The Siege of Busanjin, 1592 1709 silk painting by Byeon Bak showing Japanese forces staging an amphibious landing and surrounding the Korean fortress of Busanjin during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592, the first battle in the Imjon War. © Uber Bilder/Alamy. (more) Siege of Busanjin Japanese-Korean history Ask the Chatbot a Question More Actions Print Cite verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/event/Siege-of-Busanjin Feedback Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

　　External Websites Ask the Chatbot a Question Also known as: Battle of Busan Written by Stephen Turnbull Stephen Turnbull is Visiting Professor of Japanese Studies at Akita International University in Japan and Lecturer in Japanese Religious Studies at the University of Leeds. He also specializes in premodern... Stephen Turnbull Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Dec 2, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask the Chatbot a Question Quick Facts Date: May 24, 1592 (Show more) Location: South Korea Busan (Show more) Participants: Japan Korea (Show more) Key People: Toyotomi Hideyoshi (Show more) See all related content In Japan’s Age of Warring States, Toyotomi Hideyoshi had reunited Japan by 1591, but in 1592 he ordered an invasion of Ming China to be carried out through Korea. The Koreans resisted, and a fierce war began. Busan, Korea’s most important port, was the first gain by the Japanese invaders, who captured it on May 24, 1592.

　　The taking of Busan, the most important port on the southern coast of Korea, was the engagement by which the first invasion of Korea began. The first group of invaders to land were the advance party commanded by So Yoshitomo, who was the daimyo of Tsushima—the island of Japan that is closest to Korea—and personally acquainted with the local area. In command of the garrison was the Korean general, Chong Bal. He sank all his ships in the harbor and withdrew all his forces within the gates of Busan. Refusing to surrender, he ordered his men to fight to the death but was shot dead during the assault. Korean casualties numbered 8,000, with only 200 being taken prisoner, most of the hundreds of those who surrendered having been summarily executed. Thousands of civilians were also murdered.

　　Britannica Quiz A History of War While So Yoshitomo attacked the main fortress of Busan, Konishi Yukinaga launched a simultaneous assault on a naval fort near the harbor, which was defended by some 6,000 Koreans against Yukinaga’s more than 18,000. Yukinaga led the attack with his troops scaling ladders while musket fire prevented the Koreans from counterattacking. The governor of the fort stated that he would take orders to surrender only from the king of Korea. Yukinaga pretended to withdraw while the required orders were obtained, but instead launched a surprise attack at 4:00 the following morning. The moat was filled in quickly with rocks and earth, and the Japanese climbed over the walls. The fort surrendered after two hours, and the harbor and city of Busan were secured immediately, providing Japan with a strategic port from which to stage further hostilities on Korea.