초록 
임진왜란 초, 일본군의 막강한 군사력 앞에 조선의 국방상태는 부실함을 드러냈고 약 2개월 만에 호남을 제외한 조선 전역이 일본군에 유린되었다. 조선과 일본의 군사력의 현저한 차이에도 불구하고 전란을 극복할 수 있었던 동력은 의병에 있다고 할 수 있다. 명군의 출병도 큰 역할을 하였으나 전국적으로 일어난 의병은 곳곳에서 수십에서 수만 명 단위로 기병하여 유격전으로 일본군을 끊임없이 괴롭혔다. 이 의병활동의 일례로서 고성지역의 의병활동을 들 수 있다. 고성은 해안지역으로서 수륙 양면으로 적침에 노출된 곳이었다. 임란초, 일본수군이 남해안을 침략하여 원균이 이끄는 경상우수군을 무찌르고 진해·고성·사천 등지로 상륙하였으며, 창원·함안·진해 등지의 육로를 통하여 침략해 오기도 하는 등 일본군의 분탕과 횡행은 형용할 수 없을 지경이었다. 해로를 통해 고성을 점령했던 일본 장수는 가메이 코레노리[龜井茲矩(眞矩)]와 호리노우찌 우지요시[堀內氏善]였다. 이들은 선단을 이끌고 남해안으로 침략한 일본군 가운데 일부였다. 이러한 적군의 침략에 대응하여 의병의 활동이 활발하였으니 최균·최강·이달·안신갑 등을 중심으로 조직된 의병이 고성지역의 대표적인 사례이다. 고성뿐만 아니라 진주·사천·진해·창원·웅천에 이르기까지 그 활동범위가 매우 넓었다. 특히 의병활동의 형태를 보면 병참활동과 전투활동의 역할을 분담하여 효율적으로 운용하였음을 알 수 있다. 즉, 적군으로부터 안전한 곳에 본진을 두고 노인 및 부녀자들은 군량․군수조달 등 병참활동에 집중하였고, 최강․이달․안신갑 등 젊은이들은 전투부대를 편성하여 본진을 중심으로 여러 방면으로 유격전을 펼쳤다. 노년한 최균은 학식이 높아 병법에 능하였는데 수장으로서 본진에 머물며 전략을 짜고 부대의 전반적인 운영을 도맡았다. 고성의병의 활약상을 논하기 위한 사료로서 최균·최강의 유고 및 행적을 다룬 『雙忠錄』(1823)과 『雙忠實紀』(1929)를 들 수 있는데, 주요한 사료인 만큼 철저한 사료비판이 요구된다. 『쌍충록』은 최균․최강 형제의 활약상을 기록한 자료이며 이를 개수․증보한 것이 『쌍충실기』다. 이 두 사료는 임란종전 2백여 년 후에 간행되어 시기․용어 등 여러 측면에서 모순이 발견되는데, 여타 사료들과 비교․검토가 필수적이다. 정유재란이 일어날 즈음, 고성현령 조응도와 박애상의 활동에 대해서도 살펴보았는데, 거제도 인근 해전에서 전사하였다. 이후 일본군이 다시 고성을 점령한 이후 고성읍성의 일부를 왜성으로 축성하였다. 고성왜성은 일제강점기 일본학자들에 의해 처음 조사되었다. 현재는 성의 대부분이 헐리고 민가가 들어섰으며 성벽 일부가 남아있을 뿐이다.
During the early period of Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592, national defense power of Joseon Dynasty had proved its vulnerability in comparison with strong military strengths of Japan, and the entire territory of Joseon except Honam had fall into the hands of Japanese armed forces within two months. Despite the remarkable differences between the military strengths of Joseon and Japan, the major strengths for Joseon to overcome the invasion had rooted from voluntary civilians troops raised for Justice. It is true that deployment of Ming troops had played an important role in the process but, the nationwide movements of voluntary civilian troops had raised civil armies of tens and thousands soldiers all over the country, and pressurized Japanese military forces through guerilla tactics. one of the great examples of such voluntary civilian forces' acts is the ones of Goseong region. Goseong is located in a costal area, and thus, was exposed to the enemy forces both from the land and the sea. During the early periods of the invasion, rampancy of Japanese army in the region was beyond description. Japanese naval force had invaded from the southern sea, defeated the Gyeongsang Left Wing Naval Army led by Won Gyun, and made its way into Jinhae, Goseong and Sacheon while land force of Japan invaded by land through Changwon, Haman and Jinhae. Japanese commanders those who had occupied Goseong through naval paths were Gamei Korenori and Horinouchi Ujiyoshi. They were among the Japanese forces that had invaded Joseon through the southern sea with fleet of vessels. Movements of voluntary civilians against these invasions were very active and bodacious, and the greatest examples of such movements in Goseong region are the civil troops' actions raised by Choi Gyun, Choi Gang, Lee Dal and An Shin-gab. Their activities area was very broad including Jinju, Sacheon, Jinhae, Changwon and Woongcheon on top of Goseong. For their forms of activities, in particular, roles in logistics and combat activities were assigned on people separatedly, and the troops were managed efficiently. They set their military headquarter in a location safe from enemy forces so that elders, females and children can concentrate on logistic activities such as military procurement while young men including Choi Gang, Lee Dal and An Shin-gab formed combat units and mounted guerilla actions from different locations around the military commanding posts. Choi Gyun was already an aged man at the time. He was a man of great intelligence and possessed great knowledge on military tactics, and therefore, stayed in the headquarter to organize combat strategies and to work on overall management of the troops. 『Ssang Chung Rok (雙忠錄)』(1823) and 『Ssang Chung Sil Gi (雙忠實紀)』(1929), books containing texts and documents left by Choi Gyun and Choi Gang and records of their activities, are the major historical sources to examine voluntary civilian movement in Goseong. Since these are the sources of great significance, a thorough review of their historical accuracy is required. 『Ssang Chung Rok』is a recording of great activities of the brothers Choi Gyun and Choi Gang, and Ssang Chung Sil Gi』is a revised and expanded version of the former. These two books were published 200 years after the invasion, and thus, some contradictions were observed in many aspects including dates and terms. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a through examination in comparison to other sources. Activities of Jo Eung-do and Park Ae-sang, the government officers of Goseong at the time of Jung Yu Jae-ran, and they had died in a navel battle near Geojedo Island. After that, Japanese forces had re-occupied Goseong, and parts of Goseong Town Wall was modified into Japanese fortress. The Goseong Japanese Fortress was first examined by Japanese scholars during the Japanese colonial era. Currently, small parts of the fortress wall are still remaining since most parts of the fortress were demolished and replaced with private residential houses.