Gang Hong-rip
Encyclopedia
Gang Hong-rip was a Korea
n general during the Joseon Dynasty
.
Under repeated requests from Ming China
, Gwanghaegun
commanded Gang Hong-rip to help Ming forces with ten thousand soldiers against the Manchu
s in 1619. However, Ming armies were crushed in the Battle of Sarhū
. The Korean army under command of Liu Ting lost two-thirds of his troops at Fuca and surrendered to Nurhaci
. Official Korean records say that Gwanghaegun had ordered a betrayal to Nurhaci, but it is suspected to be a defamation by the Westerners faction, who deposed the king. In 1620 almost all Korean captives were released but Gang Hong-rip, who had good command of the Manchu language
, was still kept.
Frustrated with unsatisfactory reward for the coup which deposed Gwanghaegun, Yi Gwal
rebelled against King Injo
in 1624. He temporarily occupied Hanseong (modern-day Seoul
), but was eventually crushed. Han Myeong-nyeon, an accomplice of Yi Gwal, was also killed, but his son Han Yun fled to the Manchus.
Gang Hong-rip fell for Han Yun's trick and wrongly believed that his family was all killed by the government. To get his revenge on Korea, he urged the Manchus to defeat the dynasty. In 1627 he guided the Manchu army led by Amin to Hanseong and as a Manchu delegate he negotiated for a truce with Korea. Then he discovered that he was deceived about his family being killed and suffered a heartbreak. He was branded as a traitor and deprived his official rank. He was rehabilitated after his death.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
n general during the Joseon Dynasty
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
.
Under repeated requests from Ming China
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
, Gwanghaegun
Gwanghaegun of Joseon
Gwanghaegun or Prince Gwanghae was the fifteenth king of the Joseon Dynasty. His personal name was Yi Hon. Since he was deposed in a coup, later official historians did not give him a temple name like Taejo or Sejong...
commanded Gang Hong-rip to help Ming forces with ten thousand soldiers against the Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
s in 1619. However, Ming armies were crushed in the Battle of Sarhū
Battle of Sarhu
The Battle of Sarhū refers to the series of conflicts between the Manchus and Ming Dynasty of China in the winter of year 1619, which ended in the overwhelming victory for the former....
. The Korean army under command of Liu Ting lost two-thirds of his troops at Fuca and surrendered to Nurhaci
Nurhaci
Nurhaci was an important Jurchen chieftain who rose to prominence in the late sixteenth century in what is today Northeastern China...
. Official Korean records say that Gwanghaegun had ordered a betrayal to Nurhaci, but it is suspected to be a defamation by the Westerners faction, who deposed the king. In 1620 almost all Korean captives were released but Gang Hong-rip, who had good command of the Manchu language
Manchu language
Manchu is a Tungusic endangered language spoken in Northeast China; it used to be the language of the Manchu, though now most Manchus speak Mandarin Chinese and there are fewer than 70 native speakers of Manchu out of a total of nearly 10 million ethnic Manchus...
, was still kept.
Frustrated with unsatisfactory reward for the coup which deposed Gwanghaegun, Yi Gwal
Yi Gwal
Yi Gwal was a general during the Joseon Dynasty, Korea. His family belonged to the Gosung Yi clan.Perhaps he is best known for his rebellion against the government of King Injo in 1624, but prior to that date, he was a very able and brilliant commander.-Background:In 1622, he joined the Injo...
rebelled against King Injo
Injo of Joseon
Injo of Joseon was the sixteenth king of the Korean Joseon Dynasty. He was the grandson of Seonjo, son of Grandprince Jeongwon...
in 1624. He temporarily occupied Hanseong (modern-day Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
), but was eventually crushed. Han Myeong-nyeon, an accomplice of Yi Gwal, was also killed, but his son Han Yun fled to the Manchus.
Gang Hong-rip fell for Han Yun's trick and wrongly believed that his family was all killed by the government. To get his revenge on Korea, he urged the Manchus to defeat the dynasty. In 1627 he guided the Manchu army led by Amin to Hanseong and as a Manchu delegate he negotiated for a truce with Korea. Then he discovered that he was deceived about his family being killed and suffered a heartbreak. He was branded as a traitor and deprived his official rank. He was rehabilitated after his death.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- History of KoreaHistory of KoreaThe Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...