Battle of Chilcheollyang

Battle context

The Battle of Chilcheollyang was a decisive Japanese naval victory during the second phase of the Japanese invasions of Korea, fought on the night of 28 August 1597. The Japanese fleet, operating under commanders including Tōdō Takatora, Katō Yoshiaki, Wakisaka Yasuharu, Konishi Yukinaga, Shimazu Yoshihiro, and Kuki Yoshitaka, destroyed nearly the entire Joseon fleet under Wŏn Kyun and associated commanders. The near-total annihilation of Korean naval power represented a catastrophic reversal for the Joseon war effort, eliminating the sea control that had previously constrained Japanese supply and maneuver along the peninsula's coastlines. The loss of the Korean fleet fundamentally altered the strategic balance of the Imjin War's second phase, removing the principal obstacle to Japanese naval operations in Korean waters.