Wokou Raids

Timeline

1. 1334–1336Sea off Kyushu, Japan · JapanSamurai fragmentation and the Nanboku-chō conflict made it difficult for the center to control coastal armed forces. Some samurai joined forces with pirates, targeting the eastern coast of the Korean peninsula, attacking ports, fishing villages, and merchant ships.
2. 1336–1338Eastern coast of the Korean peninsula · Korean peninsulaAccording to the Goryeo history, wokou frequently appeared along the east coast in Gyeongsang and Gangwon provinces, abducting people and burning settlements. Local authorities conscripted militia for defense, but the coastal defense system was difficult to maintain amid the fiscal difficulties of the late Yuan.
3. 1338–1340Gaeseong · Korean peninsulaThe Goryeo court repeatedly sent envoys to Japan, demanding the suppression of wokou and the restoration of normal tributary trade order. At the same time it reorganized coastal beacons, naval camps, and anti-pirate forces; the wokou threat became an important historical prelude to coastal defense policies in Goryeo, Japan, and the early Ming.