Eulmyo Japanese Invasion (乙卯倭變) or Dallyang Japanese Invasion (達梁倭変) was a raid by Japanese pirates that occurred in 1555 (the 10th year of King Myeongjong of Joseon) during the reign of King Myeongjong of Joseon. The Japanese pirates raided Dallyangpo in Haenam County, South Jeolla Province, attacked the areas of Yeongam, Gangjin, and Jindo in South Jeolla Province, and ten garrisons fell; the Jeolla Provincial Military Commander, the Magistrate of Jindo, and others were killed, and the Jeolla Provincial Military Command's troops were annihilated, but they were soon reorganized and the raiders were suppressed. Some regard it as a precursor to the Imjin War.
In the 10th year of Myeongjong (1555), in October, more than 70 Japanese pirate ships attacked the coast of South Jeolla Province, occupying and plundering Dallyangseong (達梁城, present-day Bukpyeong-ri, Bukpyeong-myeon, Haenam County) and Eoranpo (於蘭浦, Eoran-ri, Songji-myeon, Haenam County, South Jeolla) in Yeongam, Jeolla Province, as well as Geumgap and Namdo on Jindo, and captured ten garrisons. Some pirates landed inland but were blocked at Naju by Yi Heum-rye and at Dallyang by Yi Gwang-sik and others. However, the pirates turned back and plundered the areas of Yeongam County and Jindo; the court hurriedly dispatched Yi Jun-gyeong, Yi Yun-gyeong, Nam Chi-hun, Byeon Hyeop and others to send troops in support. Following the Eulmyo Japanese Invasion, the Border Defense Council (Bibyeonsa), which had been a temporary body, was elevated to a permanent institution and was regularly operated until the rise of the Heungseon Daewongun.
Overview
After the Japanese pirates who ran riot at Sayangjin in 1544, Joseon closed its ports to them; they then demanded that ports be opened so they could trade at Tsushima, and Joseon opened the Three Ports (Busanpo, Jepo, Yeompo). However, they later broke their promise not to cause disturbances, and invaded Jeju Island, the Dadohae archipelago, and the coast of South Jeolla Province. Eventually, on 11 May 1555 (10th year of Myeongjong), more than 70 Japanese ships attacked Dallyangpo (達粱浦) on the coast of South Jeolla Province.1 Soon, the on-duty frontier commanders were killed in the surprise attack by the Japanese pirates, and ten garrisons fell in an instant.2
Background
Whenever Japanese misconduct occurred, such as the Three Ports Disturbance in 1510 and the Saryangjin Japanese Invasion in 1544, the Joseon government strictly restricted entry into Joseon in response and reduced and permitted only a limited number of annual tribute ships (세견선, 歲遣船). Since the Japanese, who had to sell fish and seafood to Joseon and obtain supplies, had repeatedly requested the Joseon government to relax restrictions, the government ignored their letters or refused to respond. Dissatisfied with these controls, the Japanese pirates attacked the coastal areas of South Jeolla Province with 70-odd ships on 11 May 1555 (10th year of Myeongjong), surprise-attacking Dallyangseong (達梁城) and Eoranpo (於蘭浦) in Haenam County. They then raided the fortifications at Jindo, Geumgapdo (金甲島), and Namdo (南桃), massacring and burning the garrisons, and plundering and setting fire to civilian homes, reducing the areas of Haenam, Yeongam, and Jindo to ruins, before also invading Jangheung (長興) and Gangjin (康津).
Course of Events
On 13 May, the Japanese pirates first occupied Yeongam and Dallyang, then trampled Eoranpo (於蘭浦),3 Jangheung, Gangjin, Jindo and others, committing all kinds of atrocities. At this time, Provincial Commander Won Jeok, Magistrate of Jangheung Han On and others were killed in battle, and Magistrate of Yeongam Yi Deok-gyeon was captured, and the situation was extremely urgent.4
Jeolla Provincial Military Commander (兵馬節度使) Won Jeok (元積), who received a report from Yi Se-rin (李世麟), Gariopo Naval Captain (加里浦水軍僉使), led troops with the Magistrate of Jangheung Han On (韓蘊) and the Magistrate of Yeongam Yi Deok-gyeon (李德堅) to Dallyangpo in Yeongam, but was instead surrounded by the Japanese pirates; Won Jeok and Han On surrendered to the pirates and were then killed, while Yi Deok-gyeon escaped by pretending to surrender. When the elite troops under the Jeolla Province Provincial Military Commander collapsed, the invading Japanese pirates could not be stopped. The government hurriedly appointed Yi Gwang-sik (李光軾) as the new Provincial Military Commander, and sent him down with troops. Yi Gwang-sik engaged the Japanese pirates on the coasts of Jindo and Haenam and elsewhere.
At that time, the Japanese pirates attempting to advance north through Naju were repulsed by Yi Heum-rye (李欽禮) and others.
Suppression
The Japanese pirates who killed the Jeolla Provincial Military Commander and the Magistrate of Jangheung were met with little resistance until late May, plundering Eoranpo, Wando, Jangheung (長興) and Gangjin, and Jindo; they shot down residents and set fire to homes while plundering, but when pushed back by the troops of Yi Heum-rye and Yi Gwang-sik, they turned back and invaded Yeongam. Some plundered the area around Jindo. Meanwhile, some Joseon military commanders, fearing the fate of the frontier commanders who had been killed and local officials who had been taken prisoner and killed, were passive about providing support, and the battle situation stalled.
Accordingly, the court appointed Minister of Revenue Yi Jun-gyeong as Commissioner of Pacification (都巡察使), and Kim Gyeong-seok (金慶錫) and Nam Chi-hun (南致勳) as Defense Commissioners (防禦使), and dispatched Magistrate of Jeonju Yi Yun-gyeong, who routed the enemy decisively at Yeongam and drove them out. In addition to mobilizing elite troops from the capital such as the Royal Guards (禁軍), they conscripted retired military officials, free men of leisure (閑良), public and private slaves, and Buddhist monks. At the same time, Minister of Revenue Yi Jun-gyeong was appointed Commissioner of Pacification of Jeolla Province and Kim Gyeong-seok and Nam Chi-hun were appointed Defense Commissioners of the Left and Right Provinces, and sent down to suppress them; all Japanese residents at Busanpo were expelled to prevent the Three Ports Japanese from acting up and to block the advance of invading pirates, and additional commanders were dispatched to Gyeongsang and Chungcheong Provinces.
Results
When reinforcements arrived, Magistrate of Jeonju Yi Yun-gyeong (李潤慶) led troops to Yeongam, joined forces with Nam Chi-hun's troops, and on 25 May defeated the Japanese pirates on the Yeongam coast and won. On their retreat, the pirates raided Nokdo (鹿島), and then on 27 June attacked Jeju Island, but the Japanese who landed were subdued by Jeju Magistrate Kim Su-mun (金秀文) leading troops.
Jeju Magistrate Kim Su-mun (金秀文) submitted a report to the throne (狀啓), saying:
"On 27 June, more than 1,000 Japanese raiders came ashore and set up camp. I selected 70 agile soldiers and charged ahead of the camp, advancing to within 30 paces. Many Japanese were struck by arrows, yet they did not withdraw, so four men—Kim Jik-son (金直孫) of the Jeongnowi (定虜衛), Kim Seong-jo (金成祖) and Yi Hui-jun (李希俊) of the Gapsa (甲士), and Mun Si-bong (文時鳳) of the Bo-in (保人)—charged on horseback, and the enemy finally broke and scattered. A Japanese commander wearing a red-haired headdress (紅毛頭具), trusting in his own archery skill, refused to retreat alone, so the regular soldier Kim Mong-geun (金夢根) shot him in the back and struck him, and he fell at once. Our forces then pursued them with momentum, and the number of beheaded and captured was very large."5
In October of that year, the Lord of Tsushima (對馬島主, Lord of Tsushima Province) So Yoshishige (宗義調, 1532–1589) sent the heads of the Japanese pirates who had raided the coast of South Jeolla Province, apologized for the crimes, and appealed for an increase in annual tribute ships; the court accepted and increased the tribute ships by five, and on this occasion the Border Defense Council was made a permanent institution.
Notes
This article includes content based on the Global World Encyclopedia distributed by Daum Communications (now Kakao) under the GFDL or CC-SA license.
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