The Great Battle of the Salsu River

The Battle of the Salsu River

Display at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul, South Korea.

The Battle of the Salsu River is one of the Great battles of antiquity. It occurred in the year 612 during the second campaign of the Goguryeo-Sui war  between Goguryeo  and Sui of China.

In 612, Emperor Yang of Sui invaded Goguryeo with well over one million men. Unable to overcome the Goguryeo defense at  Liao-tung Fortress (modern Liao-yang), the anchor of goguryeo's first line of defense, he dispatched 300,000 troops to strike directly at Pyongyang, the capital of Goguryeo.

Goguryeo’s General Eulji Mundeok defended against the Sui forces for months, inflicting damage while feigning retreat deep into Goguryeo territory, where an attack at the Salsu River (modern Cheongcheon River) was prepared and waiting.

Painting of Great Combat Victory at Salsu River,
The War Memorial of Korea, Jeonjaeng ginyeomgwan, Seoul, South Korea

When Sui army had reached Salsu river, they found the water shallow. Eulji Mundeok had cut off the flow of water with a dam in advance. When the unsuspecting Sui troops were halfway across the river, Eulji Mundeok opened the dam, drowning many thousands of Sui soldiers.The Goguryeo cavalry then charged the remaining Sui army, inflicting enormous casualties.

General Eulji Mundeok

Statue of General Eulji Mundeok 

 It is said that only 2,700 of the 300,000 Sui soldiers who had crossed the Yalu survived to find their way back, and the Sui withdrew his forces to China proper. The historical text records that Sui soldiers had to run almost 200 kilometers that day to escape death. The Battle of Salsu contributed to the massive overall casualty figure for Sui during the campaign. Emperor Yang crossed the Liao River to attack Goguryeo, initially, with 300,000 men but returned back to china with  2,700 men.

Yang Ti continued to send his armies against Goguryeo but again without success, and before long his war-weakened empire crumbled.