soon after the Chinese embassy was given safe conduct home, 200 Japanese ships carrying a force of 140,000 were sent to Korea. The court in Beijing appointed Yan Hao as supreme commander of an initial mobilisation of 38,000 troops from as far away as Sichuan, Zhejiang, Huguang, Fujian, and Guangdong. These were assisted by a naval force of 21,000 men. Ray Huang has estimated the combined strength of the Ming army and navy at the height of the second campaign at 75,000 men.

Related Topics:
Yan Hao - Sichuan - Zhejiang - Huguang - Fujian - Guangdong - Ray Huang

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The second invasion differed from the first in that the Japanese met with stronger resistance. They pushed to just south of Seoul in August 1597 but were turned back by a large Korean and Ming force that winter. As the Japanese retreated south through Gyeongsang-do they burned Gyeongju and destroyed and stole much of the historic and artistic legacy of Silla. Thereafter they were on the defensive. Naval operations, already deemed important in the first campaign, had a decisive influence on the outcome of the second. Following the loss of Hansan Island, Yi Sun-sin, who had been sent to jail, was reinstated. With his return the Koreans soon regained control over the waters of the straits, forcing the Japanese to land men to take defensive positions along the coast from Ulsan in the east to Suncheon in the west. On September 16, 1597, Yi led 12 ships against 133 Japanese ships in the Myeongnyang Strait. The Koreans sank 333 enemy ships in the Battle of Myeongnyang and forced a Japanese retreat according to Admiral Yi's official report to the royal court. He intentionally decreased the size of the battle in his report due to the political mood of the royal court. He actually faced more than 300 ships and sank a lot more as well. In November, the Japanese fleet was lured by Yi into a tide-race where the oar-driven turtle ships caused wholesale destruction.

Related Topics:
Gyeongsang - Gyeongju - Silla - Hansan Island - Ulsan - Suncheon - September 16 - 1597 - Myeongnyang Strait - Battle of Myeongnyang

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By early 1598, the Japanese forces, hemmed in by Korean and Chinese armies, found themselves unable to break out of the south despite fierce fighting. The Wanli Emperor sent a Chinese fleet under artillery expert Chen Lin in May 1598; this naval force saw action in joint manouvres with the Koreans. Konishi Yukinage warned that the Japanese position in Korea was untenable. Hideyoshi in turn ordered the withdrawal of close to half of the invading force, leaving mostly Satsuma warriors under Shimazu clan member commanders. The remaining Japanse forces fought fiercely, turning back Chinese attacks on Suncheon and Sacheon. On 18 September 1598, Hideyoshi died. The council of five regents immediately decided to withdraw the Japanese army. The invasion was suddenly abandoned when the command reached the Japanese camp late in October.

Related Topics:
1598 - Wanli Emperor - Satsuma - Shimazu - Council of five regents

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(See also the Movement of Japanese Left Army, Right Army and Japanese Navy).

Related Topics:
Japanese Left Army - Right Army - Japanese Navy

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Aftermath

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The Seven-Year War left deep scars in Korea. Farmlands were devastated, irrigation dikes were destroyed, villages and towns were burned down, the population was first plundered and then dispersed, and tens of thousands of skilled workers (celadon ware makers, craftsmen, artisans, etc) were either killed during the war or kidnapped to Japan as captives to help Japanese develop their crafts. In 1598 alone, the Japanese took some 38,000 ears as horrific trophies. The long war reduced the productive capacity of farmlands from 1,708,000 kyol to 541,000 kyol. Pillage and foraging by Chinese troops only added to the unmitigated tragedy of a war from which the peninsula kingdom never fully recovered.

Related Topics:
Celadon - Kyol

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Following the war, relations between Korea and Japan were completely suspended. Japan was cut off from the technology of continental Asia. After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, however, negotiations between the Korean court and the Tokugawa shogunate were carried out via the Japanese lord on Tsushima. In 1604, Tokugawa Ieyasu, needing to restore commercial relations with Korea in order to have access to the technology of the mainland again, met Korea's demands and released some 3000 captive Koreans. As a result, in 1607, a Korean mission visited Edo, and diplomatic and trade relations were restored on a limited basis.

Related Topics:
Tokugawa shogunate - Tsushima - 1604 - Tokugawa Ieyasu - 1607 - Edo

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Some argue that if Ming Dynasty China had not intervened in this campaign and expended their military resources, they would have managed to withstand the Manchurian invaders half a century later. The argument against this would be that the Japanese, after their conquest of Korea, could turn on Manchuria next and either conquer or seek an alliance. Since both the Manchus and Japanese had the common goal of conquering China, the result would be the same resulting in the fall of the Ming dynasty since the invasion force would be stronger in this instance.

Related Topics:
Ming Dynasty - Manchurian

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