Ch'oe Munbyŏng (; 20th day, 4th month of 1557 – 24th day, 8th month of 1599) was a Korean righteous army leader active during the mid-Joseon period. During the Imjin War, he organized and commanded a local righteous army in the Chain area of Gyeongsang and participated in military operations against Japanese forces, including those associated with the siege of Yeongcheon in 1592.
Born into the Yeongcheon Ch'oe clan in Chain, then a district of Gyeongju, Ch'oe was raised in a local gentry family. Although he received a Confucian education and maintained scholarly associations with regional literati, he did not pursue the civil service examinations and instead engaged in local study and teaching. Following the outbreak of the war in 1592, he organized a righteous army composed of local supporters and conducted operations in the Chain and Cheongdo areas while coordinating with other regional commanders.
Ch'oe later served as commander of the right division of the combined righteous army during the campaign to retake Yeongcheon in 1592. After the recapture of the fortress, he continued operations in the Chain area and remained active in righteous army activities during the war. After the war, he participated in a local movement led by regional gentry to transfer the administrative jurisdiction of Chain from Gyeongju to Daegu. He died in 1599 at his home in Chain.
Early life Ch'oe Munbyŏng was born on the 20th day, 4th month of 1557 in District, Gyeongju, Gyeongsang Province, to Ch'oe Sik () and a daughter of Chŏn Sun () of the . His family was part of the and maintained a tradition of success in the military service examinations. The Yeongcheon Ch'oe clan had settled in the Chain area before the mid-15th century and grew into a prominent local gentry lineage that possessed extensive landholdings and numerous slaves.
Ch'oe Munbyŏng was born into a wealthy family in Chain, but he lost his father at a young age and supported his widowed mother. In 1563, he studied under his maternal uncle Chŏn Kyŏngch'ang (), through whom he learned the fundamentals of Confucian learning and studied military texts. At the age of sixteen, he demonstrated scholarly insight through discussions of interpretations of the astronomical instruments described in the Transmitted Book of Documents (), and he placed particular emphasis on the Elementary Learning (). These scholarly accomplishments were recognized by Chŏn Kyŏngch'ang. Chŏn later passed the civil service examination in 1573 and entered government service in the central administration.
From an early age, Ch'oe Munbyŏng showed little interest in pursuing the civil service examinations and instead devoted himself to study in seclusion. In 1579, he established a study hall named Injijŏngsa () and held lectures and study sessions there with local Confucian students. In 1584, he visited Chŏng Ku and studied under him, later associating with other disciples of Chŏng Ku such as Yi Sŏkkyŏng (). He also formed connections with influential figures in Gyeongju and neighboring regions—including Yi Hyŏnbae (), Kim Tŭkch'u ()—thereby expanding his scholarly network.
Imjin War
Raising a righteous army On the 13th day, 4th month of 1592, Japanese forces appeared off the coast of Busan, marking the outbreak of the Imjin War. The First Division, led by Konishi Yukinaga, captured Dongnae, followed by Cheongdo around the 20th day of the 4th month, Gyeongsan on the 21st, and Daegu on the 23rd. The Second Division under the command of Katō Kiyomasa reached Gyeongju on the 21st day and Yeongcheon on the 23rd day, 4th month of 1592. Chain District was situated between the advance routes of the First and Second Divisions. On the 15th day of the 4th month, while attending a gathering at the local hyanggyo, Ch'oe Munbyŏng heard news of the Japanese invasion from a government clerk who had fled from Yangsan. One week later, on the 22nd day, 4th month, upon hearing that Miryang and Cheongdo had fallen, he took the spirit tablets from the family shrine and fled with his family and household servants to Murhan-dong () in Guryongsan.
On the 2nd day, 5th month of 1592, Ch'oe Munbyŏng circulated a public proclamation to gather supporters. In response, individuals such as Kim Hong (), Yu Inch'un (), and Pak Yŏngsŏng () rallied to his cause. Drawing primarily on local households, he organized a righteous army and, on the 7th day, 5th month of 1592, established an altar on Mount Ch'ŏnjangsan () and formally raised the force. The army was then divided into left and right divisions, with Kim Hong appointed commander of the right division, Yu Inch'un commander of the left division, Pak Yŏngsŏng commander of the vanguard, and Yi Sang () chief commander. In addition, fifteen local clerks and literati were appointed as officers of the force. After establishing the command structure and organizing the troops, Ch'oe Munbyŏng stationed soldiers in ambush at key points within Chain and set up a lookout post on Mount Samch'ŏnsan () to monitor enemy movements. He also transferred grain from his family granary to Murhan-dong to provision the army.
Early battles On the 11th day, 5th month of 1592, Japanese forces crossed Sŏnghyŏn Pass (), the pass between Gyeongsan and Cheongdo, and advanced to the Omokcheon stream () in Chain. The Japanese troops encamped there for several days and plundered nearby areas. In response, Ch'oe Munbyŏng ordered the righteous army to reorganize their ranks and strictly observe military discipline, after which he directed Yi Sang to lead the assault. The righteous army launched a charge, killing several dozen enemy soldiers and driving the Japanese forces out of Omokcheon. On the 16th day, 5th month of 1592, Japanese troops again advanced from Cheongdo into Chain. Ch'oe Munbyŏng pursued them as far as Tongch'ang () in Cheongdo and repelled them there.
Upon hearing of this victory, the Cheongdo righteous army leader Pak Kyŏngjŏn () visited Ch'oe Munbyŏng to discuss forming a joint front. Thereafter, Ch'oe Munbyŏng divided his forces into two units: one stationed at the Chain county seat and the other at Murhan-dong at the foot of Guryongsan. The position at Murhan-dong was concealed within a mountain basin and served as a strategic point linking the Sŏnam () and Tugok () areas of Cheongdo. It was also located near Unmunsan, where Pak Kyŏngjŏn was based. On this basis, Ch'oe Munbyŏng and Pak Kyŏngjŏn maintained close coordination, frequently providing mutual support and discussing operational plans, while focusing their efforts on blocking Japanese lines of communication.
After the formation of the joint front, the first joint operation took place on the 20th day, 5th month of 1592, when the allied righteous armies attacked Japanese forces stationed at Tugok in Cheongdo. Ch'oe Munbyŏng advanced via Kajihyŏn Pass () and crossed Tonch'ijae Pass () before reaching Tugok, where he joined the righteous army led by Pak Kyŏngjŏn. The two forces deployed in a pincer formation along the slopes of Mount Seonuisan () and engaged the enemy, killing more than one hundred Japanese soldiers and capturing ten loads of captured goods. During the battle, however, the commander Yi Sang was killed in action. On the following day, Ch'oe Munbyŏng held memorial rites for Yi Sang and returned to Chain, where he appointed Yun Ki () as Yi's successor and reorganized his forces.
Subsequently, Pak Kyŏngjŏn received intelligence that a large contingent of Japanese troops intended to advance toward Sŏnam, where the righteous armies had gathered, and requested assistance from Ch'oe Munbyŏng. In response, Ch'oe Munbyŏng advanced to Sŏnam on the 24th day, 5th month, and joined Pak Kyŏngjŏn. The two commanders lured the Japanese troops approaching from the direction of Mount Eoseongsan () to Dongchangcheon Stream () in front of Sŏnam, where they launched a coordinated attack from both banks of the stream and defeated them. Three days later, on the 27th day, 5th month, Ch'oe Munbyŏng withdrew his forces to Kajihyŏn Pass. On the 29th day, 5th month, upon receiving information that remnants of the enemy had encamped at Tonggok (), he set out in pursuit. Acting in concert with Pak Kyŏngjŏn, Ch'oe Munbyŏng launched a surprise attack against the Japanese troops temporarily stationed at Tonggok, defeating them and capturing a large quantity of captured goods.
Siege of Yeongcheon On the 10th day, 6th month of 1592, Ch'oe Munbyŏng repelled Japanese forces at Paksan () in Yeongcheon. On the 22nd day, 6th month of 1592, he visited the camp of the righteous army leader Kwŏn Ŭngsu in to discuss the plans for joint operations and the recapture of the fortress Yeongcheonseong. They decided first to attack the wings of the Japanese forces in order to sever their lines of communication before launching an assault on Yeongcheonseong. While Kwŏn Ŭngsu departed to meet Pak Chin, the Army Commander of Left Gyeongsang Province, Ch'oe remained in Chain and continued to defend the area against Japanese incursions, including repelling Japanese troops together with Pak Ŭijang on the 6th day, 7th month of 1592.
When Kwŏn Ŭngsu returned to Sinnyŏng on the 9th day, 7th month of 1592, the joint operations of the righteous armies began in earnest. Together with Kwŏn Ŭngsu, Chŏng Taeim, Chŏng Sea, and other righteous army leaders, Ch'oe Munbyŏng defeated Japanese forces at Pagyŏn () on the 14th day, 7th month of 1592, and on the following day continued to engage the enemy independently at Sogye (). On the 22nd day, 7th month of 1592, he again joined Kwŏn Ŭngsu at Hayang to defeat Japanese forces, thereby securing the route between Yeongcheon and Daegu and cutting off the Japanese right wing. After severing the enemy's lines of communication, the righteous forces in Yeongcheon formulated a plan to retake the fortress. They requested reinforcements from various counties and concentrated their troops at Ch'up'yŏng (), the southern plain outside Yeongcheonseong.
On the 23rd day, 7th month of 1592, Ch'oe Munbyŏng arrived at Ch'up'yŏng with the righteous troops under his command. On the following day, the allied righteous army established its command structure, adopted the name Ch'angŭijŏngyonggun (), and organized the force into three divisions. Ch'oe Munbyŏng was appointed commander of the right division, while Kwŏn Ŭngsu, who had been appointed commander of the righteous army by Kim Sŏngil, assumed the position of supreme commander. Beginning on the 25th day, 7th month of 1592, the allied forces began full-scale preparations for the assault on Yeongcheonseong. They adopted fire attacks as their principal tactic, prepared siege equipment, and at the same time cut off the fortress's water supply. The main assault began on the 26th day, 7th month of 1592. The right division under Ch'oe Munbyŏng advanced toward the walls while shielding themselves with large shields against arquebus fire, drawing the Japanese forces out of the fortress. After a brief engagement, the Japanese troops retreated inside the walls.