Gojoseon–Yan War

The Gojoseon–Yan War' was an incident in the late 4th century BC in which the Yan dynasty invaded Gojoseon. The military operation was led by Jingai, and the invasion was in Liaodong Peninsula, which was in Gojoseon.[1] It is notable as the first recorded war in Korean history.[2]

Around 323 BC, Yan attempted to invade Gojoseon to stregthen the authority of Yan's king and also to obtain human and material resources by seizing it from Gojoseon.[3] However, Gojoseon was able to repel the attack utilizing both military and diplomatic actions.[4]

When the Yan dynasty fell to the Qin dynasty, refugees flowed into the Northeast and Joseon. When Emperor Qin unified China, he captured the capital of the Yan Dynasty in 226 BC, tracked down the fleeing King Yan, and went to Liaodong and became a prisoner for the fifth year. There is no doubt that a large number of people from the Yan Dynasty had come to the Korean Peninsula to escape the rebellion.

From the end of the Qin dynasty to the beginning of the Joseon dynasty, a large number of refugees moved to Joseon to avoid the war. When the Qin dynasty collapsed and the Chohan War began, the influx increased. Wiman, who late founded the Wiman Joseon, defected from the Yan dynasty and became the king of Joseon.