On April 13, 1592, Commander of Pusan Fort Chung Bal was on a hunting
excursion with his men in Julryong-do.
Commander! Commander?
What happened?
It's the Japanese! The Japanese are here!
Seeing that the enemy fleet is a hundred times the size of his own,
he destroys all of his warships, and retreats into the fort in a desperate
attempt to resist the invasion behind the walls of the city.
Attack!
Defend the fort!
The first battle of Yimjin war at Pusan Fort which began at the crack
of dawn on the 14th of April would end in total defeat in a matter of
four short hours despite the combined effort of the people and the military.
The total death toll that day reached over three thousand
including the death Pusan Fort Commander Chung Bal.
Wonderful! Wonderful indeed!
We have had quite an eventful few months.
An I know how hard all o you have worked to serve this man.
Your Majesty...
If only for today, let us forget about politics and policies
and all those stressful administrative affairs.
Let us forgo the formalities of sovereign and subject and
enjoy each other's company like old friends.
Your grace is immeasurable, Your Majesty.
Oh dear, what did I just say?
We will forgo the formalities of sovereign and subject.
Bring me some glasses. I must offer my friends some wine.
Prime Minister, this is for you. Drink.
Your Majesty, how will I return your infinite favors?
Oh dear, look at me. What terrible host I am!
I'm the one who said we would forego the formalities.
How could I call myself a fried if I don't even pour you a drink
with my own hands?
No, Your Majesty. It is against the customs of the palace.
I will pour you a drink as well, so don't be upset.
But the customs...
Please don't stop me.
Those are words that these very high officials have uttered to me more
than any other words since the first day I took the throne.
"No, Your Majesty!"
Now, let have a drink, Left Minister.
I had caused you quiet an aggravation insisting on abolishing the navy.
But know that you've caused me equal aggravation.
Forgive me, Your Majesty...
No, no, don't take it the wrong way.
Never doubt that I trust and depend on you like a brother.
Your grace is immeasurable, Your Majesty!
Now...
Oh, it's your turn, Minister Yu.
Your Majesty...
Here you go.
At an age when most officials retire and seek leisure, you've been working
very hard keeping that stubborn man left Minister on his toes.
Your Majesty...
But I am well aware that everything that you do is for the welfare and
safety of this land Chosun.
Keep going. They say you age faster if you stop fighting.
Your Grace is immeasurable.
Your Majesty, we are infinitely grateful for this generous gala
of comfort and encouragement, but I fear that the people may feel ignored.
This is a very special year to Your Majesty and the people of Chosun.
A special year?
Yes, Your Majesty.
This year marks the 200th year since the founding of Chosun,
and also marks the 25th year since your ascension to the throne.
The country and all of its citizens will praise your great virtue if you
commemorate this joyous occasion with a national celebration.
200th anniversary celebration? A celebration for the people?
If you would grant the people royal wine as you did us, they would be
moved to tears with gratitude.
Yes, of course! It is an outstanding ideal!
It must be the biggest and most glorious celebration this city
has every seen, Your Majesty.
I Shin Lip, will take the initiative and organize royal gala.
Your Majesty you are a sovereign of inimitable benevolence!
You have taken a fiercest warrior in the country and put him to use
use in organizing a festive gala for the people.
This is peaceful reign unique in 200 years of our history!
Peaceful reign?
What do you think, Prime Minister? You don't look very happy.
No, Your Majesty.
I too, believe it a wonderful idea.
A celebration? How could you becloud His Majesty judgment this way?
Crops have failed for consecutive years, and our efforts right now
should be on strengthening the frontier against the Jurchens in the north and
the Japanese in the south!
It is in such times that we heed such an event!
My lord, do you believe we have the budget for this?
Even if we did, we can't waste it on this? We could be building fortresses
or distributing provisions to the people to prepare them!
We must appease them and make them feel secure first!
When there is fear and confusion among the people, the King must display its
strength and command to make the public trust and adhere to the royal court!
Royal Secretariat, say something. Don't you have an opinion?
Minister Yoon has a point.
As they say no one has the cure for poverty, not even the King.
It would do very little to dole out a few sacks of grains to the people.
That's right. This is how you administer the state.
By the third day of invasion Kontshi's forces had arrived at
the gates of Tongnae Fort.
So?
Yes, General!
If you wish to fight, we will fight...
but if you do not wish to fight, lend us the path!
It is easy to die fighting but hard to lend the path!
Commander Song Sang-hyun and his men fought to their death with determination
and will, but Tongnae Fort fell into the hands of the invasion forces in
less than two hours of battle.
Some 3.000 Chosun soldiers and civilians were killed that day,
and another 500 were taken prisoner.
As Pusan and Tongnae fell into the hands of the Japanese forces, Left
Kyun-sang Naval Commander Park Hong sank his own fleet and fled the front.
It was just a matter of time before the entire province of Kyung-sang
crumbles, as leaders like Right Kyung-sang Army Commander Yi Gak, Governor
Kyungsang Kim Su, abandoned their posts and fled for safety.
Osung, my friend...
Hanum, what brings you here at this hour?
You must be on night duty tonight.
I don't know how much longer we must walk a different path.
I miss the days of our youth...
About the 200 anniversary festival,
it your honest opinion that Minister Yoon Du-su is right?
There is more than one way to appease the public.
I think the Easterners were the first to say it is unwise to
publicize the threat of war and stir up the public panic.
Your Majesty, I, Commander Park Hong of the Left Kyung-sang Naval Station
inform you that the Japanese forces have invaded our coast.
Is this true?
Yes, sir.
I will go straight to His Majesty. Alert the ministers for me.
Have His Majesty's audience at this hour?
Yes. Announce me right now.
Royal Secretariat, it is not even seven o'clock yet.
His Majesty does not wish to be awakened until 9 o'clock today,
as he retired inebriated last night.
Announce me at once!
I have His Majesty's orders.
Are you going to assume the responsibility of the country falls?
Emissary!
You're here.
Is it true? The Japanese have invaded at last?
I'm afraid so.
- What happened? - Sir...
Is this true?
Chung Bal and Song Sang-hyun those pathetic fools!
How could they crumble in less than a day and let the Japanese take
Pusan and Tongnae?
The shame is ours, Your Majesty.
Your Majesty we must take immediate action. If they've captured Pusan and
Tongnae, they will quickly advance through Taegu toward the capital!
Watch your words, Left Minister! Chung Bal and Song Sang-hyun may
have suffered defeat, but there're not the only warriors in Chosun!
Advisor Shin is right.
Your Majesty, I, Yi Il will proceed to the front at once.
As will I. Rest assured, Your Majesty, we will chase them out
of Chosun all the way into Japan and deliver justice!
You put me at ease. I trust and depend on the two of you alone.
Destroy the Japanese, and display the mighty power of Chosun.
We will not let you down, Your Majesty!
About the time the royal court had learned the news of war and scurried
to dispatch warriors like Shin Lip and Yi Il to the front...
the second and third division of the Japanese army led by Kato and Kuroda
were already preparing to ascend north after competing their landing.
By the 6th day of war on April 19th, the 4th, 5th and 6th division led by
Mori, Shimazu, Fukushima and Koyaba had also arrived bringing the number
of invasion force to over a hundred thousand.
I'm truly impressed by Chosun Navy!
They have managed to last a whopping half an afternoon against us!
There is a chance that there are naval forces out there that can
last perhaps a whole day. Why don't you take your men and comb the coast?
Your worthy opponent could be hiding somewhere out there.
Well then, my men and I better advance north.
I'm sure His Majesty is anxious for me to send him the Chosun King's head.
Let's go!
How could they be so pathetic?
It's a miracle that Chosun has managed to exist for 200 years!
How could they so helplessly crumble?
I, too am offended by General Kato's sarcasm, sir, but I'm relieved that
you were wrong about Chosun Navy.
We can end this war with minimum loss.
A hundred thousand? Did you say a hundred thousand?
Yes, sir.
Where are the rest of the garrison and port commanders?
Have they been alerted or not?
Well...
More than half of the warriors of Koje have fled the area.
Many of them have sunk their own ships.
What?!
They saw Pusan and Tongnae crumbling right before their eyes.
You can't blame them for...
Do you want to die? How dare you make excuses for them!
I will search the towns and villages myself!
I'll find those cowards and put them on the frontline!
Sir, it's the enemy!
We can't fight alone, sir. We must request aid!
Send a messenger to Left Cholla Naval Station. Request aid, sir!
No! Assemble the entire Right Kyung- sang military force here to Gon-yang!
Kyung-sang Navy will protect the Kyung-sang Province!
Most leaders have abandoned their posts. I doubt that their camps are intact.
Take this garrison for instance. We found less than a hundred soldiers.
We have to be realistic, sir.
Captain Han and Lieutenant Yi is right, sir. We have no choice.
We will inspect the ports and garrisons first!
Sir, but we still need to assemble...
As for the remaining battleships, sink them!
We can't let the enemy take them. Is that clear?
You cannot approve our request for aid?
Sir!
I've received the governor's letter and sent a memo to the royal court.
Until I have the royal court's approval, cannot move my troops.
The forts and garrisons are crumbling helplessly around us!
And you are just going to sit on your thumbs?
He said he would move the troops once he receives his orders, Lieutenant.
Soldiers and civilians are dying!
Return to your camp now.
You're not in the enemy's direct path, is that why?
You don't care whether we live of die as long as you're safe, is that it?
High Commander!
You've come here with High Commander Won's request, and I have replied.
I believe your job now to deliver that reply.
Aren't you Lt. Yi of the Right Kyung-sang Naval station?
Would you look at this disrespectful soldier!
We may not be your direct superior, but we are superiors nonetheless!
Did age isn't the only cause for tooth loss.
You can get them knocked out when you're young too!
Look down! Look down, soldier! Don't you know how to salute?
With all due respect, I do not see the need to salute you!
What did you say?
They said you were a bunch of cowards.
The High Commander is refusing the fight the enemy, and his men doesn't
even know the seriousness of the situation!
That, that, that arrogant little...!
Assemble the troops. I want all remaining battleships brought to
the headquarters immediately.
I knew it! We're going to the front!
I should've just snapped that arrogant lieutenant into pieces on the spot!
We will start the whole fleet on daily battle formation drills.
More drills, sir, instead of going to the front?
Pusan and Tongnae have fallen into the hands of the enemy.
And you'd have us casually doing drills?
I'm told the governor of Kyung-sang has requested aid as well.
This is no time for drills, sir.
We have to rush out there and pulverize the enemy!
We cannot move the troops in haste, Commander Kim.
In haste? We're at war!
There is no time to sit around!
We will not engage hostile action until we have His Majesty's order
and that's final. Quickly prepare for the training drills.
This is ridiculous!
Any word from the scouts we sent to the enemy camp?
Not yet, sir.
Despite the request for aid from both Won Kyun and the governor of
Kyung-sang Province, Yi Soon-shin was delaying hostile engagement.
Meanwhile, the Japanese forces marched north to the capital at
remarkable speed.
The first division led by Konishi Yukinaga's pressed on through Dae-gu
and An-dong to Sang-ju.
Kato Kiyomasa's division ravaged Pusan with pillage and plunder and made its
way to Joryong through Unyang, Kyong-ju and Goonui.
The third division led by Kuroda also captured fort after fort
sweeping through Kim-hae to Sung-ju virtually unopposed.
In a matter of ten days, the entire South Kyung-sang Province had fallen
into Japanese control.
General Yi Il was quickly dispatched to Sang-ju to contain the Japanese,
but he fled the front after a crushing defeat against Konishi on the plains of Boook-chun.
Komshi's army, which was advancing northward with violent force, would
come to a brief stop before Joryung Pass.
With a natural fortress Joryung Pass between them, Chosun's most reverb
general-Shin Lip and the leader of the first Japanese invasion force Konishi
Yukinaga would fight a fateful battle which would come to be known
as "The Battle of Tangeum."
We are a powerful army of archers and cavalrymen!
Defeat is not in our cards!
Pull that string back with all you're got!
Pierce the enemy's heart through their armors and wipe them out completely!
We will collect their heads and offer it to the King!
Stop the cries of our people with your very hands!
Make way! Make way!
What did you ˜find at the mountain pass?
There were no signs of military presence, sir.
That's not possible! Have you searched the entire area?
There has to be an ambush. You should've searched more thoroughly.
Go back out there immediately!
No fool who would abandon a natural fortress like Joryong Pass!
We will abandon Joryong!
That's absurd, General! The enemy is twice outsize!
We don't have a chance in an on open battle!
That's right, General.
We must take advantage of precipitous valleys and ambush them.
I agree, sir.
They are an infantry and we are a cavalry.
One cavalryman can take on three infantrymen.
Our best bet is to crush them on an open plain.
No, General!
We will face the enemy at Tangeum.
We will fight them with the river behind us.
No, General! That's an area with swamps and thick grass!
Our horses won't be able to move about freely!
It's an order. Do as you're told!
No, sir! Let us fight in Joryong.
We cannot lead our men into certain death!
How dare you!
General!
Do you resent me?
Why do you think I chose Tangeum instead of Joryong to fight the enemy?
We may have an army of 8.000, but more than half are untrained men.
We have no other choice.
If we give them any room, they will scatter and run.
Remember, Lt. Yi. It's victory or death.
What? Shin Lip has taken up position at Tangeum with the river behind him?
Yes, sir.
And we've combed through Joryong three times, but we did not find anything.
Could the Heaven be helping us?
Chosun's dim-witted general is helping us.
If this is the capacity of Chosun's best warrior, imagine the rest of them.
Well, the capital of Chosun will soon be in our hands!
Send in the first Ashigaru shock troops!
Yes, sir! First squadron, charge!
Attack!
Attack! Attack!
Send in the second squadron.
General, we're being pushed back. We need to send in more men.
The enemy's main force is their cavalry.
Get to 100 paces of the enemy. We need to lure them out.
Sir?
Obey the order!
Ashigaru squadron two, attack! March forward?
General, we're in a marshland!
Do not retreat! Command your men to charge forward!
Charge forward! Attack!
Fight! Do not turn back! Or you will die by my sword!
Charge!
It's time. Send out the entire force!
Attack! All troops attack!
Capture that man alive.
We will take him back to with us as a gift to His Eminence.
It would be rattier challenging to turn a Chosun warrior into a samurai.
The bloody battle at Tangeum on April 28th came to an end with
General Shin Lip throwing himself over ar cliff.
As the last line of defense crumbled, the road was wide open for Konishi
and Kato's army to march to Chosun's capital Han-yang.
You don't have to come along. Go back to the base.
But Lieutenant, how will you get back?
I will go back on the Left Cholla Navy's galley.
If I'm alive, I will be on their flagship bringing their entire fleet
with me, and if I'm dead, they'll send my corpse back to our base.
Why did you take the pawn when you can take the rook?
Goodness, sir, I'm beginning to think you're gutless!
Would you lower your voice? He can't concentrate with you talking so loud.
You see?
Sir, perhaps you're thinking too much.
Sir, the rook, you see that rook right there?
Should I take the rook or should I take the pawn?
Do you call that a question, sir?
Yes, of course, I should take the pawn.
Sir!
Commander Yi, what do you think?
Are you asking you opponent for advice, sir?
If I could make the opponent want to volunteer advice, I would think that
the fight would be easier.
If I were you, I would take the pawn.
Yes. If I take the rook, you would call out your knight.
That's right.
Then this battle would end with my complete defeat.
Wow, how come I didn't see that?
High Commander?
It's Lt. Yi Young-nam of Right Kyung-sang Naval Station!
High Commander!
High Commander, I must have your answer!
Go to the front with us!
Answer the Right Kyung-sang Navy's call for aid!
If you continue to refuse, I will take my own life!
April 28, 1592, fifteen days after the outbreak of war...
Right Kyung-sang Naval Commander Won Kyun continued to appeal for
aid, but Yi Soon-shin continued to hold back.