Seonjo of Joseon

Seonjo faced the Japanese invasions led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The Joseon army was initially defeated, and Seonjo fled to Uiju near the Chinese border, leaving Seoul to be captured by Japanese forces.

Seonjo abandoned Seoul and fled to Uiju near the Chinese border as Japanese forces advanced. His flight demoralized the court and populace, but allowed him to request military aid from Ming China.

Seonjo secured military support from Ming China, which sent a large army to aid Joseon. The combined Ming-Joseon forces recaptured Pyongyang and pushed Japanese forces south, leading to a stalemate.

Japan launched a second invasion of Korea after peace negotiations failed. Seonjo again relied on Ming support, and the war continued until Hideyoshi's death in 1598 led to Japanese withdrawal.

After the war, Seonjo initiated reconstruction efforts, including rebuilding infrastructure and reorganizing the military. However, factional conflicts and corruption hindered recovery.