Ganggye

Ganggye lies in a northern Korean mountain basin where the Changja River meets tributaries. The surrounding ranges and river valleys made the area an important frontier district. In 1369, late in the Goryeo dynasty, a military command was established at Ganggye as the court prepared for a campaign against Dongnyeong and defended the northern frontier. Its four subordinate units combined military duties with farming in peacetime.

Under the Joseon dynasty the command was reorganised as Ganggye Prefecture in 1403 and later as a protectorate. The area's strategic role continued amid changing relations with neighbouring powers. The Jurchen invasion of Joseon in 1627 and Qing invasion in 1636 form the wider political background; they do not establish a particular siege of Ganggye.