Admiral Yi Sunsin < Standard Portrait of Admiral Yi Sunsin> By Artist Jang Useong in 1953 Stored in Hyeonchungsa 500 years ago on this land, there took place a big war shaking the states of East Asia. After unifying Japan in the ages of war for 100 years, Toyotomi Hideyoshi readies his 159,000 forces to move into Joseon that indulged itself in factions and peace-at-any price principle. It was the beginning of Imjin War. It was the one of the hardest national crises by the Japanese invasions that put Korean nation in the crossroads to life or death throughout 5,000 years Korean history. The 7 years war damaged Joseon severely, taking huge loss of lives, cultural assets, and ruining our land. However, whole Korean people stood against to the invasion of Japan and the war ended with the defeat of Japan. In the middle of the whirlpool of Imjin war it was Admiral Yi Sunsin who was the greatest distinguished defending Joseon and saving the people from the Japanese invasion. The most key cause by which the Japanese invaders could not accomplish the desire of conquest and help but retreat from this land was that it lost battles to Joseon navy forces and thus could not win the command of the sea. Admiral Yi, who won the greatest victories over the sea battles such as Hansan and Myeongryang victories that can not be compared with any sea fights in the world history, was a man of character -a consistent patriotism, a sense of justice, and extreme filial affection toward his parents. More than anything else, his superior war strategies and spirit of "Providing is Preventing" resulted in the victories whenever confronted with the Japanese forces on battles. In Noryang Sea battles, the last one of Imjin War, Admiral Yi didn't save his life to gain the victory against the Japanese fighters and finally won. In this respect he is not a person not enough to be a symbol of the national spirit. ■ Chungmugong's Life (1545~1598) 1.Chronology of Chungmugong´s Life This page contains a description of Chungmugong's life and a brief chronology. Records on General Yi Sunsin's life, the Imjin War, General Yi's contributions are taken from the following materials. 2.Patriotism Chungmugong saved Joseon endangered by Japan's invasion with the timely and decisive victories at Hansando and Myeongnyang, which turned the tide of the war in Joseon's favor. Many scholars in history of naval wars praise Chungmugong as the greatest of all military heroes. One episode of Admiral Togo, who defeated the Baltic Fleet of Russia in the war between Russia and Japan in 1905, could well illustrate Chungmugong's excellence. When the cadets of the U.S. Naval Academy visited Japan as part of their on-board training, they asked Admiral Togo who he admired most. Togo answered, "I admire Yi Sunsin and nobody can peer with him in his personality and military achievement." Also Yi Eunsang, a Korean poet, described Yi Sunsin as the never-setting sun of the Korean people. His patriotism will remain forever in the mind of Korean people. ■ Construction of Turtle Ship 1.Construction of Turtle Ship Turtle Ship was the creature on the basis of shipbuilding techniques handed down from the periods of Jangboko in Shilla Dynasty. It adopted the spike ship in Korea Dynasty that was invented to keep the enemy from approaching by fixing short spear and spike into the sides of the ship. Also the arts of fire cannon and board ship covered with planks to protect soldiers, all of which were developed in Chosun Dynasty, were also applied to turtle ship. For traditional sea battles, a major battle strategy was to approach close to the enemy ship for soldiers to climb onto it to fight. However, the surfaces of turtle ship were covered with iron plates and the trusts of short sword were wedged on them compactly, so that the enemy soldiers could not be on board though close to the turtle ship. Turtle Ship had a very strong hull structure because hard pine trees and sea water-resistant wooden nails were used. Also its way to patch the outer boards together was different from that of the Japanese ships. In a battle, the heads of turtle ships collided on purpose with the enemy to shake the ships and stir enemy lines. In addition, it could employ the strategy to destroy and sink the enemy ships by shooting various cannons. The traces that Admiral Yi built turtle ships can be found in "Nanjungilki (In-War Diary)", "Dangpopawhebyungjang", and "Hangrok of Ibun". In Nanjungilki that Admiral Yi wrote down himself, there are records on turtle ship. He put down, "we obtained 29 Pil (Roll of cloth) of sailcloth" on February 8, Year Imjin, "...tested the sailcloth." on March 27, Year Imjin, ". At last hung up the anchor on the same year, and the next day he wrote, "after lunch I fired Jijapo and Hyunjapo of the turtle ship." Dangpopawhebyungjang that record the situation of Yi's second mobilization reads, "I knew the Japanese invasion in advance and thus prepared the ship." Also in Chungmukong Preserved in Hangrok (Record of Loyal Solider Yi's Achievement) that Yi's nephew Ibun wrote out, "And after building the Hyunchung Temple ship, the size is a big as a board house ship, even with boards on it and a narrow cross-shaped way on the boards" Assuming from these records, we can know that Admiral Yi started building the turtle ship on early fall of 24th year of King Sonjo, almost completed around the next spring, and assigned in the middle of the squadron from June of the year when the second mobilization began. Three turtle ships were that entire Admiral Yi used in every sea battles during Imjin War. There were called Youngkwi, Bangdapkwi, and Sunchonkwi, respectively. As each name signify, they were under the command of the headquarters of Cholla Left Camp, Bangdapjin, and Sunchon, and also they were built in the shipyards of the headquarters, Bangdapjin, and Suncho, separately. That is, the turtle ships under the command of Admiral Yi were made in the shipyards of the headquarters, Bangdapjin, and Suncho, separately. Designated as the commander of Cholla Left Camp 14 months before Imjin War, Admiral Yi started building one turtle ship around fall or winter of the Year Shinmyo (1951) when making all efforts to prepare for military previsions in anticipation of the Japanese invasion. It seems that early Year Imjin (1952) when the ship had almost been completed; he ordered Bangdapjin and Sunchonbu to build turtle ships. Thank to the urging, Youngkwi ship and Bangdapkwi ship were finished almost at the same time and participated in the second mobilization. Sunchonkwi ship was completed after that. <Turtle Ship in < Turtle Tongje Ship in Navy Cholla Left Camp Navy > Camp > 2.Turtle ships and the Imjin War Turtle ships made a debut in Sacheon sea battle during Imjin War. Yi's first mobilization was made in Okpo sea battle only with board house ships. Thus it is assumed that it was not until then that turtle ships was not well prepared for active services. According to Nanjung Dairy, Admiral Yi received the sail clothes to be used as the anchor on February 8, the 25th of the Year of King Seonjo, just right before Imjin War, he got on the board and exercised shooting cannons on March 27, the same year. Also he made the anchor on April 11 and fire-tested Jijapo and Hyeonjapo on April 12. It happened just 3 days before Imjin War brought out and 20 days before the first battle mobilization. Therefore it is right to think that turtle ships were not in a perfect preparation for the active war participation but in test periods. The first record about turtle ships was found in the war report (Dangpopawaebyeongjang, on June 6, 25th Year of King Seonjo) Admiral Yi made after he defeated the Japanese enemy in Sacheon sea battle. The contents are like the followings. "I early predicted the Japanese invasion and thus I have built turtle ships, war fighting ships out of the concern. I put the dragonhead in the front of the ship to fire the artilleries from its month. On the roof there are long iron spikes to prevent the Japanese soldiers from boarding on it. It is only one way to view through, from the insider to the outside. The enemy cannot see through us from the outside. No matter how many numbers of the enemy ships there are, turtle ships can break into the enemy lines and shoot fires. For this mobilization, the onrush commander was on board. Thus I ordered him to dash into the enemy ships and throw out 4 types of cannons and all of others: Cheon (heaven), Ji (earth), Hyeon (black), and Hwang (yellow). At this point of "the onrush commander was on board." Signifies the function of the ship. That is, a turtle ship was a war ship specialized in dashing and rushing into the enemy line. It has a very strong advantage in a rushing war because it was an armored ship with bulletproof boards by which the crews were protected. Also in the part of Dangpo battle, it reads "After heard, I came to see the enemy ships berth by Dangpo Pier on June 2？？ The enemy had 9 ships as big as a board house ship and 12 middle or small-sized ships were staying close to the pier. In the middle of the ships, there was one big ship with stores on it, which looked as high as 3 or 4 height man were and curtained with red silks outside that.