Gang Yi-sik
Encyclopedia
Gang I-sik was a general of Goguryeo
under reign of King Pyeongwon, King Yeongyang, and King Yeongnyu
. General Gang fought alongside Eulji Mundeok
during the Goguryeo-Sui Wars
.
outposts along the border in present-day Hebei
province. Sui Emperor Wendi ordered his fifth and youngest son, Yang Liang (assisted by the co-prime minister Gao Jiong), and Admiral Zhou Luohou, to conquer Goguryeo with an army and navy totaling 300,000.
Yang Liang's army faced the early rainy season when it reached Goguryeo. The unseasonably heavy rain made the army's progress almost impossible and hampered the transport of provisions. Constant attacks by Goguryeo forces and illness inflicted heavy casualties. Coming to the conclusion that the army could not achieve the objective on its own, Yang Yang decided to combine with Zhou's naval fleet and proceed.
Zhou's navy also came across their own challenges, contending with rough seas, losing many ships despite staying close to the coastline. Whenever they anchored, Goguryeo detachments were present to attack the Sui sailors. The fleet engaged in a battle against a Goguryeo fleet totaling 50,000 led by Admiral Gang I sik, presumably on the present Bohai Sea
. Already weakened by ambushes and nature's onslaught, the Sui fleet suffered a devastating loss.
The Sui forces were all defeated, both at land and sea. Historical texts record that about 90% of the Sui troops perished. Goguryeo casualties are thought to be almost nonexistent compared to those of Sui. Yang Yang faced no option but retreat.
In 612, Sui Emperor Yangdi ordered preparations for a war against the Goguryeo. The force gathered by year's end was one of the greatest in civilization according to the Book of Sui
. An estimated 1,133,800 combat troops were mobilized. King Yeongyang appointed him to both: land and sea supreme commander (수륙양군병마도원수, 水陸兩軍兵馬都元帥).
The Sui army and navy made a vigorous attack. Eulji Mundeok
, another supreme commander, repulsed the assailants. General Eulji dislodged the Sui army from the Battle of Salsu
. With the victory over Sui dynasty in Salsu, Goguryeo eventually became the victor of the war itself, while the Sui Dynasty started to crumble from within and was finally brought down by internal strife.
General Gang died during the reign of King Yeongnyu at a very old age. He is the ancestor of the present-day Jinju
Gang clan
.
Goguryeo
Goguryeo or Koguryŏ was an ancient Korean kingdom located in present day northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula, southern Manchuria, and southern Russian Maritime province....
under reign of King Pyeongwon, King Yeongyang, and King Yeongnyu
Yeongnyu of Goguryeo
King Yeongnyu of Goguryeo was the 27th king of Goguryeo, the northernmost of the Three Kingdoms of Korea.-Background:He was the younger half-brother of the 26th king Yeong-yang, and son of the 25th king Pyeongwon...
. General Gang fought alongside Eulji Mundeok
Eulji Mundeok
Eulji Mundeok was a noted military leader of early 7th century Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Often numbered among the greatest heroes in Korean military history, he defended Goguryeo against the Sui Chinese...
during the Goguryeo-Sui Wars
Goguryeo-Sui Wars
The Goguryeo–Sui Wars were a series of campaigns launched by the Sui Dynasty of China against the Goguryeo of Korea between 598 and 614. It resulted in the defeat of Sui and contributed to the eventual downfall of the dynasty in 618.-Background:...
.
Life
In 598, King Yeongyang launched a joint preemptive invasion with the Malgal against Chinese Sui DynastySui Dynasty
The Sui Dynasty was a powerful, but short-lived Imperial Chinese dynasty. Preceded by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it ended nearly four centuries of division between rival regimes. It was followed by the Tang Dynasty....
outposts along the border in present-day Hebei
Hebei
' is a province of the People's Republic of China in the North China region. Its one-character abbreviation is "" , named after Ji Province, a Han Dynasty province that included what is now southern Hebei...
province. Sui Emperor Wendi ordered his fifth and youngest son, Yang Liang (assisted by the co-prime minister Gao Jiong), and Admiral Zhou Luohou, to conquer Goguryeo with an army and navy totaling 300,000.
Yang Liang's army faced the early rainy season when it reached Goguryeo. The unseasonably heavy rain made the army's progress almost impossible and hampered the transport of provisions. Constant attacks by Goguryeo forces and illness inflicted heavy casualties. Coming to the conclusion that the army could not achieve the objective on its own, Yang Yang decided to combine with Zhou's naval fleet and proceed.
Zhou's navy also came across their own challenges, contending with rough seas, losing many ships despite staying close to the coastline. Whenever they anchored, Goguryeo detachments were present to attack the Sui sailors. The fleet engaged in a battle against a Goguryeo fleet totaling 50,000 led by Admiral Gang I sik, presumably on the present Bohai Sea
Bohai Sea
Bohai Sea , also known as Bohai Gulf, Bohai, or Bo Hai, is the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea on the coast of Northeastern and North China. It is approximately 78,000 km2 Bohai Sea , also known as Bohai Gulf, Bohai, or Bo Hai, is the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea on the coast of...
. Already weakened by ambushes and nature's onslaught, the Sui fleet suffered a devastating loss.
The Sui forces were all defeated, both at land and sea. Historical texts record that about 90% of the Sui troops perished. Goguryeo casualties are thought to be almost nonexistent compared to those of Sui. Yang Yang faced no option but retreat.
In 612, Sui Emperor Yangdi ordered preparations for a war against the Goguryeo. The force gathered by year's end was one of the greatest in civilization according to the Book of Sui
Book of Sui
The Book of Sui was the official history of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty, and it ranks among the official Twenty-Four Histories of imperial China. It was compiled by a team of historians led by the Tang Dynasty official Wei Zheng and was completed in 636.-External links:* of the Book of Sui,...
. An estimated 1,133,800 combat troops were mobilized. King Yeongyang appointed him to both: land and sea supreme commander (수륙양군병마도원수, 水陸兩軍兵馬都元帥).
The Sui army and navy made a vigorous attack. Eulji Mundeok
Eulji Mundeok
Eulji Mundeok was a noted military leader of early 7th century Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. Often numbered among the greatest heroes in Korean military history, he defended Goguryeo against the Sui Chinese...
, another supreme commander, repulsed the assailants. General Eulji dislodged the Sui army from the Battle of Salsu
Battle of Salsu
The Battle of Salsu was an enormous battle that occurred in the year AD 612, during the second Goguryeo-Sui War, between the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo and the Chinese Sui Dynasty. Goguryeo cavalry forces, pursuing the Sui army, attacked and defeated it at the Salsu River.In 612 the Sui Emperor...
. With the victory over Sui dynasty in Salsu, Goguryeo eventually became the victor of the war itself, while the Sui Dynasty started to crumble from within and was finally brought down by internal strife.
General Gang died during the reign of King Yeongnyu at a very old age. He is the ancestor of the present-day Jinju
Jinju
Jinju is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It was the location of the first and second Sieges of Jinju by Japanese forces during the Imjin War...
Gang clan
Kang (Korean name)
Kang or Gang is a common Korean family name. Altogether, the holders of this name number more than 1.1 million in South Korea, according to the 2000 census. The name "Kang" can actually represent any of 5 different hanja, or Chinese characters...
.