Siege of Pyongyang
1593 CE · Pyongyang, Korea
The Siege of Pyongyang was fought in 1593 CE in Pyongyang, Korea between Ming China and Joseon vs Japan; Ming-Joseon victory; the Japanese abandoned Pyongyang and fell back towards Seoul.
Siege of Pyongyang: quick facts
- Date
- 1593 CE
- Location
- Pyongyang, Korea
- Belligerents
- Ming China and Joseon vs Japan
- Commanders
- Li Rusong vs Konishi Yukinaga
- Result
- Ming-Joseon victory; the Japanese abandoned Pyongyang and fell back towards Seoul.
- Era
- ⛩️ East Asia
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Siege of Pyongyang?
The Siege of Pyongyang was a decisive battle during the Imjin War in which a combined Ming Chinese and Korean force of over 40,000 recaptured the city from Japanese occupation. Ming general Li Rusong led the assault with cannon and infantry, overwhelming the Japanese garrison under Konishi Yukinaga. The liberation of Pyongyang marked the first major allied victory of the war and began the Japanese retreat from northern Korea.
Did you know?
The Siege of Pyongyang was one of the first battles where Ming Chinese firearms, including early rockets and grenades, were used on a large scale against Japanese forces armed with matchlock muskets.
Sources and further reading
- Siege of Pyongyang on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.