Gimsimin Jeongong Stele

This stele records the military achievements of General Gim Si-min. It is also known as the Jinjujeonseonggakjeokbi, and is currently enshrined in a stele pavilion within Jinjuseong Fortress. General Gim Si-min (1554–1592) was a military official of the mid-Joseon period who, while serving as magistrate of Jinju during the Japanese invasions of Korea, led the Battle of Jinjuseong Fortress to victory, one of the three great victories of that war. The inscription states that fewer than 1,000 troops repelled an army of 100,000, though other records indicate that some 3,800 troops faced roughly 20,000 Japanese soldiers and, after fierce fighting, drove them back and held Jinjuseong Fortress. By holding this strategic gateway between Yeongnam and Honam, the victory blocked the Japanese advance into Honam, reversing the army's disadvantageous position at the time and giving it a chance to regroup. The stele has a simple form, its body set upright on a pedestal, typical of stone steles of the Joseon period. It was erected in the seventh month of 1619, the eleventh year of King Gwanghaegun, with the inscription composed by Seong Yeo-sin and the calligraphy written by Han Mong-in. In 1987, the Imjindaecheopgyesasunuidan, an altar to console the souls of those who died in the battle, was built behind the stele.

AI Translation

Where it is

Region

Jinju, Gyeongnam

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산