Sin Rip assembled his forces at Chungju, consisting of approximately 8000 men. Many of these soldiers had fled from previous engagement with the Japanese at Dongnae, Daegu, and other locations to the south. His original plan was to fortify Choryong Pass, where the terrain could be used to good advantage against the numerically superior Japanese. However, the sudden appearance of General Yi II, minus his armor, horse, and army fresh from defeat at the Battle of Sangju cancelled these plans, as the Japanese army under Konishi Yukinaga was already approaching the pass. Sin Rip then decided to meet the Japanese out on the flat plains near Chungju with his back to the Han River. On one hand, the flat plains would give an advantage to his cavalry, but on the other hand, the Han River made retreat impossible.