1000 Years Ago Today #2

1000YATYaluRiver — Yalu River between China and Korea

Here’s the second piece in our series 1000 Years Ago Today, published every now and then. When you think about it, not much of essence differentiates us from the people who lived a thousand years ago. Their surroundings and circumstances sure were different, but when it comes to basic human needs, desires, capabilities, ambitions etc, most of it is more or less the same for us and them. These stories try to reflect that fact.

So, on March 10th in the year 1019, trouble in Korea escalates. Not much new there! The Third Goryeo-Khitan War is going on – or as we would say today, Korean-Chinese War. Far from being friendly neighbors even then.

The Khitan forces had crossed the Yalu River (which still today divides China and the Korean peninsula) and invaded Korea. They had advanced a long way. The Korean military leader General Gang Gam-chan had dammed a stream and then released the water with force as the Chinese were crossing a river. That nearly devastated the Khitan troops, yet somehow they still managed to march all the way to the Korean capital Gaegyeong (today’s Kaesong in North Korea near the South Korean border).

General Gang Gam-chan confronts them there on March 10th, 1019. The Battle of Gwiju ensues. During the campaign, the general cuts the supplies of the Khitan troops and harasses them relentlessly. Exhausted, the Khitan troops decide to retreat, but monitoring the movement of their troops, general Gang Gam-chan attacks them near Gwiju, ending in a complete victory for the Goryeo Dynasty.

The Battle of Gwiju was the final step towards a long peace between China and Korea.

Sources:
Wikipedia: Battle of Kuju – China-North Korea relations –
Kuju (also Gwiju) was a city in Northern part of Korea that today is called Kujong (in North Korea).
Aprok River (also Amrok/Amnon) is the present day Yalu River which forms the border between China and today’s North Korea.
Goryeo, also spelled Koryo, was a Korean Kingdom established in 910 by King Taejo. This kingdom later gave name to the modern name “Korea”.
The Khitan people were a nomadic people from Northeast Asia who inhabited an area corresponding to parts of modern Mongolia, Northeast China and the Russian Far East.