Yi Gwang (, 1541–1607) was a commander of
Korea
Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
n
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...
forces throughout
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
, otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: ...
's
invasions of Korea
An invasion is a military offensive of combatants of one geopolitical entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory controlled by another similar entity, often involving acts of aggression.
Generally, invasions have objectives of c ...
at the end of the 16th century.
Yi is best known for his participation in the
Battle of Jeonju
The Battle of Jeonju was one of the first battles fought in Korea during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598).
Even though this was a rather minor battle compared to others during the Korean Campaign, it would be one of the very most i ...
, which took place in 1592, the first year of the invasions. Yi defeated the enemy commander
Kobayakawa Takakage
was a samurai and daimyō (feudal military lord) during the Sengoku period and Azuchi–Momoyama period. He was the third son of Mōri Motonari who was adopted by the Kobayakawa clan and became its 14th clan head. He merged the two branches of ...
, securing what would come to be seen as one of the most important victories for the Koreans over the Japanese on land, throughout both invasions.
References
*Turnbull, Stephen (1998). 'The Samurai Sourcebook'. London: Cassell & Co.
16th-century Korean people
1541 births
1607 deaths
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