Historical Biography
During the catastrophic **Imjin War (1592–1598)** against Japanese invaders, General Kim served as the Magistrate of Jinju Fortress. In October 1592, commanding a garrison of merely 3,800 soldiers and armed civilians, he withstood a ferocious onslaught by 30,000 elite Japanese troops under Hosokawa Tadaoki and Ukita Hideie in the **First Siege of Jinju (진주대첩)**.
Through ingenious tactics, the coordinated deployment of gunpowder mortars (*cheonja-chongtong*), and supreme leadership, Kim Si-min routed the Japanese army, securing the breadbasket province of Jeolla and winning one of the **Three Great Land Victories of the Imjin War**. Tragically, on the final day of the siege, General Kim was fatally wounded by a stray bullet. He was posthumously honored with the title of Lord Sangnak and the supreme military posthumous name of **Chungmugong (Lord of Loyal Valor)**, matching Admiral Yi Sun-sin.