Siege of Pyongyang (1592)

The 1592 Siege of Pyongyang was part of the Japanese invasions of Korea in the end of 16th century. Konishi Yukinaga, a Japanese daimyo, captured Pyongyang and garrisoned his force in the winter of 1592. A small detachment of 5,000 Ming soldiers arrived from one of the Manchurian commanderies to investigate the scale of the Japanese invasion after King Seonjo pleaded for aid from the Ming court. However, Konishi was already prepared. As the Chinese entered into a seemingly empty Pyongyang, the Japanese ambushed them with arquebus fire and close quarter combat. The Chinese force was annihilated but the appearance of Ming troops greatly disturbed the Japanese. The Japanese garrison spent the winter of 1592-1593 in isolation and did not venture from the city for fear of encountering Chinese troops.

The Chinese salvage force finally arrived in early 1593 under experienced brothers, Generals Li Rusong and Li Rubo, with 45,000 men who besieged the Japanese with artillery and eventually rescued Pyongyang and drove the Japanese south.