# Righteous armies march on Seoul (January 1908)

URL: https://allhistories.com/north-korea/timeline/1908-righteous-armies-march-on-seoul
Location: Gyeonggi Province, Korean Empire
Themes: War

In the winter of 1907–1908 militia leaders from across Korea formed a united Thirteen-Province Righteous Army of about 10,000 men at Yangju, north-east of Seoul, under the command of Yi In-yeong. In January 1908 an advance unit led by Heo Wi reached a point about 12 kilometers from Seoul's East Gate. The plan was to occupy the capital and compel the Residency-General to revoke the protectorate treaties, while appeals were sent to foreign legations to recognize the militias as belligerents. However, the main force failed to arrive in time, Heo Wi's troops were driven back by Japanese forces, and Yi In-yeong left command after learning of his father's death. Armed resistance nevertheless peaked in 1908, when Japanese records counted well over a thousand clashes. In 1909 Japan launched a large punitive campaign in the southern provinces, and many surviving fighters fled to Manchuria and the Russian Far East. The campaign was the largest military effort of the righteous armies and a precursor of later independence armies.

## Why it matters
The march on Seoul was the high point of Korea's armed resistance before annexation.

Ruler at the Time: [Sunjong of Korea](https://allhistories.com/north-korea/rulers/sunjong-of-korea)

Prime Minister of Joseon / the Korean Empire: Yi Wanyong (Korean Empire cabinet)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Righteous armies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Righteous_armies)
- [Wikipedia — Righteous Army Command](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Righteous_Army_Command)
- [Wikipedia — Korean Empire (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Empire)