Sangju (상주) Battlefield
The battle of Sangju was the first real field battle between the invading Japanese forces under Konishi Yukinaga and the forces of Joseon Korea. Charging forward without waiting for the second and third contingent of samurai and ashigaru invaders, Yukinaga took Busan, Dongnae, and then marched on Saejae (Joryeong) Pass, the central route to the capital at Seoul. Taking Daegu in stride, the Japanese headed northwest toward the important town of Sangju.
This was also the destination of Joseon General Yi Il and his 60 professional cavalrymen. His orders were to take command of the small garrison guarding the government granary there, raise whatever additional troops he could, then do what he could to delay the invaders in their advance to the north. Arriving at Sangju, Yi Il found the garrison had already been called away to help defend Daegu. Despairing of his situation, Yi Il offered the government grain in exchange for conscription. 840 peasants answered the call and formed up on the slope of two hills, across the stream north of Sangju. Yi Il thought he had weeks to train them into a viable force. Yukinaga arrived the next day and the ensuing battle was a slaughter as his veteran troops—armed with copies of Portuguese arquebuses—mercilessly cut down the untrained rabble.
The result was an unmitigated disaster and Yi Il was forced to abandon both horse and heavy armor in a desperate bid to escape over the Saejae (Joryeong) Pass. His unexpected arrival before General Sin Rip at Chungju upset the latter’s plan to defend the pass and contributed to an unmitigated disaster at Tangeumdae.
The stream separating Sangju (left) from the battlefield. The stream is fairly shallow here, even after several days of heavy rain. Still, even then a bridge over the waterway features in the official report of the opening scenes of the battle. Yi Il clearly wanted to place the stream between himself and the Japanese, seeking any advantage that might be gained in favor of troops literally drafted the day prior.
A view down toward the stream from the hillside where Yi Il is supposed to have drawn up his troops for battle. The modern city of Sangju lies beyond.
The grounds here are immaculate, with multiple pavilions surrounded by well-manicured greenery. A beautiful site marking a truly ugly day!
As might be expected, memorial stones are everywhere on the site. After all, a good portion of Sangju’s population at the time likely died during this battle.
Ornate stairs and Joseon Era buildings house further memorials. It’s all done very well. Korea, being a tin country where land is at a premium, can’t generally spare the space to preserve battlefields. This one was a surprise, and we tripped across it traveling the likely Japanese route from Sangju to Saejae Pass. As such, visiting old battlefields in Korea is more an exercise in seeing and walking the land than it is viewing a preserved battlespace. After all…the Battle of Sangju took place 431 years ago!
A better view of the battlefield. Yi Il’s 900 men wouldn’t have taken up much space but he reportedly stretched them across this hill and one just outside the frame to the right. Construction and foliage on the Sangju City side of the river made it difficult to capture both hills, but you get the idea.
The battlefield memorial honoring the fallen in Joseon’s first field battle of the Imjin War.