Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched an invasion of Korea, aiming to use the peninsula as a route toward Ming China. Japanese troops quickly captured Busan, a major southern port, giving them a secure landing area and supply base. This opened the way for a fast advance inland.
The Japanese army moved north from Busan and attacked the fortified town of Dongnae. After heavy fighting, the fortress fell, removing a key early barrier on the road toward the Korean capital region. The loss deepened the early crisis for the Joseon state.
A major Joseon field army was defeated at Chungju (Tangeumdae). This setback weakened Korea’s ability to stop the Japanese advance by land and helped open the route toward Hanseong (Seoul). It also increased the pressure on Joseon leaders to seek outside help.
Japanese forces seized Hanseong, the Joseon capital, after a rapid northward advance. Taking the capital disrupted central administration and forced the Joseon court to retreat. The speed of this advance made Japanese supply lines increasingly important and vulnerable.
Admiral Yi Sun-sin and allied commanders attacked Japanese transport ships at Okpo Bay. The victory mattered because Japan’s armies depended on shipping for food, ammunition, and reinforcements. It marked the start of a naval campaign that would steadily disrupt Japanese logistics.
At Hansan Island, Yi Sun-sin defeated a Japanese fleet in one of the war’s most important naval battles. The result limited Japanese freedom of movement along the southern coast and made large-scale resupply by sea more dangerous. This shifted the war away from a quick Japanese conquest toward a longer struggle.
A Ming dynasty relief army joined Joseon forces and laid siege to Pyongyang, held by Japanese troops. The city fell after several days of fighting, forcing a Japanese retreat southward. This was an early turning point, showing that the invasion would face sustained coalition resistance.
As Ming forces pushed toward Hanseong, Japanese troops fought them at Byeokjegwan and stopped the advance. The battle did not restore Japan’s earlier momentum, but it helped prevent a rapid allied reconquest. Afterward, fighting increasingly mixed with diplomacy and shifting front lines.
Joseon commander Gwon Yul defended Haengju against a much larger Japanese force. The successful defense helped protect the area around Hanseong and boosted morale after earlier losses. It also showed that fortified positions supported by artillery and massed fire could blunt Japanese assaults.
Japanese forces captured Jinju after a major siege, overwhelming the defenders. Contemporary accounts describe widespread killings after the fortress fell, making the event a symbol of the war’s brutality. The fighting also underscored that neither side could easily force a decisive end.
After years of unstable negotiations and fighting, Japan launched a renewed offensive often called the Keichō invasion. Japanese forces landed again in strength, seeking to rebuild positions in southern Korea. The renewed campaign set up a second major phase of the war from 1597 to 1598.
Under new leadership, the Joseon navy suffered a disastrous defeat at Chilcheollyang. Most of the fleet was lost, temporarily giving Japan greater freedom to move supplies by sea. The defeat created an urgent crisis because Joseon’s remaining defenses depended heavily on naval control.
Japanese armies besieged and captured Namwon, killing many defenders. The fall of the fortress strengthened Japan’s position in the southwest and increased pressure on Ming–Joseon coordination. It also helped drive the war toward a grueling contest over fortified sites and supply routes.
Admiral Yi Sun-sin rebuilt a tiny surviving fleet and defeated a larger Japanese force at the Myeongnyang Strait. The victory helped restore Korean control over key sea lanes and made Japanese resupply more difficult again. It also stabilized the allied position at a moment when Japan hoped to regain momentum.
Ming and Joseon forces attacked the Japanese-built fortress at Ulsan but could not capture it. The siege showed the strengths and limits of the allied coalition: it could threaten Japanese strongholds, but assaulting well-defended forts was costly and uncertain. Japan held key coastal positions even as its broader aims weakened.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the leader who ordered the Korean invasions, died in Japan. After his death, Japanese leaders moved to protect their position at home, and withdrawal from Korea became the practical course. This political change directly set up the final evacuations and end-stage battles.
Joseon and Ming fleets attacked Japanese ships at Noryang Strait during the Japanese withdrawal. The allies won the battle, and it is widely treated as the war’s final major engagement. Admiral Yi Sun-sin was killed in action, and the Japanese invasions of Korea effectively ended with the withdrawal.
Japanese invasions of Korea (Imjin War) (1592–1598)