A messenger brought the news of the defeat at Chungju to King Seonjo on 7 June, causing widespread panic. Many fled the city with whatever possessions they could carry, including most of the guards. Although many officials urged King Seonjo to remain in the capital, Prime Minister Yi Sanhae overcame opposition by citing precedents for the king relocating in time of crisis. King Seonjo appointed General Gim Myeong-won as Commander-in-Chief and Field Marshal, and ordered him to defend the capital. Then the king moved to Pyongyang, since the Japanese began to seize the capital. He later moved even further north to the border city of Uiju just before the fall of Pyongyang. While the king was absent from the capital, many people who had lost hope in the government plundered the palace and burned many public buildings. This resulted in even more damage than that perpetrated by the Japanese after they had captured the city.