In 1623, the ultra-conservative Westerners faction, led by Kim Ja-jeom, Kim Ryu, Yi Gwi, and Yi Gwal, orchestrated a coup that ousted King Gwanghaegun and sent him into exile on Jeju Island. This coup resulted in the demise of Jeong In-hong and Yi Yicheom, and the Westerners swiftly supplanted the Greater Northerners as the dominant political faction. They installed Injo as the new King of Joseon. However, King Injo's rule was largely nominal, as the Westerners, who had orchestrated the coup, held most of the power.

In 1624, Yi Gwal, feeling underappreciated for his role in the coup, rebelled against King Injo. Assigned as a military commander to the northern front to combat the Manchus, Yi Gwal perceived that other coup leaders were receiving greater rewards. He led an army of 12,000 troops, including 100 Japanese soldiers who had defected to Joseon, and marched to the capital, Hanseong. In the ensuing Battle of Jeotan, Yi Gwal's forces defeated the army led by General Jang Man, forcing Injo to flee to Gongju and allowing the rebels to seize Hanseong.

Yi Gwal then enthroned Prince Heungan as a puppet king on February 11, 1624. However, this rebellion was short-lived. General Jang Man returned with additional troops and overcame Yi Gwal's forces. Hanseong was recaptured, and Yi Gwal was killed by his own bodyguard, marking the end of the uprising. This rebellion highlighted the fragility of royal authority in Joseon and underscored the increasing power of the aristocracy. The economic recovery that had begun under Gwanghaegun's administration was halted, plunging Korea into a prolonged period of economic hardship.