Won Gyun facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Won Gyun
Born	12 February 1540 Pyeongtaek, Joseon Korea
Died	27 August 1597(1597-08-27) (aged 57) Chilcheollyang, Joseon Korea
Allegiance	Joseon Korea
Battles/wars	Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–98) Battle of Okpo Battle of Sacheon (1592) Battle of Hansan Island Battle of Busan (1592) Battle of Chilchonryang  †

Won Gyun (Hangul: 원균; Hanja: 元均; RR: Won Gyun; MR: Wŏn Kyun) was a Korean general and admiral who lived from 1540 to 1597. He served during the Joseon Dynasty, a period in Korean history. Won Gyun is mostly known for his role in the Japanese invasions of Korea, which happened between 1592 and 1598.

Won Gyun came from the Wonju Won family, a group known for its military achievements. He was born in 1540 near Pyeongtaek. From a young age, he showed great skill as a warrior. He became a military officer and was first sent to the northern border. His job was to protect Korean villages from the Jurchens, who often attacked. Won Gyun led many successful battles against the Jurchens alongside other famous generals like Yi Il and Yi Sun-sin.

After his achievements on the northern border, he was promoted to admiral in 1592. He was then sent to the southern coast of Gyeongsang Province to lead its Western Fleet. At the same time, Yi Sun-sin became an admiral before Won and took command of Jeolla Province's Eastern Fleet. It's important to know that both Won Gyun and Yi Sun-sin were cavalry leaders, meaning they were used to fighting on horseback, and had no prior experience with naval warfare.

Won Gyun's Military Journey

After passing his military exams, Won Gyun was assigned to the northern border. His main task was to defend against the Jurchens, who often raided Korean villages. He led many successful campaigns with Yi Il and Yi Sun-sin against these raiders.

In 1592, Won Gyun was promoted to admiral. He was sent to the southern coast of Gyeongsang Province to command its Eastern Fleet. Meanwhile, Yi Sun-sin, who had become an admiral earlier, took charge of Jeolla Province's Western Fleet. At this time, both Won Gyun and Yi Sun-sin were cavalry leaders. This meant they were experts in fighting on land with horses, but they had no experience with naval battles.

Before the Japanese Attack

Japan had recently been united under a new powerful leader named Toyotomi Hideyoshi. After a long period of civil wars, Hideyoshi became the supreme ruler of most of Japan. He then decided to expand his power by invading Japan's neighbors. His first target was Joseon (Korea), as a step towards invading China, which was then ruled by the Ming Dynasty.

Some Koreans understood that Japan posed a serious threat. They argued that the Joseon Dynasty needed to get ready for an invasion from Japan, in addition to dealing with the Jurchen threat. However, the Korean government was divided into different groups, and officials could not agree on what to do.

First Japanese Invasion Wave

On April 13, 1592, the Japanese fleet, led by Katō Kiyomasa, launched a surprise attack. They struck the Eastern Fleet of Gyeongsang Province and destroyed or disabled every ship under its control. The very next day, the main Japanese army, led by Kato and Konishi Yukinaga, landed on the Korean Peninsula and began marching north.

Won Gyun, who was the commander of the Eastern Fleet of Gyeongsang Province, was also defeated by the invading Japanese. Just one year before the war, Won's predecessor had passed a fleet inspection, meaning the fleet was ready for combat. With this strong force, Admiral Won might have been able to stop the Japanese at sea. This could have prevented or delayed their landing on Korean soil. However, he chose not to act on the information about the Japanese invasion until they had already landed and started attacking the city of Busan.

After this, Won Gyun sank many of his own ships as he retreated. He did this to make sure the invading Japanese forces could not capture them. With only four ships left, Won asked for help from Yi Sun-sin. Yi had prepared for war and had a smaller, but ready-for-battle, fleet.

Finally, on May 2, 1592, King Seonjo ordered both admirals to fight the Japanese. Won and Yi began their campaign two days later. They were joined by Admiral Yi Eok Ki, who commanded the Eastern Fleet of Jeolla Province.

On May 7, the Korean navy, led by Yi Sun-sin, destroyed a Japanese fleet in the Battle of Okpo. Later, Won Gyun was promoted to an army general, and Yi Sun-sin became the naval chief of staff.

The Plan to Remove Yi Sun-sin

In 1597, the Japanese decided to end all peace talks with the Koreans and the Chinese Ming Dynasty. They planned to invade Korea again. To help their plan, they tried to get Admiral Yi Sun-sin removed from his important position.

Japanese spies, working for Konishi Yukinaga, spread false rumors. They said that Katō Kiyomasa was encouraging more fighting and would soon cross the sea. King Seonjo ordered Admiral Yi to capture Kato. However, Yi refused, because he knew these rumors were lies made up by Japanese agents.

King Seonjo became worried that Yi Sun-sin or his supporters might try to overthrow him. Even though Yi never planned such a thing, the King convinced himself it could happen. Yi had refused the King's orders several times, and his fleet was the strongest fighting force on both sides. Yi refused orders only for tactical reasons, meaning he thought it was the best way to fight. But refusing orders, no matter the reason, scared the King very much.

King Seonjo finally ordered Yi's execution. However, the royal court, though hesitant, managed to stop the execution. Instead, Yi was imprisoned and demoted. Yi was then placed under the command of Gwon Yul to recover from the injuries he received during his investigation. King Seonjo then replaced Yi Sun-sin with Won Gyun as the naval chief of staff.

Battle of Chilcheonryang: Won Gyun's Last Naval Fight

Won Gyun also knew that the information about Kato was false. He did not move towards Busan for the same tactical reasons Yi had given to the royal court before his removal. Yi had been removed for refusing orders to attack the Japanese.

The government continued to believe the false information. They ordered Won Gyun to attack Japanese ships at Ungchŏn. Won attacked the Japanese, who were mostly unarmed and protected by a cease-fire agreement for peace talks. He defeated them but lost one of his battleships and its captain during the attack. He did not advance further after receiving a protest letter from the Japanese commander.

Then, Field Marshal Gwon Yul, who was also under great pressure from the King, called Won Gyun to his headquarters. Gwon Yul again ordered Won to attack Busan. Won Gyun finally led the navy towards Busan, along with the famous admiral Yi Eok Ki. He followed orders despite his own tactical concerns.

At first, the Japanese seemed to retreat, but it was a trick. The Japanese were ready to destroy the Joseon navy before their land invasion. The number of Japanese ships was so huge that most Koreans, including Admiral Bae Seol, were already scared. The Japanese fleet, led by Todo Takatora, advanced towards Won Gyun's fleets. Won knew he would lose the battle but felt he had no choice but to fight.

At the Battle of Chilchonryang, most of the Joseon Navy's ships were destroyed. Won Gyun is believed to have been killed while trying to escape, and his brother was also killed during this battle. Only a small group of twelve warships, led by Admiral Bae Sŏl, survived. Bae Sŏl had refused to join the battle and fled even before it began. Every other ship in the fight was destroyed or disabled, along with almost all of Joseon's navy officers and many skilled mid-level commanders.

After the Battle

The Battle of Chilcheonryang opened the way for the Japanese to advance towards the Yellow Sea. Todo Takatora planned to attack Hanyang (the capital) from both land and sea, working with Katō Kiyomasa and Konishi Yukinaga. However, Japan's hopes were crushed again when Yi Sun-sin returned and fought the Battle of Myeongnyang. This battle would help decide the winner of the devastating war.

Despite any historical arguments, both Won Gyun and Yi Sun-sin received honors after their deaths.

Won Gyun's Legacy

There is still much discussion about Won Gyun as a military leader. For a long time, scholars and historians often criticized him. However, some recent research suggests that Won Gyun might have been unfairly blamed too much during the time of President Park Chung-Hee. This might have been done to make Yi Sun-sin seem even greater by comparison.

For example, Won Gyun's earlier successes against the Jurchens have often been overlooked. There is now more interest in looking at Won Gyun's military career more fairly.

While Won Gyun made mistakes as a naval officer, much of the trouble during that time was also due to the royal court. The court was divided and often made poor decisions. However, it is still hard to ignore Won Gyun's actions and his lack of skill as a naval commander. It is also difficult to blame only the political problems of the royal court for the outcome of the Battle of Chilcheonryang. This battle led to almost the complete destruction of the Korean navy in a single fight against the Japanese. Before this, the Japanese had never been able to defeat the Koreans in a naval battle. Some people explain Won Gyun's reputation for poor command as an unfortunate result of being compared to his more successful colleague, Yi Sun-sin.

Family Life

• Father: Won Jun-ryang (원준량)
• Mother: Lady Yang, from the Namwon Yang clan
• Wife: Lady Yun, from the Papyeong Yun clan (married 1546 – died 1642)
  • Son: Won Saung (born 1575)
    • Grandson: Won Pil
    • Grandson: Won Yeom
  • Daughter: Lady Won, from the Wonju Won clan

See Also

In Spanish: Won Gyun para niños

• History of Korea
• Naval history of Korea
• Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea