User:Fbgpwns5277/sandbox1
Gwak Jae-u | |
|---|---|
| Native name | 곽재우 |
| Nickname(s) | Honguijanggun (Red Robe General) |
| Born | September 16, 1552 Uiryeong, Joseon |
| Died | May 14, 1617 Yeongsan, Joseon |
| Allegiance | Joseon |
| Service | Righteous army |
| Years of service | 1597-1613 |
| Rank | Second junior rank (종2품) |
| Battles / wars | Imjin war |
| Fbgpwns5277/sandbox1 | |
| Hangul | 곽재우 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 郭再祐 |
| Revised Romanization | Gwak Jae-u |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kwak Chae'u |
| Courtesy name | |
| Hangul | 계수 |
| Hanja | 季綬 |
| Revised Romanization | Gyesu |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kyesu |
| Posthumous name | |
| Hangul | 충익 |
| Hanja | 忠翼 |
| Revised Romanization | Chung-ik |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch'ung'ik |
Gwak Jae-u (Korean: 곽재우; 1552–1617) was a Korean military general and patriot from Uiryeong. He was called the "Red Robe General" (천강홍의장군, 天降紅衣將軍) after his habit of wearing red costumes and riding a white horse in battle.[1] In 1592, nine days into the Imjin war, he formed a Righteous army to fight against the Japanese army. He was originally a commoner, but King Seonjo of Joseon granted him a government position.
Early Life and Background
[edit]Gwak Jae-u was born in Uiryeong, as the third son of Gwak Wol, a former governor of Hwanghae Province, and Mrs. Gang. His biological brothers Gwak Jae-hee, Gwak Jae-rok and one older sister, and his half-brother Gwak Jae-ji, Gwak Jae-gi, and half-sister were born to his stepmother Mrs. Heo. Early on, his mother was lost and his father remarried to Heo. He studied Neo-Confucianism under the Confucian scholarship of Jo Sik, a Confucian scholar in South Gyeongsang Province, and later became the granddaughter-in-law of Jo Sik.
After that, he went to Hanyang and took the Gwageo, but failed.
He then applied for the literary licentiate but failed to pass the literary licentiate. In 1585, at the age of 34, he was selected as the second of byeolsi (special examinations), but his passing was canceled shortly after he passed the examination because his writing went against King Seonjo of Joseon's displeasure.[2]
After that, he gave up his intention to enter politics and lived in his hometown while studying and fishing until he was over 40. Most of the students of Jo Sik became members of the Northerners when Gim Hyo-won joined the Easterners due to the relationship that was once under Jo Sik, and he became a member of the Easterners. When the Easterners were divided into the Northerners and the Southerners, he became a member of Northerners. However, he deliberately avoided other Northerners since he was dissatisfied with the internal strife between the Easterners and the Northerners.
He saved money by farming hard in his hometown of Uiryeong, and according to the Diary of Gwanghaegun, "The wealth was increased to tens of thousands of gold."
Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598)
[edit]Raising Righteous Army
[edit]In 1592, Japanese regent Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded Korea. Gwak began raising a militia to defend the free parts of Kyongsang province from the invaders.[2]
Gwak Jae-u disrupted Japanese supply lines around the Nakdong River in many guerrilla actions. Gwak also had the distinction of winning Korea's first land victory of the war in the Battle of Uiryeong. In the part of a two-pronged offensive into Jeolla, Ankokuji Ekei led 6th division men from the south. Ankokuji needed to cross the Nam River to reach Uiryeong, an objective. He had his men find the shallowest parts of the river and mark them with stakes. While Ankokuji's army slept, Gwak's men moved the stakes to deeper sections of the river. When the crossing began, the Japanese soldiers foundered in the deep water, and Gwak's army attacked them. In multiple attempts to cross the river, Ankokuji suffered many losses, and was forced to abandon his attack on Uiryeong. The battle gave the Korean government respect for Gwak's abilities, and he was placed in command of the Korean forces in and around Uiryeong and the nearby Samga.
Legacy
[edit]There is a statue of Gwak Jae-u in Mangu Park in Daegu.[1] Also, In Uiryeoung, 'Chungik-sa' enshrine Gwak Jae-u and his 17 subordinate.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Mangu Park" (PDF). Your Guide to a Successful Campus Life at Yeungnam University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-04-08. Retrieved 2006-08-09.
- ^ a b Hawley, Samuel. The Imjin War (Seoul 2005), Royal Asiatic Society
External links
[edit]
Category:Joseon Dynasty people
Category:Korean generals
Category:People of the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598)
Category:1552 births
Category:1617 deaths
Category:16th-century Korean people
Category:Hyeonpung Gwak clan
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