Gwak Jae-u

Gwak Jae-woo or Gwak Jae-u (Korean: 곽재우; 1552–1617[1]) was a Korean military general and patriot from Uiryeong. He was called the "Red Robe General" (천강홍의장군, 天降紅衣將軍) after his habit of wearing a coat made of red silk.[2] In 1592, nine days into the Imjin war, he formed a Righteous army to fight against the Japanese army. He originally did not have an official position, but King Seonjo of Joseon granted him a government position.

In this Korean name, the family name is Gwak.
Gwak Jae-u
Hangul
곽재우
Hanja
郭再祐
Revised RomanizationGwak Jaeu
McCune–ReischauerKwak Chaeu
Courtesy name
Hangul
계수
Hanja
季綬
Revised RomanizationGyesu
McCune–ReischauerKyesu
Posthumous name
Hangul
충익
Hanja
忠翼
Revised RomanizationChungik
McCune–ReischauerCh'ungik

Background

Gwak was a Yangban. He had passed the examination to enter the civil service when he was thirty-four, but was denied a post as his essay portion was harshly critical of the government.[3] After that, he decided to give up taking the test and stay in hiding for life.[4]

Raising an army

In 1592, Japanese regent Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded Korea. Gwak began raising a militia to defend the free parts of Kyongsang province from the invaders.[3]

Gwak Jae-u disrupted Japanese supply lines around the Nakdong River in many guerrilla actions. Gwak also had the distinction of winning Korea's first land victory of the war in the Battle of Uiryeong. In part of a two-pronged offensive into Jeolla, Ankokuji Ekei led 6th division men from the south. Ankokuji needed to cross the Nam River to reach Uiryeong, an objective. He had his men find the shallowest parts of the river and mark them with stakes. While Ankokuji's army slept, Gwak's men moved the stakes to deeper sections of the river. When the crossing began, the Japanese soldiers foundered in the deep water, and Gwak's army attacked them. In multiple attempts to cross the river, Ankokuji suffered many losses, and was forced to abandon his attack on Uiryeong. The battle gave the Korean government respect for Gwak's abilities, and he was placed in command of the Korean forces in and around Uiryeong and the nearby Samga.

Red Robe

While Jae-u's robe is often simply described as red, Samuel Hawley further elaborates that the robe was "dyed in the first menstrual blood of young girls, which he believed suffused the garment with yin energy that would repel the yang energy of Japanese bullets."[5] Jae-u ultimately survived the war and died of old age at an unknown later date.

Legacy

There is a statue of Gwak Jae-u in Mangu Park in Daegu.[6] Also, In Uiryeoung, 'Chungik-sa' enshrine Gwak Jae-u and seventeen of his subordinates.

Family
  • Great-Great-Grandfather
    • Gwak Seung-hwa (곽승화, 郭承華)
  • Great-Grandfather
    • Gwak Wi (곽위, 郭瑋)
  • Grandfather
    • Gwak Ji-beon (곽지번, 郭之藩) (1495 - 1563)
  • Grandmother
  • Father
    • Gwak Wol (곽월, 郭越) (1518 - 6 August 1586)
      • Uncle - Gwak Gyu (곽규, 郭赳) (1521 - 1584)
      • Uncle - Gwak Cho (곽초, 郭超)
        • Cousin - Gwak Jae-gyeom (곽재겸, 郭再謙) (1547 - 1615)
  • Mother
    • Biological - Lady Kang of the Jinju Kang clan (진주 강씨)
      • Grandfather - Kang Eung-du (강응두, 姜應斗)
    • Step - Lady Heo of the Gimhae Heo clan (김해 허씨) (? - 1597)[8]
      • Step-grandfather - Heo Gyeong (허경, 許瓊)
  • Siblings
    • Older sister - Lady Gwak of the Hyeonpung Gwak clan (현풍 곽씨)
      • Brother-in-law - Heo Eon-sim (허언심, 許彦深) of the Gimhae Heo clan (김해 허씨) (1542 - ?)
    • Older brother - Gwak Jae-hui (곽재희, 郭再禧)
      • Sister-in-law - Lady Choi of the Gyeongju Choi clan (경주 최씨, 慶州 崔氏)
        • Nephew - Gwak Won (곽원, 郭源)
    • Older brother - Gwak Jae-rok (곽재록, 郭再錄)
      • Sister-in-law - Lady Jo of the Haman Jo clan (함안 조씨, 咸安 趙氏)
        • Nephew - Gwak Ye (곽예, 郭澧)
        • Nephew - Gwak Ong (곽옹, 郭翁)
        • Nephew - Gwak Chang-hu (곽창후, 郭昌後)
    • Younger half-brother - Gwak Jae-ji (곽재지, 郭再祉)
      • Sister-in-law - Lady Seong of the Changnyeong Seong clan (창녕 성씨, 昌寧 成氏)
        • Niece - Lady Gwak of the Hyeonpung Gwak clan (현풍 곽씨)
    • Younger half-brother - Gwak Jae-gi (곽재기, 郭再祺) (1573 - 1649)
      • Sister-in-law - Lady Shin of the Jeonsan Shin clan (전산 신씨, 電山 申氏)
        • Half-nephew - Gwak Yong (곽융, 郭瀜); passed the Liberation Arts examination (문과에 급제)
    • Younger half-sister - Lady Gwak of the Hyeonpung Gwak clan (현풍 곽씨)
      • Brother-in-law - Seong Cheon-jo (성천조, 成天祚) of the Changnyeong Seong clan (창녕 성씨)
        • Nephew - Seong Rim (성람, 成攬/成欖); passed the Liberation Arts examination (문과에 급제)
  • Spouse
    • Lady Kim of the Sangju Kim clan (상주 김씨, 尙州 金氏)
      • Father-in-law - Kim Haeng (김행, 金行)
      • Mother-in-law - Lady Jo of the Changnyeong Jo clan (창녕 조씨, 昌寧 曺氏); daughter of Jo Sik
  • Issue
    • Son - Gwak Yeong (곽영, 郭濚)
    • Son - Gwak Hwal (곽활, 郭活)
    • Daughter - Lady Gwak of the Hyeonpung Gwak clan (현풍 곽씨)
      • Son-in-law - Seong Yi-do (성이도, 成以道) of the Changnyeong Seong clan

See also

References
  1. In lunar calendar, Gwak was born on 28 August 1552 and died on 10 April 1617
  2. "곽재우 장군 의병 깃발을 높이 들다". 오마이뉴스 (in Korean). 2005-08-10. Retrieved 2021-03-17.
  3. Hawley, Samuel. The Imjin War (Seoul 2005), Royal Asiatic Society
  4. Korean Studies Institute. "곽재우". terms.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2021-06-06.
  5. Hawley, Samuel Jay (2005). The Imjin War : Japan's sixteenth-century invasion of Korea and attempt to conquer China (1st ed.). Seoul: Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch. p. 42. ISBN 8995442425.
  6. "Mangu Park" (PDF). Your Guide to a Successful Campus Life at Yeungnam University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-04-08. Retrieved 2006-08-09.
  7. She was the great-great-great-granddaughter of Grand Prince Jinan, who was the eldest son of King Taejo and Queen Sinui. (Grand Prince Jinan —> Princess Gyeonghye —> Yi Won-jeung —> Lady Yi of the Hansan Yi clan —> Heo Rin —> Lady Heo).
  8. Married shortly after Lady Kang’s death from childbirth
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