Yi Jong-in

Yi Jong-in (李宗仁, 1556 – 1593) was a military officer of mid-Joseon whose ancestral seat was Gaeseong.¹ He passed the military examination in 1580, took part in the Imjin War, and was killed in the Battle of Jinju. He was a disciple of Yi Hwang. He was born in Namp'yeong, Naju.

생애

임진왜란 이전의 생애

출생

He was born in 1556 (the 11th year of King Myeongjong).

Yi Jong-in was a native of Namp'yeong, Naju, and his ancestral seat was Gaeseong. He was firm in character and had strong principles. He passed the military examination. He stood eight cheok tall and was handsome in appearance. From an early age he loved archery and horsemanship, and he constantly trained himself in the qualities needed to become a military man. Originally he aimed at scholarly study and became a disciple of Yi Hwang, but his innate temperament was bold and unrestrained, so he later turned to training in martial arts.

무과 급제와 관료 생활

In 1580 (the 13th year of King Seonjo), he took the special military examination (別試武科) and passed. Afterward he served as a military officer guarding the northern frontier. In 1583, the Jurchen chieftain Nitanggae (尼湯介) invaded, and Gyeongwon (慶源) fell. Yi Je-sin (李濟臣), then military governor (兵馬節度使) of Hamgyong Province, was held responsible and was exiled to Insanjin (麟山鎭) in Uiju. Yi Jong-in took part in the punitive force against them and achieved merit, and afterward he repeatedly distinguished himself in the defense of the north.

임진왜란과 제2차 진주성 전투

During the Imjin War, as magistrate of Gimhae, he took many measures in defending the area. When the war broke out, he served under Kim Seong-il, and in the fourth lunar month of 1593 he was appointed magistrate of Gimhae. In the sixth lunar month of that year, the Japanese forces, who had been defeated in the First Battle of Jinju Fortress the previous year (1592), received a strict order from to take Jinju Fortress at any cost. They advanced against it with a great army of 5 divisions (隊) and 92,972 men. Yi Jong-in joined the defenders of Jinju Fortress, fought against the Japanese, displayed outstanding courage, and distinguished himself. On the 28th day of the sixth lunar month, when the Japanese launched a full assault and the defenses of the fortress were on the verge of collapse, he struck down five Japanese soldiers, and the Japanese soldiers nearby took fright and fled. That same night, at the first watch, when the Japanese attacked toward the New North Gate, he led his immediate followers in battle and repulsed them.