Battle of Namdaemun

The Battle of Namdaemun was an insurgency by the Korean army against Japanese forces in Korea. It was a reaction to the disbandment of the Korean army following the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1907. It took place at Namdaemun Gate in Seoul on August 1, 1907.

Battle of Namdaemun

Contemporary French artistic depiction of the Battle of Namdaemun, showing Korean and Japanese soldiers in heated contest.
Date1 August 1907
Location
Namdaemun Gate, Seoul, Korea
Result Japanese victory
Belligerents
 Japan  Korea
Commanders and leaders
Imperial Japanese Army Imperial Korean Armed Forces
Strength
1,100 (approx.) 1,200 (approx.)
Casualties and losses
  • 4 dead
  • 40 wounded
  • 68 dead
  • 100 wounded
  • 516 captured

Overview

In June 1907, the Japanese forced the Sunjong Emperor to disband the Armed Forces of the Korean Empire. As a consequence, the Armed Forces of the Korean Empire went on a revolution with arms.[1]

The site and street where the battle exploded corresponds today to the current location of the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Because of the vastly inferior armaments of the Korean army, the battle resulted in a Japanese victory, with Japan capturing the army base. Many members of the disbanded army joined the Righteous Armies and together they solidified a foundation for the Righteous Armies’ Battle of 1907.

Historical context and description
Emperor Gojong
The 1st Battalion Commander, Major (Park Seung-hwan)

In 1906, the installation of the Japanese Resident-General directed by Prince Ito Hirobumi in Korea. The Japanese Resident-General of Korea was installed in 1906, during the 44th year of the King Gojong’s reign. After this event, Imperial Japan hurried to annex Korea outright.

Japan forced Emperor Gojong to abdicate the throne of Korea in June 1907. This was possible because of the Hague Secret Emissary Affair, also called the Jeongmi Treaty, which concluded the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1907. The treaty disbanded the Armed Forces of the Korean Empire, which was the last military force.

On August 1 at 8:00 a.m., the 1st Battalion (unarmed 1st Infantry Regiment) was about to depart for the training center where the disbandment ceremony was supposed to happen.

The 1st Battalion Commander Major Park Seung-hwan (1869-1907), wrote a note on a paper in protest against the disbandment of the armed forces, "I could die ten thousand times because I couldn’t protect my country as a soldier”. Then Park committed suicide by shooting himself. His suicide enraged the soldiers, who extorted ammunition and armaments, arranged sentries around the barracks and started to open fire with guns against the Japanese army.

The 2nd Infantry Regiment or 1st Battalion inside Sungnyemun Gate, heard the gunshots around Seosomun Gate. They arrived and also opened as well fire on the Imperial Japanese Army.

Around 9:30 am, the Imperial Japanese Army put its 51st Infantry Regiment, first second and third Battalions, to fire indiscriminately with machine guns installed on the rampart of Sungnyemun.

The Korean forces' armaments were vastly inferior to the Japanese army's. Therefore, the Namdaemun Barracks was occupied around 10:50 a.m. and the Seosomun Barracks was taken by the Imperial Japanese Army around 11:40 a.m.

A major part of the Imperial Korean Armed Forces kept on resisting outside Seosomun Gate. Many of the disbanded soldiers joined the Righteous Armies to fight. They strengthened a foundation for the Righteous Armies’ Battle of 1907, which led to the Anti-Japanese War of the Righteous Armies.

The geographical map of Gyeongseong in 1903, shows that the Barracks of the 1st Battalion (currently 120 in Seosomun-dong) and the Barracks of the 2nd Battalion (currently 34 in Namchang-dong), were located in the southeast of Seosomun Gate and Sungnyemun Gate respectively.

Seosomun and Sungnyemun are the place where the street battle exploded. This site now corresponds to the current Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Analysis

The Battle of Namdaemun against Japan was sparked by the desire to resist dissolution of the Korean army.

From an international point of view, the battle is seen as a small combat action because of the small size of the Korean forces. Indeed, Korean soldiers numbered only 3,000 during this battle.

On another hand, from a national Korean point of view, this event was important because almost all of the capital guards were committed in it. As a matter of fact, there were 20,000 Korean soldiers in the country and only 4,000 in the capital city.

Aftermath
Righteous army of Jeongmi (1907); the man dressed in all-black is an Imperial Korean Army soldier.

Many members of the Korean Empire Armies were killed or captured during the Battle of Namdaemun.

The Righteous Army

Before the Battle of Namdaemun, the Righteous Army was mostly composed of poor peasants, fishermen, tiger hunters, miners, merchants, and laborers. After the Battle of Namdaemun many regular army members joined the Righteous army in 1907.

Cultural references

2018 Mr. Sunshine (Korean Drama)

See also

References
  1. Seth, Michael J. (2010-10-16). A History of Korea: From Antiquity to the Present. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 9780742567177.
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