Wihwado Retreat

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Coup of 1388
Date22 May – 3 June 1388
Location
Kaesŏng, Goryeo (now part of North Korea) Map
Result

Successful Coup

Belligerents
Insurgents
led by Gen. Yi Seong-gye and Gen. Jo Min-soo		 Goryeo
led by Gen. Choe Yeong
Commanders and leaders
Yi Seong-gye
Jo Min-soo		 King U
Choe Yeong
Strength
50,000 troops 5,000
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown

Turning back the army from Wihwa Island (Korean: 위화도 회군; Hanja: 威化島 回軍) refers to the 1388 episode in which General Yi Seong-gye of the Goryeo dynasty was ordered to march north with his army and invade the Liaodong Peninsula (northeast China, which was under the control of the Ming dynasty), but instead decided to turn back to Kaesong and trigger a coup d'état.[1]

General Yi Seong-gye had gained power and respect during the late 1370s and early 1380s by pushing Mongol remnants off the Korean Peninsula and also by repelling well-organized Japanese pirates in a series of successful engagements. He was also credited with routing the Red Turbans when they made their move into the Korean Peninsula as part of their rebellion against the Yuan dynasty. Following the rise of the Ming dynasty under Zhu Yuanzhang, the royal court in Goryeo split into two competing factions: the group led by General Yi (supporting the Ming dynasty) and the camp led by his rival General Choe (supporting the Yuan dynasty).[2]

When a Ming messenger came to Goryeo in 1388 (the 14th year of King U) to demand the return of a significant portion of Goryeo's northern territory, General Choe Yeong seized the opportunity and played upon the prevailing anti-Ming atmosphere to argue for the invasion of the Liaodong Peninsula (Goryeo claimed to be the successor of the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo;[3] as such, restoring Manchuria as part of Korean territory was a tenet of its foreign policy throughout its history).

King U ordered General Yi to invade Liaodong Peninsula and attack the new Ming dynasty army in support of the Mongols, despite the General's protest.[4] in 1388 Yi arrived at Wihwa Island (Chinese: 威化岛 = Weihua Island) on the Amrok River, also known as the Yalu River, and realized that the Ming forces outnumbered his own. Instead of invading he made a momentous decision, commonly called "Turning back the army from Wihwa Island", that would alter the course of Korean history. Knowing of the support he enjoyed both from high-ranking government officials, the general populace, and the great deterrent of Ming Empire under the Hongwu Emperor, Yi decided to revolt and swept back to the capital, Gaegyeong, to trigger a coup d'état and secure control of the government. This was the first of a series of Yi's rebellious actions that eventually led to the establishment of the Joseon dynasty.[5] After being formed in July 1392, Yi's dynasty lasted until October 1897, when it was replaced by the Korean Empire.

In South Korea, the army deployed on the front line marching towards their capital[6] is often compared to this incident.[7]

Cultural references[edit]

Film[edit]

Talk show[edit]

Television[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "[Herald Interview] 'Hunminjeongeum' oratorio sings of how Hangeul was created". The Korea Herald. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  2. ^ "조선군을 약화 시키려는 명나라의 압박외교" [Pressure Diplomacy of the Ming Dynasty to weaken the Joseon Army]. OhmyNews (in Korean). 22 March 2007. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  3. ^ "EP.46 조선 건국의 기초가 된 사건 '위화도 회군' [키워드 한국사]" [EP.46 'Wihwado retreat', the event that became the basis of the founding of Joseon [Keyword Korean history]]. Sisun News (in Korean). 4 October 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  4. ^ Cho Min 조민 (2007). "고려말(高麗末)-조선초(朝鮮初) 국내정치지배세력(國內政治支配勢力)의 대중인식(對中認識)" [Diplomatic Relations with China in the Period of Late Goryeo and Early Chosun Dynasty]. The Journal of Northeast Asia Research (in Korean). 22 (2): 55–76.
  5. ^ Hwang, Kwang Moon (2017). A History of Korea. Palgrave Essential Histories (2 ed.). London: Palgrave. p. 52.
  6. ^ "'러시아 쿠데타' 바그너의 행진, 위화도 회군보다 3배 멀어" ['Russian coup' Wagner's march, disgrace is 3 times farther than the Wihwado retreat]. Grobal Economic (in Korean). 24 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  7. ^ "바그너그룹, 러시아로 회군... '푸틴의 요리사'는 왜 푸틴에게 이빨을 드러냈나" [The Wagner Group retreat to Russia... Why did 'Putin's chef' show his teeth to Putin?]. Culture News (in Korean). 24 June 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  8. ^ "'해적:바다로 간 산적' 오프닝 시퀀스 5분 영상 공개" ['The Pirates' Opening sequence 5 minutes video released]. The Herald Economics (in Korean). 4 August 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  9. ^ "'봉이 김선달'서 북한의 대동강은 어떻게 구현됐나" [How was North Korea's Daedong River embodied in 'Seondal: The Man Who Sells the River'?]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 9 July 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  10. ^ "'역사저널 그날' 위화도 회군, 그날의 긴박했던 이야기" ['The Day of the Historical Journal' Wihwado retreat, The tense story of the day]. CBC NEWS (in Korean). 11 December 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  11. ^ "드라마 '정도전' 위화도 회군, '역성혁명' 시작인가" [Drama 'Jeong Do-jeon' Wihwado retreat, is it the beginning of a 'dynastic cycle']. Korea Economy TV (in Korean). 30 March 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  12. ^ "'나의 나라' 위화도 회군→'이방원' 장혁 등장...혁명 휘몰아친다 [어저께TV]" ['My Country: The New Age' Wihwado retreat → 'Yi Bang-won' Jang Hyuk appears... The revolution is raging [Yesterday TV]]. OSEN (in Korean). 12 October 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  13. ^ "'육룡이 나르샤' 천호진 굳은 결심, '위화도회군' 폭우 속 수만 병사 환호성" [Cheon Ho-jin's firm determination in 'Six Flying Dragons', tens of thousands of soldiers cheering in the heavy rain in 'Wihwado retreat']. News Inside (in Korean). 14 December 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  14. ^ "[스타 그때 이런 일이] KBS '용의 눈물' 한국방송대상 받다" [[Star Then This Happened] KBS 'Tears of the Dragon' won the Korean Broadcasting Awards]. Sports Donga (in Korean). 7 August 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  15. ^ "드라마 '태종 이방원' 위화도 회군과 이성계 일가 위기...분당 최고 시청률 10.4%" [Drama 'The King of Tears, Lee Bang-won' Wihwado retreat and Lee Seong-gye family crisis... Per minutes highest viewership rating 10.4%]. CBC NEWS (in Korean). 12 December 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2023.

Source[edit]

  • John K. Fairbank, "East Asia: Tradition and Transformation" (Harvard University Press, 1989)
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