Ulsan (울산)
The city of Ulsan has a long history, having been inhabited well into the Paleolithic Era, before the establishment of Korea’s Three Kingdoms. While always an important trade hub—through the nearby port of Yeompo—Ulsan would come to prominence during the Imjin War of 1592-98. During the second Japanese campaign in Joseon (1597-98), Kato Kiyomasa ordered the construction of a massive castle on a low hill just north of the Taehwa River. The Japanese called it Tosan Castle and despite frantic efforts to complete the fortress before the Joseon-Ming army arrived, it fell under a 22-day siege in January 1598. Kato’s troops stubbornly held in what became the most vicious battle of the entire war. Nonetheless, the Siege of Ulsan came to represent the beginning of the end for Hideyoshi’s invasion, presaging successive allied assaults against Suncheon and Sacheon later that year, the subsequent naval Battle of Noryang, and the withdrawal of all Japanese troops by the end of December.
As the Ming cavalry vanguard swept into Ulsan unexpectedly from the north, the first fortification they encountered was the old Joseon Army Headquarters, turned into a massive barracks for construction workers by the Japanese. Ming records indicate the horsemen took this fortress by surprise and killed untold numbers of Japanese (and no doubt some Koreans forced to labor for the occupiers) on their way to Tosan Castle.
What remains of the west gate to the headquarters fortification. The circular enclosure indicates a highly developed and modern—for the time—method of construction, preventing attackers from getting a straight run at the gate or worse, destroying the gate with cannon. Wonderfully reconstructed versions of this type of double gate construction can be seen at Suwon Hwaseong and Seoul City Walls today.
From the headquarters fortification one can still make out the prominent terrain of the coming siege. Tosan Casle was built upon the wooded hill captured in the left of this photo. The site from which Ming General Yang Hao would command the siege is the next wooded hill to the right, current site of a shrine to the Ulsan volunteers who resisted the Japanese throughout that six-year conflict. Given that buildings in the 16th century were much lower . . . one can easily imagine that the cavalry overrunning the headquarters were visible from Tosan Castle, providing the Japanese an initial warning that they were under attack.
View of the hill upon which Tosan Castle was built in 1597, taken from the south side of the Taehwa River. The wooded hill behind it to the left is the position taken by Ming General Yang as he directed the three week siege and multiple assaults.
This model of the fortress gives a better idea of what the allies faced. Typical 16th Century Japanese construction including multiple baileys, each capable of being defended from the next higher level. Note the original course of the river came right up to the lower bailey, allowing Kato Kiyomasa to easily make his way in even though the hill was already surrounded by allied troops. As well—and what’s missing here—the lowest bailey included a wide open area just east of the site, on low ground between the river and Dongcheon Stream. But construction teams had yet to hang the massive gates, allowing the Ming to overrun that lowest level of the castle on the first evening of the siege. Kato’s defenders would be restricted to the upper baileys for the next three weeks. Since none of those baileys had access to fresh water, this became a serious problem.
This was the view of Tosan Castle from the direction of the Ming commander and his staff. Note the distances aren’t that great, but didn’t need to be as the Japanese defenders had no cannon, relying upon bow and arquebus fire for ranged defense. Thus the Ming established artillery positions here and farther down the hill to pound the masonry works across the way. Bear in mind construction efforts would have stripped all the vegetation from the hill, making the castle walls stand out conspicuously. Beyond, and in the left of the picture, you can make out two prominent features. First, the East Sea was only about a kilometer or so to the east, the Taehwa River emptying into it just beyond the suspension bridge pictured. Second, the hill visible just in front of that bridge is likely the location from which the Japanese relief force signaled to Kato that they had arrived, providing the first indication to the besieged that they might just survive the brutal winter ordeal.
Reconstructed wall elements correspond to the massive wall to the left of the model pictured above.
This is taken mid-way up the castle, giving some impression of the size of these baileys. This corresponds to the bailey projecting from the castle on the right side of the model pictured above. While construction was still on-going at the time the siege commenced, extant records indicate that the upper baileys had at least already been furnished with the typical wood and plaster battlements, with holes cut to allow bow and arquebus fire at attackers. Those battlements would have topped all the upper wall sections of the castle, though many would be shot through by Ming cannon fire.
As you walk the grounds—especially if you’ve done your homework and are familiar with the lay of the land as well as how the siege progressed—more and more of the original stonework comes into focus. These are some of those sections that have been, as yet, left in their original state. Interestingly, much of the stone used in the construction of Tosan Castle was taken from the Joseon Army headquarters fortress to the north.
This section shows both original stonework and reconstructed elements.
The hill upon which General Yang directed the long battle now hosts the Chunguisa, including a shrine to Ulsan volunteers who resisted the Japanese invasion throughout the war. It also has its own small museum with a couple interesting pieces. More importantly, perhaps, the staff here was remarkably friendly and eager to assist our visit, mentioning that twice a year the descendants of those volunteers so honored paid homage to the site, something I may have to return to see.
The museum also has a full-scale replica of the most famous piece of artwork to emerge from the legendary siege. Upon close examination you’ll note all the Ming troops pictured are on horseback as this was how the Japanese viewed the besieging force though it in fact contained tens of thousands of both Chinese and Korean infantry and large numbers of cannon.
Japanese samurai armor typical of the Imjin War. The museum also displayed samples of Japanese arquebus and several Joseon Era cannon.
Perhaps the only statues of Chinese troops I’ve found in Korea, Joseon’s King Seonjo truly appreciated the effort expended by General Yang at Ulsan and that is reflected in how that siege is still presented today. Ming soldiers’ crimes against locals and their haughty manner in dealing with Joseon officials left a sour taste elsewhere, yet individual Ming officials were recognized both during and after the war, sometimes on memorial tablets that can, on occasion, be found still today.