The Immortal Admiral, Sun-sin Yi - Inventor of the Turtle Ship

   

    Is there any statue of famous historical figures in your town? Have you ever seen a huge turtle-shaped ship? If not, come to visit South Korea. You can find the huge statue of Admiral Sun-sin Yi near the Seoul City Hall and seems to protect Korea like a guardian angel.
    Are you eager to know about Admiral Yi? Are you wondering why he made the turtle ship which was one of the first ironclad warships in history? Let's take a trip to the history, which was about 500 years ago, and meet him. Surely you will become one of many admirators of him toward the end of this trip.

The statue of Admiral Sun-sin Yi in Seoul, South Korea

 



    Sun-sin Yi is one of the greatest military leaders in world history. He has often been compared to Lord Nelson of England, but some of Yi's tactical skills surpassed Lord Nelson's . The great Korean commander never lost a single battle when Japan attacked Korea during the late 16th century. His "Battle of Hansan-do" ranks as one of the top four naval battles ever fought in world history. Japanese soldiers were said to have run away just by hearing the name Sun-sin Yi.
    Sun-sin Yi was born on April 28, 1545, in Korea. He spent a poor childhood because his father had been falsely accused of a crime, imprisoned, and tortured by the govrnment. From an early age, Yi liked to play soldiers and he was always a general of all his friends. He carried a bow and arrow wherever he went.
    Also he studied Confucius, the Chinese philosophy, hard and was excellent at that. He spoke bluntly even to the elders when he thought they were wrong, so the elders felt constraint in his presence. He was an obedient son to his parents. He was modest , but a strong-willed person.

Admiral Sun-sin Yi

    When the king cleared his father's name, Sun-sin Yi was allowed to apply the military civil service examination, at which he passed. His brilliance and honesty brought on jealousy and false accusations. He was arrested and imprisoned sometimes.
    Despite many trials and troubles, he was assigned to command the naval forces in Jeolla Province in 1591. There he was able to build up the regional navy, which was later used to confront a Japanese invasion force. He subsequently began to strengthen the nation's navy with a series of reforms, including the construction of the Turtle Ship.
    The Turtle Ship, Kobukson in Korean, was equipped with a dragon's head and a turtle's body. Its roof was covered with sharp iron spike which prevented enemy soldiers from boarding. The port holes were designed for the crew to look outside, the enemy could not see inside.
    In 1597, Yi led twelve Turtle Ship against numbers of Japanese ships in the Myongyang Straits. The Koreans gained a great victory.

 

 

 

The Turtle Ship, Kobukson

 

    At "the Battle of Noryang Strait" on November 19, 1598, Admiral Yi was encouraging the crews in the fore part of the ship. At that moment, he was shot to death by a stray bullet. When he was brathing his last, he whispered to his oldest son, "Do not weep. Do not announce my death. Beat the drum. Blow the trumpet. Wave the flag for advance. We are still fighting. Finish the enemy to the last one."

    He feared that the Japanese would attack them again if they found out of his death. He didn't want the Korean soldiers to lose their spirit even at his last moment. He was 54 years old when he died.

    Despite his death, about 450 Japanese battleship were destroyed, and only the remaining fifty could get back to Japan safely. The Seven Year-War between Korea and Japan came to an end.

    Sun-sin Yi kept a careful record of daily event in a diary even with his heavy schedule during the Seven Year-War. In these writings, we can find many useful lessons for today. Also we can feel how he suffered from the human loss involved in the war. These works have been published in English as "Nanjung Ilgi: War Diary of Admiral Sun-sin Yi."

 

  Nanjung Ilgi: War Diary of Admiral Yi Sun-sin

 

 

    Besides being remembered as a tactical genius, Admiral Yi is also remembered as a  man of personal integrity. He believed in three essentials for the warrior: humanity, discernment, and courage. He embodied all of them, and lived with integrity throughout his life.

    He said, "My life is simple, my food is plain, and my quarters are uncluttered. In all things, I have sought clarity. I face the troubles and problems of life and death willingly. Virtue, integrity and courage are my priorities. I can be approached, but never pushed; befriended but never coerced; killed but never shamed."

    He was respected and trusted by the men under his command. He was a warm-hearted person. He never lost his firm faith and bravery from any trials. He just believed firmly in his plan, made efforts for the development of his country, and pushed ahead. He tried to do his best whenever his country, which had abandoned him without reason, called him.

    Admiral Sun-sin Yi's legacy and teachings are priceless for us. His patriotism and integrity can be a role model for all, Korean or American.

 

 

ABOUT TURTLE SHIP, KOBUKSON

 

 

 

   The ship had 16 oars and two sails. The dragon-shaped head sent out smoke of burning sulfur powder in order to hide itself and confuse enemy fleet. The rear was shaped as a tail where the gunport was placed beneath.

    There were six gunports on bpth sides of the back plate, and ten cannon ports on both sides of the back plate, and ten cannon ports on both sides of shield. The ship was also equipped with fourteen cannons.

    The Turtle Ship was 65ft long, 11.8ft wide, 11.5ft high and weighed 150 tons, accommodating 130 to 150 soldiers. The Turtle Ships are exhibited in the War Museum of Washington in United States, the Maritime Museum in England, China, Germany, France, and other places.   

( Assignment 4: A nonfiction article on any topic I choose)