The Shield of Resistance and Loyalty

Dongnae-ro runs through Dongnae-gu in Busan. While modern visitors often associate Busan with the beaches of Haeundae or the neon lights of Seomyeon, during the Joseon Dynasty, Dongnae was the absolute center of politics, military defense, and diplomacy for the southeastern region.

This road is inextricably linked to the tragic and heroic opening chapter of the Imjin War. On April 15, 1592, the vanguard of the Japanese invasion force arrived at the walls of Dongnae Fortress. The Japanese commander, Konishi Yukinaga, sent a wooden placard to the fortress with a threatening ultimatum: "Fight if you want to fight; if not, give us a free path [to Ming China] (戰則戰矣 不戰則假道)."

The Korean magistrate of Dongnae, Song Sang-hyeon, tossed back his own wooden plank bearing an immortal reply: "It is easy to fight and die, but difficult to give you a path (戰死易 假道難)."

The ensuing Siege of Dongnae was a massacre. Despite the defenders' fierce resistance, the vastly outgunned and outnumbered fortress fell in half a day. Thousands of soldiers and civilians were slaughtered. Magistrate Song, seeing the battle was lost, changed into his formal court uniform, bowed toward the king in Seoul, and calmly awaited his death. His unwavering dignity deeply moved even the Japanese commanders, who gave him a respectful burial.

Today, as you walk along Dongnae-ro near the partially restored Dongnae Eupseong fortress walls and the Chungnyeolsa Shrine honoring the fallen, the echo of Magistrate Song's defiant defiance still lingers in the air.