Wolgok Fortress withstands Mongol siege in Korea

1231

During the first Mongol invasion of the Korean peninsula, the fortress of Wolgok held out against repeated assaults, demonstrating that Korean fortification and archery could frustrate Mongol tactics. The lesson encouraged the Goryeo court's decision to retreat to the island of Ganghwa, where no steppe cavalry could follow. The court would remain on its island refuge for nearly three decades, governing the ravaged mainland from across a narrow strait.