A Japanese force of fifty-six thousand soldiers…

A Japanese force of fifty-six thousand soldiers led by Ukita Hideie besieges and assaults Namwon, thirty miles southeast from Chonju, on August 13.

The largest fortress in Jeolla Province, Namwon is manned by a coalition force of forty-three hundred Korean and Chinese Soldiers and six thousand women and children.

The city is protected by a wall, constructed in the northern Chinese style, with a shallow dry moat, and corner gun towers.

The Koreans want to relocate to the nearby mountain fortress because of their knowledge of the terrain.

This also would have given them the higher ground.

However the Chinese general Yang Yuan demands the defense of the city, claiming that, as he has fought and won numerous battles in China, he knows what strategy will best serve the defenders.

More comfortable defending the Chinese style city wall than a Korean style hill top fortress, he chooses to remain within the walls.

However, being on flat land, with high ground all around it, the city comes immediately under bow and arquebus fire from all sides.

As the opposing sides exchange volleys of arquebuses and bows, the Japanese lay siege to the walls of the fortress with ladders and siege towers.

General Yi Bok Nam and his cavalry are able to successfully repel the Japanese attack several times, but the annual rainfall has reduced the flat lands to fields of mud, rendering the Korean horsemen and their steeds useless.

As morale plummets and casualties mount, General Yang, who is defending the South wall with his troops, negotiates with the Japanese in secret.

In exchange for a safe retreat for himself and his troops, Yang will surrender the south wall and entrance to the Japanese without opposition.

When Yang abandons the south wall on August 16 and the Japanese troops enter through the gates, Yi Bok-nam rides out with his soldiers and meets the invaders, who eventually scale the walls and sack the fortress.

According to Japanese commander Okochi Hidemoto, author of the Chosen Ki, the Siege of Namwon results in three thousand seven hundred and twenty-six casualties (based on the number of noses collected) on the Korean and Chinese forces' side.