The day is June 1st, 1592. With the hope of capturing the Korean Peninsula and later China itself, Japanese Emperor Go-Yōzei has commanded Samurai Toyotomi Hideyoshi to lead an all-out invasion. The Emperor has tasked you, alongside the other members of the Japanese Invasion Council, to help guide Hideyoshi and his forces towards success - focusing on capturing the Peninsula first as a gateway to China. Under Hideyoshi’s oversight, Japan has built a wide variety of land armaments, naval ships, and military installations. With the samurai caste holding much of the power in Japan, political will is strongly in support of the invasion. Yet, with Japan having been recently unified, cohesion is not guaranteed. The Invasion Council’s first job will be drafting a comprehensive battle plan for capturing the Peninsula - making sure to call upon all the resources Japan has at its disposal. Still, no plan survives first contact with the enemy. One mountain cannot contain two tigers, so who will it be: Japan or Joseon Korea?

Background Guide

Max Banach is a third-year student at the University of Florida majoring in Economics and Electrical Engineering alongside a minor in Engineering Innovation. He has been a part of the Model UN community for the past six years having attended 30+ conferences. This will be his seventh time staffing so far; this past year he directed the Interwar Poland committee at SunMUN I. He is currently serving on UFMUN’s Executive Board and was nominated by the collegiate circuit to be on the Best Delegate All-Star team. Outside of Model UN, he spends his time at the gym, reading, and playing video games.

Nick and Max chose this topic due to their mutual interest in historical topics in Asia, as well as the unique historical factors that led up to the Imjin War. Moreover, they are interested to see how delegates make use of both land and sea; the Imjin War was the largest naval invasion of its time up until the invasions of Normandy during World War II. They are looking forward to seeing delegates immerse themselves in this fascinating period of Korean history. He looks forward to having y'all at SUNMUN II!