In 1894, Japan sent troops to Korea and a war broke out with China. Before the year was out, Japanese army had defeated the Chinese garrison in Pyongyang, thoroughly eliminating Chinese presence in the Korean Peninsula, and bringing the war to Chinese soil. When the Japanese laid siege to nearby Haicheng, the town elders suggested that Wang organize a local militia, which would go on to play a significant role in the five successive battles of Haicheng, which witnessed the fiercest scenes of the war.