Jinju used to be a military base against the Japanese enemy in the late Goryeo Dynasty, playing a major role in preventing the enemy from going into Jeolla-do. During the Japanese Invasion in the 25th year of the reign of King Seonjo (1592), about 3800 soldiers under command of General Kim Si-min defeated about 30000 Japanese soldiers in this fortress. However, in the second Jinju Battle in 1593, about seventy thousand soldiers joined and fought the Japanese military bravely, but all died in the war. In the fortress have been many administrative offices and command centers during the Joseon Dynasty. Jinjuseong Fortress has a circumference of 1.7 kilometers. Jinju National Museum, the Alter for the spirits perished in the battle of 1592 and 1593, and Hoguksa Temple are in the fortress area.