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Goguryeo’sOccupationoftheSouthandCavalryBattles -FocusingontheOccupationoftheMouthofGanghwaBay-

Yi Hong Du 1

1홍익대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

TheImjin Riverand theHan Rivermergesattheestuary oftheHan River,which in turn mergeswith themouth oftheYeseongRivertoform theGanghwaBay.KingGoisubjugatedthe8nationsofJinhan,asubject provinceofDaebangGun,andhencepreoccupiedandcontroledthemouth ofGanghwaBay.When KingMicheondroveoutNakrangGunin A.D.313,the two nations,Goguryeo and Baekje,were shared borderand thewar wasinevitable. In 369, King Gogukwon invaded Chiyang (Baecheon‐gun) in Baekje with 20thousandinfantryandcavalrytroops.TheCrown PrinceGeungusu led hiscavalry through a byway toarriveatChiyang,and pitched camp on Bangeolyang (Baecheon‐gun) opposite Chiyang. He ambushed his soldiers,andlaunchedasurpriseattack on theelitetroopsoftheredflag by means ofcavalry. Winning the war, Baekje secured FortSugok in Singye Province atthe upperRiverofYeseong.In 371,the two nations wereagain engaged atPaeha.Baekjewon the warby a surpriseattack with its cavalry,and hence extended its westboundary to the Ungjin PeninsulaandHaeju.Inthewinterofthesameyear,KingGeunchogowith hisCrown PrinceattackedPyeongyangFort(theDaedongRiver)andwon. The reason why Baekje won allthree battles was thatithad excellent cavalrytacticswithmobility. King Gwanggaeto won allfive wars with Baekje. The victories were basedon thebuildingaheavilyarmedandequippedcorps.InOctober391,KingGwanggaetotook GwanmiFortatthemouth ofGanghwaBaybyan amphibiousoperation.Atthattime,Goguryeo’scavalryblockedthelogistic linein thenearofBaekje’snavalforces.With thefallofGwanmiFort,Baekje lost the maritime outpost. On the other hand, King Asin was defeated withoutovercoming King Gwanggaeto’s cavalry troops though he stakedthefateofhisnationon thereclamationofGwanmiFort.Then,he abstained from theattack on the mouth ofGanghwa Bay,butadvanced into Sugok Fortin Singye.In 393,King Asin pitched camp in frontof Sugok Fort.King Gwanggaetomanned 5thousand cavalrymen in thevan and on theleftand rightsides,and heputspearand shield soldiersat theback oftheheavily armed and equipped corps.Baekjestood against Goguryeo by disposing shield solders in the van. However, when the centralfilecollapsed,theycouldn’thelpbutwithdrawing.InJuly394,King Asin tried a pay‐offatthePaesu.AsKing Gwanggaetoattacked with 7thousand cavalrymen, Baekje army ran away. King Gawnggaeto turned light cavalry troops to the rear area to attack the Baekje army and inflicted8thousandcasualties. King Jangsu aggressively drove the policy ofadvancing southward.In 475,thekingled30thousandsoldierson hisown tosiegeHanseongwith fourunits.He burntthe northern gate by fire attack,entered and took Hanseong with King Gaero killed.He came back to Pyeongyang evading battles with Baekje corps staying north of the Han River. Then, the cavalryprotectedtheking’sarmyinthenear.

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