Japanese castles in Korea

This article may be confusing or unclear to readers. Please help clarify the article. There might be a discussion about this on the talk page. (July 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Japanese Castles in Korea (Korean: 왜성; Hanja: 倭城; RR: Waeseong; Japanese: 倭城, romanized: Wajō, Wesōn) are Japanese castles built along the southern shores of Korea during Japanese invasions of Korea between 1592 and 1598 by the Japanese military.^[1]

Japanese castles in Korea can be classified into two categories: castles that were built to secure supply lines for Japanese forces moving throughout Korea, and castles that were built mainly along the southern coast of Korea to act as seats of governing power.^[2]

The first category of castles were built between Busan and Seoul at intervals roughly equal to the distance an army could march in one day. The castle network was later expanded northward to Uiju. These castles were established by either reinforcing existing settlements, or were built anew if no suitable settlements existed in the area where a castle was needed.^[3] Although the locations are currently unknown, Japanese castles are also believed to have been built between Kilju and Anbyŏn in the historical Hamgyong Province.^[4]

The second category of castles built along the southern coast of Korea were located in Busan, Ulsan, South Gyeongsang Province, Suncheon, South Jeolla Province).^[5]

Japanese castles are thought to have been built not only on the southern coast of the Korean^[6] Peninsula but also in the inland areas,^[7] but the reality is unknown. Thirty-two areas on the southern coast have already been investigated.^[8]