Korean History › Goryeo › Goryeo–Khitan Wars
Battle of Gwiju
March 1019· Battle· Wars & invasions
Well documentedSolid records, physical evidence or scientific consensus.
Goryeo's decisive 1019 victory over a retreating Khitan army, which ended Liao's invasions for good.
See it on the Korean History map →What happened
In the winter of 1018–19 a Liao army of about 100,000 under Xiao Paiya pushed toward Kaesong, harassed all the way. Finding the countryside emptied and the capital defended, it turned back. Gang Gam-chan met it at Gwiju, in today's North Pyongan Province. During the fighting the wind shifted to blow into the Khitans' faces, and Goryeo cavalry under Kim Jong-hyeon arrived. The Goryeosa says only a few thousand Khitans got home. Koreans call it Gwiju daecheop (귀주대첩), the 'great victory at Gwiju.'
Why it matters
It ended the 26-year Goryeo–Khitan Wars and secured about a century of balance among Goryeo, Liao and Song China.
How we know
The Goryeosa and Goryeosa jeolyo describe the battle; the Liao history admits a heavy defeat and the loss of many officers. The exact battlefield has not been pinpointed.
Still debated
Troop numbers and the claim that only a few thousand survived are probably inflated, as was common in records of the time.
Inside this (1)
Connections (2)
▸Gang Gam-chan won Battle of GwijuWell documented
The connection
As supreme commander, Gang Gam-chan wore down the Khitan army from the moment it crossed the border in late 1018, first with the reported cowhide-dam flood at Heunghwajin, then with raids along its march. When the exhausted army retreated in early 1019, he blocked it at Gwiju and, helped by a shifting wind and fresh cavalry, routed it.
When and how
Winter 1018 to March 1019, from Heunghwajin near the Yalu to Gwiju, today's Kusong in North Pyongan Province, North Korea.
How we know
The Goryeosa narrates his command step by step; the Liao history confirms the defeat and the loss of senior officers.
Debates and open questions
The cowhide dam appears only in Korean sources, and the troop figures, 208,000 Goryeo against 100,000 Khitans, may be inflated.
▸Battle of Gwiju ended Goryeo–Khitan WarsWell documented
The connection
Gwiju broke Liao's third and last attempt to force Goryeo's king to appear at its court and give up the six garrison districts. After the defeat, envoys resumed in 1019–1020, and Liao never invaded Goryeo again. Goryeo's victory made it costly for Liao to keep pressing.
When and how
Spring 1019 to 1020, between the Goryeo court at Kaesong and the Liao court in Manchuria.
How we know
The Goryeosa records the peace and the exchange of envoys; the Liao history lists no further campaigns against Goryeo.
Debates and open questions
Some historians stress that Liao also faced other pressures and chose peace for its own reasons, so Gwiju may not have been the only cause.