Siege of Namwon - History

History

A Japanese Force of 56,000 soldiers led by Ukita Hideie besieged and assaulted Namwon, defended by 4,300 Korean and Chinese Soldiers and 6,000 women and children. The city was protected by a wall, constructed in the northern Chinese style, with a shallow dry moat, and corner gun towers. The Koreans wanted to relocate to the nearby mountain fortress because of their knowledge of the terrain. This also would have given them the higher ground. However the Chinese general Yang Yuan demanded the defense of the city claiming that he had fought and won numerous battles in China therefore he knew what strategy would serve them best. He wanted to withstand the siege from within the city walls. He felt more comfortable defending the Chinese style city wall than a Korean style hill top fortress.

As the city was on flat ground, with high ground all around it, the city was immediately placed under arquebus fire from day one, from all sides. General Yi Bok Nam and his cavalry was able to successfully repel the Japanese attack several times. However, with the annual rainfall the flat land was reduced to fields of mud rendering the Korean horsemen and their steeds useless.

As morale plummeted and casualties mounted, the Chinese general Yang Yuan who was defending the South wall with his troops negotiated with the Japanese in a secret meeting. In exchange for a safe retreat for himself and his troops Yang Yuan would give up the south wall and entrance to the Japanese without aggression. When Yang Yuan left abandoning the south wall the Japanese entered through the gates, Yi Bok-nam rode out along with his soldiers and met the Japanese. Every Korean defending Namwon fought to their death. None survived except for one 12-year-old boy who carried the royal seal of the Korean Emperor. He was taken back to Japan where he was adopted and raised within a Japanese household.