Chungju (충주) Battlefield

With the arrival—bereft of horse and armor—of the bedraggled General Yi Il after the loss of his “army” at Sangju, General Sin Rip found himself in a bind. He’d intended to march his 8,000 troops—some number of tough, professional cavalrymen added to a large number of civilian volunteers—up to Saejae (Joryeong) Pass in order to block the fastest route from Busan to Seoul. Realizing the enemy would be soon upon him, Sin Rip decided instead to defend Chungju.

Both the nearby town of Chungju and Chungju Castle itself had high defensive walls, but Sin Rip decided not to enter what he saw as a deathtrap. Not wanting to waste the mobility of his elite cavalry, he chose to draw up a defensive line on a long, low hill called Tangeumdae (탄금대), wedged into the corner of two converging rivers. Leaving his men no place to retreat, he no doubt counted on a ferocious defense to offset the enemy’s numbers.

But Sin Rip had yet to face concentrated arquebus fire…and his army was torn to shreds from a distance. Those who initially survived fled the impossible position, jumping into the river hoping for escape. Most would drown. Sin Rip knew that all the troops at the King’s disposal had been assigned to him instead of manning the walls of the capital city. There was no one left. Ashamed at the extent of his failure, the veteran general dove into the river still wearing his armor, killing himself.

Unfortunately, there’s not a lot to see at Tangeumdae, the battle having taken place in 1592 on flat land currently in short supply. Chungju is now a sprawling city, and it’s become difficult even to get a decent picture of the hill itself. Still, as at Sangju, there is value in seeing the lay of the land for oneself. And the scenery facing the river—the last sight many of Sin Rip’s men ever saw—is spectacular.