Eulji Mundeok
Encyclopedia
Eulji Mundeok was a noted military leader of early 7th century Goguryeo
, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
. Often numbered among the greatest heroes in Korea
n military history
, he defended Goguryeo against the Sui
Chinese. His name is often romanized as Ulchi Mundok according to McCune-Reischauer romanization.
, states that he was from the Mountain Seokda (石多山) in Pyongyang
. At the time of his birth, the kingdom of Goguryeo had grown to be a powerful and belligerent state, constantly warring with its neighbours, Chinese
states to its north and west, and its fellow Korean kingdoms Silla
and Baekje
to its southeast and southwest respectively.
A balance of power was maintained between these Three Kingdoms of Korea, until outside influence, namely the much larger Tang Dynasty
of China
, finally tipped the advantage to Silla. In 589, the Sui Dynasty
had reunified China for the first time since the fall of the Han Dynasty
over three centuries before. The Sui early on launched several large military campaigns against Goguryeo which was unwilling to submit to Sui dominance.
Eulji Mundeok (Some Korean scholars posit that the Eulji 乙支 in his name is some form of Goguryeo rank or title) was an educated man, skilled in both "mun" (문, 文) political
and the "mu" (무, 武) military science
s. He eventually rose to become Prime Minister of Goguryeo.
In the early 7th century, however, the new Sui emperor Yangdi
learned of secret Goguryeo correspondence with the Eastern Turkish khanate. Yangdi took a hard stand and demanded the King Yeongyang come and submit personally to Sui or face an "imperial tour of his territories". When the King Yeongyang failed to submit in this fashion, Yangdi prepared for war. He mustered an army of over 1,133,800 troops and more than 2 million auxiliaries and personally led them against Goguryeo in 612. They quickly overran Goguryeo's border defenses, camped on the banks of the Liao River
and prepared to bridge it. Eulji Mundeok, commissioned as a Field Marshal, was called upon to assist in the defence of the nation, and prepared his troops to meet the superior Sui forces with a strategy of false retreat, deception and attack.
After the Sui forces crossed the Liao River
, a small contingent was sent to attack the Goguryeo city of Yodong, but Field Marshal Eulji sent Admiral Gang Yi-sik
and his forces to meet them there and drove them out. As the rainy season progressed, the Sui forces launched other small probing attacks, but held off from making any large moves before the end of the rainy season.
When the rains stopped, Yangdi moved his forces to the banks of the Yalu River
in northwestern Korea and prepared for a major battle. Fighting only small engagements at times and places of his choosing, he drew the Sui forces further and further from their supply centers. A Sui advance force of over 305,000 men was sent to take the city of Pyongyang
. After allowing the force to approach the city, Field Marshal Eulji ambushed it. His forces attacked from all sides, driving the Sui troops back in utter confusion. His troops pursued the retreating army, slaughtering them at will; records claim that only 2,700 men of the massive force returned alive to the main Chinese army. This battle, the Battle of Salsu
, came known as one of the most glorious military triumphs in Korea's national history. (It was said that Eulji had built a large dam upon the Salsu river which made the waterbed shallow, and as the Sui troops crossed the dam was broken down, releasing a huge current of water upon the unsuspecting troops, thus wiping out nearly the entire fleet with one blow). After the battle, winter began to set in and the Sui forces, short on provisions, were forced to return home.
from a Sui invasion force, but he died not long after.
The Sui Dynasty was beginning to disintegrate and Yangdi decided that he urgently needed to expand his empire in order to regain power, but two more attacks on Goguryeo by Yangdi the following spring met with similar disaster, and eventually internal rebellion in China forced the Sui to abandon their desire for Goguryeo. By 618
, the relatively short-lived Sui Dynasty was replaced by the Tang Dynasty
. Field Marshal Eulji Mundeok's strategy and leadership had protected Goguryeo from the Chinese expansion to the Korean peninsula.
, the author of the Samguk Sagi, also attributed the outstanding victory over Sui
to the Eulji's great deed.
In Korea, Eulji Mundeok has been recognized as one of the greatest figures in its national history. During the reign of Hyeonjong
in the Goryeo
period, a shrine of Eulji Mundeok was built near Pyongyang. In the succeeding Joseon period, he remained just as revered a figure. Yang Seong-ji, a scholar and high-ranking bureaucrat of the Early Joseon
, and An Jeong-bok, a Silhak
historian of Late Joseon, both thought highly of him. Furthermore, King Sukjong of Joseon
ordered the construction of another shrine in honour of Eulji Mundeok in 1680.
At a time when Korea was suffering under the yoke of Japanese Imperialism, a fuller assessment of Eulji commenced with the Korean historian Shin Chaeho (신채호, 申采浩, 1880–1936), who published a biography of Eulji in 1908 and held him out as an example of Korea's traditional nationalist spirit. Eulji Mundeok is still celebrated as a great Korean hero. One of the most preeminent Korean scholars of the 20th century, Lee Ki-baik, noted that Eulji's efforts in halting the Sui attempt at conquest stand as one of the earliest examples of Korean attempts to fend off foreign domination.
Today a main thoroughfare in downtown Seoul
, Euljiro
, is named after Eulji Mundeok. The second highest Military Decoration of South Korea
, Field Marshal Lord Eulji's Order of Military Merit, is also named in his honour.
Eulji Mundeok's literary work, the Eulji Mundeok Hansi
, is one of the oldest surviving poems in Korean literature.
One of the biannual Combined Forces Command exercises between South Korea and the United States
was called Ulchi-Focus Lens (UFL) in honor of Eulji Mundeok. It has now been renamed Ulchi-Freedom Guardian
(UFG). UFG is the world's largest computerized command and control exercises, focusing on how U.S. and South Korean forces would defend against a North Korea
n attack.
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea
Three Kingdoms of Korea
The Three Kingdoms of Korea refer to the ancient Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium...
. Often numbered among the greatest heroes in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n military history
Military history of Korea
Koreas military history spans back thousands of years, beginning with the early struggles of the ancient Kingdom of Gojoseon. Its long history consists of the many successful repulsions of major invasions and defensive against foreign invasions...
, he defended Goguryeo against the Sui
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
Chinese. His name is often romanized as Ulchi Mundok according to McCune-Reischauer romanization.
Background
Eulji was born in the mid-6th century and died sometime after 618, although the exact date is unknown. Haedong myeongjangjeon (Biographies of famed Korean Generals), written in 18th century JoseonJoseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
, states that he was from the Mountain Seokda (石多山) in Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
. At the time of his birth, the kingdom of Goguryeo had grown to be a powerful and belligerent state, constantly warring with its neighbours, Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
states to its north and west, and its fellow Korean kingdoms Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
and Baekje
Baekje
Baekje or Paekche was a kingdom located in southwest Korea. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla....
to its southeast and southwest respectively.
A balance of power was maintained between these Three Kingdoms of Korea, until outside influence, namely the much larger Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, finally tipped the advantage to Silla. In 589, the Sui Dynasty
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
had reunified China for the first time since the fall of the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
over three centuries before. The Sui early on launched several large military campaigns against Goguryeo which was unwilling to submit to Sui dominance.
Eulji Mundeok (Some Korean scholars posit that the Eulji 乙支 in his name is some form of Goguryeo rank or title) was an educated man, skilled in both "mun" (문, 文) political
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and the "mu" (무, 武) military science
Military science
Military science is the process of translating national defence policy to produce military capability by employing military scientists, including theorists, researchers, experimental scientists, applied scientists, designers, engineers, test technicians, and military personnel responsible for...
s. He eventually rose to become Prime Minister of Goguryeo.
The Battle of Salsu River
After the founding of the Sui dynasty in 589, a precarious peace obtained for several years between the new Chinese dynasty and Goguryeo. In 597, however, the Goguryeo King Yeongyang launched raids across the Liao River, which is the traditional border with China. In response, the Sui invaded Goguryeo, but the invasion failed as the invasion force was scattered by a typhoon.In the early 7th century, however, the new Sui emperor Yangdi
Emperor Yang of Sui
Emperor Yang of Sui , personal name Yang Guang , alternative name Ying , nickname Amo , known as Emperor Ming during the brief reign of his grandson Yang Tong), was the second son of Emperor Wen of Sui, and the second emperor of China's Sui Dynasty.Emperor Yang's original name was Yang Ying, but...
learned of secret Goguryeo correspondence with the Eastern Turkish khanate. Yangdi took a hard stand and demanded the King Yeongyang come and submit personally to Sui or face an "imperial tour of his territories". When the King Yeongyang failed to submit in this fashion, Yangdi prepared for war. He mustered an army of over 1,133,800 troops and more than 2 million auxiliaries and personally led them against Goguryeo in 612. They quickly overran Goguryeo's border defenses, camped on the banks of the Liao River
Liao River
The Liao River is the principal river in northeast China . The province of Liaoning and the Liaodong Peninsula derive their names from the river....
and prepared to bridge it. Eulji Mundeok, commissioned as a Field Marshal, was called upon to assist in the defence of the nation, and prepared his troops to meet the superior Sui forces with a strategy of false retreat, deception and attack.
After the Sui forces crossed the Liao River
Liao River
The Liao River is the principal river in northeast China . The province of Liaoning and the Liaodong Peninsula derive their names from the river....
, a small contingent was sent to attack the Goguryeo city of Yodong, but Field Marshal Eulji sent Admiral Gang Yi-sik
Gang Yi-sik
Gang I-sik was a general of Goguryeo under reign of King Pyeongwon, King Yeongyang, and King Yeongnyu. General Gang fought alongside Eulji Mundeok during the Goguryeo-Sui Wars.-Life:...
and his forces to meet them there and drove them out. As the rainy season progressed, the Sui forces launched other small probing attacks, but held off from making any large moves before the end of the rainy season.
When the rains stopped, Yangdi moved his forces to the banks of the Yalu River
Yalu River
The Yalu River or the Amnok River is a river on the border between North Korea and the People's Republic of China....
in northwestern Korea and prepared for a major battle. Fighting only small engagements at times and places of his choosing, he drew the Sui forces further and further from their supply centers. A Sui advance force of over 305,000 men was sent to take the city of Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
. After allowing the force to approach the city, Field Marshal Eulji ambushed it. His forces attacked from all sides, driving the Sui troops back in utter confusion. His troops pursued the retreating army, slaughtering them at will; records claim that only 2,700 men of the massive force returned alive to the main Chinese army. This battle, the Battle of Salsu
Battle of Salsu
The Battle of Salsu was an enormous battle that occurred in the year AD 612, during the second Goguryeo-Sui War, between the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo and the Chinese Sui Dynasty. Goguryeo cavalry forces, pursuing the Sui army, attacked and defeated it at the Salsu River.In 612 the Sui Emperor...
, came known as one of the most glorious military triumphs in Korea's national history. (It was said that Eulji had built a large dam upon the Salsu river which made the waterbed shallow, and as the Sui troops crossed the dam was broken down, releasing a huge current of water upon the unsuspecting troops, thus wiping out nearly the entire fleet with one blow). After the battle, winter began to set in and the Sui forces, short on provisions, were forced to return home.
Death
Eulji Mundeok managed to protect Sin FortressLiaoyang
Liaoyang is a city in China, Liaoning province, located in the middle of the Liaodong Peninsula. The city is situated on the T'ai-tzu River and forms with Anshan a built up area of 2,057,200 inhabitants in 2010....
from a Sui invasion force, but he died not long after.
The Sui Dynasty was beginning to disintegrate and Yangdi decided that he urgently needed to expand his empire in order to regain power, but two more attacks on Goguryeo by Yangdi the following spring met with similar disaster, and eventually internal rebellion in China forced the Sui to abandon their desire for Goguryeo. By 618
618
Year 618 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 618 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* The Sui Dynasty ends and the Tang Dynasty...
, the relatively short-lived Sui Dynasty was replaced by the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
. Field Marshal Eulji Mundeok's strategy and leadership had protected Goguryeo from the Chinese expansion to the Korean peninsula.
Legacy
One of the most distinguished military leaders of the Goguryeo period, Eulji's leadership and tactical acumen was the decisive factor in defeating the Sui invasion. Facing vastly numerically superior forces, he developed a strategy that allowed him to secure a decisive victory. Such spectacular tactical success was sufficient to earn him a permanent place among Korea's most famous leaders. Kim Bu-sikKim Bu-sik
Kim Busik was an official and a scholar during Korea's Goryeo period. He is best known for compiling the Samguk Sagi, the oldest extant record of Korean history....
, the author of the Samguk Sagi, also attributed the outstanding victory over Sui
Sui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
to the Eulji's great deed.
In Korea, Eulji Mundeok has been recognized as one of the greatest figures in its national history. During the reign of Hyeonjong
Hyeonjong of Goryeo
Hyeonjong of Goryeo was the 8th ruler of the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. He was a grandson of Emperor Taejo. He was appointed by the military leader Gang Jo, whom the previous Emperor Mokjong had called upon to destroy a plot by Kim Chi-yang.In 1010, The Khitan attacked again during an internal...
in the Goryeo
Goryeo
The Goryeo Dynasty or Koryŏ was a Korean dynasty established in 918 by Emperor Taejo. Korea gets its name from this kingdom which came to be pronounced Korea. It united the Later Three Kingdoms in 936 and ruled most of the Korean peninsula until it was removed by the Joseon dynasty in 1392...
period, a shrine of Eulji Mundeok was built near Pyongyang. In the succeeding Joseon period, he remained just as revered a figure. Yang Seong-ji, a scholar and high-ranking bureaucrat of the Early Joseon
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
, and An Jeong-bok, a Silhak
Silhak
Silhak was a Korean Confucian social reform movement in late Joseon Dynasty. Sil means "actual" or "practical," and hak means "studies" or "learning." It developed in response to the increasingly metaphysical nature of Neo-Confucianism that seemed disconnected from the rapid agricultural,...
historian of Late Joseon, both thought highly of him. Furthermore, King Sukjong of Joseon
Sukjong of Joseon
Sukjong was the 19th king of the Joseon Dynasty of Korea from 1674 to 1720.- Biography :King Sukjong was born on 15 August 1661 to King Hyeonjong and Queen Myeongseong at Changdeok Palace. His given name was Yi Sun...
ordered the construction of another shrine in honour of Eulji Mundeok in 1680.
At a time when Korea was suffering under the yoke of Japanese Imperialism, a fuller assessment of Eulji commenced with the Korean historian Shin Chaeho (신채호, 申采浩, 1880–1936), who published a biography of Eulji in 1908 and held him out as an example of Korea's traditional nationalist spirit. Eulji Mundeok is still celebrated as a great Korean hero. One of the most preeminent Korean scholars of the 20th century, Lee Ki-baik, noted that Eulji's efforts in halting the Sui attempt at conquest stand as one of the earliest examples of Korean attempts to fend off foreign domination.
Today a main thoroughfare in downtown Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, Euljiro
Euljiro
Euljiro is an avenue in Seoul named after Eulji Mundeok, the general who saved Korea from the invading Sui Dynasty Chinese. During Korea under Japanese rule's period, the street was known as Kogane-Cho .-Transportation links:...
, is named after Eulji Mundeok. The second highest Military Decoration of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Field Marshal Lord Eulji's Order of Military Merit, is also named in his honour.
Eulji Mundeok's literary work, the Eulji Mundeok Hansi
Eulji Mundeok Hansi
Eulji Mundeok Hansi is the oldest surviving poetry in Korean literature.In the second Goguryeo-Sui War, Eulji maneuvered the Goguryeo troops so that they engaged the Sui army seven times a day, each time feigning defeat and retreating, leading the Sui army deeper south with the perception of victory...
, is one of the oldest surviving poems in Korean literature.
One of the biannual Combined Forces Command exercises between South Korea and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was called Ulchi-Focus Lens (UFL) in honor of Eulji Mundeok. It has now been renamed Ulchi-Freedom Guardian
Ulchi-Freedom Guardian
Ulchi-Freedom Guardian is the new name of the military exercise previously known as Ulchi-Focus Lens, a combined military exercise between South Korea and the United States. The exercise is the world's largest computerized command and control implementation which mainly focuses on defending South...
(UFG). UFG is the world's largest computerized command and control exercises, focusing on how U.S. and South Korean forces would defend against a North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
n attack.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- History of KoreaHistory of KoreaThe Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...
- GoguryeoGoguryeoGoguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
- King Yeongyang
- Gang Yi-sikGang Yi-sikGang I-sik was a general of Goguryeo under reign of King Pyeongwon, King Yeongyang, and King Yeongnyu. General Gang fought alongside Eulji Mundeok during the Goguryeo-Sui Wars.-Life:...