Ming atrocities in Korea during Imjin war

 

 

 

The above two scenes are reconstruction of Ming soldiers raping Korean women during Imjin war.

 

It seems these are scenes come from a Korean history drama about Admiral Yi Sun Sin?

 

Could anyone provide more detailed historical documents that record the atrocities commited by Ming army during Imjin war?

 

Because from one sided view of Chinese history text books regarding Imjin war, these atrocities are never mentioned.

 

So i would really like to hear different opinions.

 

 

But the truth speaks for itself, now i have something to add to that discussion.

 

If there are more authentic records please provide.

 

Also would you inform me where i can get online copy of "'the annals  of Chosun dynasty"? for clarification and reference purposes.

 

And i'd like to read it personally sometime.

 

BTW, you are resourceful, do you know where i can read Admiral Yi Sun Sin's war diary? I'd like to have some cross-referencing.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

I do note though that the records refer to the Ming soldiers as "People of Tang" despite the fact that the Tang Dynasty had been gone for more than half a millenium. But it would make even less sense to refer to them as "Ming people" because the character Ming has its own meaning.

We're talking different eras ... historically, the people living in the Korean peninsula got it from all sides ... Tang Dynasty, the Mongols, the Jurchens, the Japanese ...

 

Though some of them also had their moments when they were strong enough to strike at their neighbours ... like Bohai during the Tang.

 

 

Originally posted by Slick Like snowybeagle said, I guess that nearly every country has a bad mark on their history...

That's for sure.

Until humanist ideals became more widespread, most governments were not even fair to their own people, much less to non-citizens.

 

Or perhaps it is a common phenomena for military men in the past to take liberties with those they were suppose to aid. Heck, it happens even today with UN peacekeepers.

 

What is different though is it is seldom tolerated if exposed, unlike the past.

 

The use of the colour yellow, even non Imperial-yellow, was regulated.

I do not think Ming soldiers would have been issued with yellow uniforms.

so I just told cydevil could

do it because he can do both of good Chinese and English.

 

back to your opinion about Ming troops,

 

Ming was reluctant to get involved in the Imjin war first time.

But finally decided to send supportive troops.

 

As you told ,their contribution was under expectation.

 

but IMO without Ming's support ,

Chosun was invaded by Toyotomi absoutely.

 

Ming sent about 190,000 infantries  to support Chosun and financially it supported Silver 20,000 liang (unit) . The 20,000 silver was a lot of fund that King Sunjo addressed money left even after collecting more troops and giving saleries to beaucrats.

 

When Ming sent its first deployed troops , Chosun had no ground forces to block Japanese north heading.

 

You cannot deny the fact that the battle of Pyongyang changed the situation of Imjin war. The winning was made by Ming troops.

 

Lee Sun Shin was great admiral but hes navy commander.

Contribution is limited.

 

It was winning of Pyongtang battle that made Konishi to head back to the South.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is what I wrote back then:

 

"Undoubtedly, the Ming Army had commited atrocity during the time when garrisoned in Korea as one forumer had pointed out looting and raping was inevitable during the medieval warfare. However, by saying the extent of the atrocity perpetrated by the Ming Army was as much  as Japanese Army is highly unbelievable. If the Ming Army was really as bad as the Japanese Army as someone claimed , why were so many Korean still faithful to the Ming regime even after the downfall in 1644 when the Manchus invaded Beijing.  Here is one statement written in Classical Chinese by the one of the Korean official at that time to stress the relationship between Ming China and Joseon Dynasty: