Battle of Busan
1592 CE · Busan, Korea
The Battle of Busan was fought in 1592 CE in Busan, Korea between Japan vs Joseon Korea; Japanese victory in the opening battle of the Imjin War; the fortress fell in a day.
Battle of Busan: quick facts
- Date
- 1592 CE
- Location
- Busan, Korea
- Belligerents
- Japan vs Joseon Korea
- Commanders
- Konishi Yukinaga vs Jeong Bal
- Result
- Japanese victory in the opening battle of the Imjin War; the fortress fell in a day.
- Era
- ⛩️ East Asia
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Busan?
The Battle of Busan was the opening engagement of the Imjin War, Japan's massive invasion of Korea in 1592. An invasion force of over 700 ships carrying approximately 158,000 Japanese soldiers landed at Busan and quickly overwhelmed the Korean garrison. The fortress commander Jeong Bal fought to the death as Japanese troops armed with matchlock rifles stormed the walls. The fall of Busan opened the door for the rapid Japanese advance up the Korean peninsula toward Seoul.
Did you know?
Toyotomi Hideyoshi's invasion of Korea at Busan in 1592 involved roughly 158,000 soldiers, making it one of the largest overseas military expeditions in world history up to that time.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Busan 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.