Yun ho Kim rewrite

 Admiral Yi Sun-Shin the Duke of Loyalty and Warfare, the Immortal saviour of Korean history.

 

 This is based on the fact and the history of Korea and Japan since late 16th century until now with references such as 'Nan Jung Il Gi' which means a diary during the war written by Admiral Yi Sun-Shin, the annals of the Josun dynasty and many other historical resources. This rewrite mainly focuses on how and what he felt during the war against Japan, and also the impact of his achievement against imperialists with his poem, speech in the diary. In addition, how we need to react to the international problem that is happening with Japan these days. After hundreds of years, many people still remember and respect him. It is not because he is a hero who created miracles. It is because of the impact his words, sprit and life decisions have made on people. He showed unrelenting bravery and unyielding hope against all adversity. Admiral Yi became the compass that guides the life of Koreans.

In the late 16th century (1592-1598), Korea faced a series of Japanese invasions, which is known as the Imjin War (Imjin Waeran in Korean). The 7 years of War was the biggest war in East Asia. The Japanese troops were armed with muskets and attached cutting-edge swords. They were certain they would quickly advance to Josun dynasty’s capital and win a sweeping victory. However, the situation was dramatically reversed during the ocean battles.  Josun dynasty had an absolute disadvantage in the scale of ships, troops, and weaponry. Despite unfavorable conditions, General Yi Sun-Shin exhibited bravery, trained elite naval forces, constructed a high-tech battleship, 'Gu Buk Sun' (turtle ship)led Josun naval forces to a victory in every single battle and successfully defended Korea from Japanese invasion. Admiral Yi Sun-Shin is respected and famous for his loyalty and achievements which are military, strong characteristic to overcome great obstacles, ingenuity and creativity and exemplary pursuit of perfection of character. Japanese who distort their history for good fear him and also respect him as his achievement. Also he is called undefeatable general who had never lost, the best admiral in the world. Admiral Yi Sun-Shin's developed exceptional war tactics are still being used in the world.

 

Gu Buk Sun

                                                             main tactics Josun Navy used

It took only 20 days that Josun dynasty's capital 'Han Sung'(Seoul) was fallen to the enemy. As they were not prepared and could not overcome numerical inferiority. However, Feb 1591, 1 year and 2month before the war, Yi Sun-Shin was appointed commander of Jun-ra Left Naval Station and prepared for the war as there were rumours about the war was going to happen before a year. According to the dynasty annals, the dynasty also heard and knew that the war may happen, but they were considering revocation of the naval force as they thought Japanese were not good at fight in land. General Yi sent a letter to the dynasty

 

 "Yi, Your Majesty’s humble subject, Commander of Jun-ra Left Naval Station, address battle on the sea is the best choice for defending against pirates. Therefore, please reconsider revocation of the naval force."

 

 On April 13, 1592, the Japanses invaded the Josun port of Pusan with an army of 160,000men by order of their ruler, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Finding the enemy power overwhelming, two commanding admirals of the Kyung Sang Province, one of them a man named Won Kyun who later become one of Yi Sun-Shin's rival, gave up the fight and fled from battle. This left the enormous burden of defending the country's sea to Yi Sun-Shin. On may 4, 1592, Yi Sun-Shin and his fleet sailed out eastward to engage with the Japanese ships in battle for the first time. Three days later, using 24 cannon-laden flat bottom warships called Pan Ok Sun, Yi Sun-Shin accomplished his first unilateral victory over the Japanese navy. This confrontation took place at Dang Po and Sa Chun. It was at this time that Yi Sun-Shin used his newly-developed Gu Buk Sun, the turtle ship, an iron-clad battleship for the first time in the 1500s. Korea’s shipbuilding technology was over 300 years ahead of Britain’s. The Gu Buk Sun proved to be a destructive power against the enemy ships. And, the Japanese, taken aback by the use of this new, unexpected and seemingly invincible ship, did not know how to react and fight against the turtle ship. Thus, the new ships helped annihilate the enemy while sustaining barely any damage to itself. In July of that year, Yi Sun-Shin and the Japanese clashed for a third time at Hansan Sea. Here, Yi Sun-Shin accomplished a grand victory over the Japanese by using the Hakikjin maneuver, or crane wing-shaped encircling attacks. Although Yi Sun-Shin and his forces lost no ships and only 19 lives, they thoroughly vanquished the Japanese by destroying 59 of their ships and killing almost 9000. With this absolute victory at Hansan Sea, Yi Sun-Shin secured complete control of the southern sea, thus frustrating Japan’s intent to open a sea route to the western sea near Hansung, which today is the city of Seoul. Further, after this battle at Hansan Sea, even though Yi Sun-Shin was eager to meet the enemy to finalize the victory, he would have to wait more than 3 years for their next confrontation as the Japanese ruler, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, ordered his navy not to fight Yi Sun-Shin anymore. Not surprisingly, on August 15, 1592, shortly after the Battle at Hansan Sea, Yi Sun-Shin was promoted to the rank of Tongjesa, the Supreme Commander of the Navy for the 3 Provinces. Fooled by Japanese spies who falsely informed him that the brutal Japanese general, Kato Kiyomasa, would be traveling from the Japanese island of Tsushima to the port of Pusan, which was an enemy stronghold in Josun, King Sun Jo ordered Yi Sun-Shin to proceed to the open sea just outside of Pusan port to try to capture the famous enemy general. Yi Sun-Shin refused to do this as he knew that the king’s order was based on false information and lies. King Sun Jo became angry with Yi Sun-Shin and had him arrested and brought to Han Sung, modern-day Seoul. There, Yi Sun-Shin was tortured and would have been sentenced to death for his insubordination.

 

Pan Ok Sun

Many people, however, made appeals to the king on Yi Sun-Shin’s behalf, insisting on his innocence and emphasizing his prominent role in the battles with the Japanese. Due to these appeals, King Sun Jo pardoned Yi Sun-Shin from the death sentence and in its stead punished him with Baek Ui Jong Gun, which Yi Sun-Shin suffered for the second time in his life. Now as a lowly common soldier with no rank, Yi Sun-Shin traveled to the southern sea to join Kwon Yul, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. On his way there, sadly Yi Sun-Shin learned that his mother had died on a sailboat headed for Ahsan. Such was the nature of their loving relationship that, overjoyed at the news of his release from prison, his 83-year old mother had braved the toils of travel by sea to meet her beloved son at their hometown of Ahsan; but, unfortunately, she was unable to withstand the rigors of the travel and died en route. Upon learning of her death, Yi Sun-Shin collapsed into extreme sorrow and despair.

 

 After Yi Sun-Shin’s arrest and demotion, Won Kyun, still a high-ranking commanding military officer despite his cowardly flight from battle at the start of the Imjin War, replaced Yi Sun-Shin as the commanding admiral of the navy. Perhaps because Yi Sun-Shin’s courage and victory in defending Josun against the Japanese at the start of the Imjin War seemed to highlight Won Kyun’s own shameful cowardice in fleeing from battle, Won Kyun forever after had set himself up as Yi Sun-Shin’s rival and had jealously slandered Yi Sun-Shin’s reputation far and wide. And, it was this person whom King Sun Jo chose to replace Yi Sun-Shin. On July 15, 1597, following King Sun Jo’s original orders which Yi Sun-Shin had refused to follow, Won Kyun took the entire Josun navy fleet and sailed out to the sea just off of the port of Pusan. As Yi Sun-Shin had suspected, however, the Japanese had prepared a well organized attack and were lying in wait for the Josun navy. The result was total devastation for the Josun navy—the entire navy fleet was wiped out and Won Kyun himself was killed in battle. In this way, the Josun navy, which Yi Sun-Shin had built and for five years had personally fostered with undying devotion, vanished. After this devastating loss to the Japanese, King Sun Jo hastily appointed Yi Sun-Shin back to his position as Tongjesa, Supreme Commander of the Navy for the 3 Provinces, and ordered him to rebuild the Josun navy. There was no time to waste as the Japanese had already started moving west to sail up to the capital city of Han Sung.

 

 Yi Sun-Shin quickly rounded up 13 Pan Ok Sun flat-bottom war ships and recruited sailors and fighters. After the annihilation of the Josun Navy at Pusan, he had to forge a new navy capable of fighting of the impending Japanese attack. On September 16, with his meager fleet of 13 Pan Ok Sun warships, Yi Sun-Shin blocked the Myung Ryang Strait and sought to fend off the Japanese advancement toward Han Sung. It was his 13 warships against the enemy’s 133 ships and the fighting was fierce. In the end, the death toll for Yi Sun-Shin and his forces stood only at 2, with no ships lost. The death toll for the enemy stood at approximately 4000, with 31 of their ships destroyed. And with this miraculous victory, Yi Sun-Shin again frustrated Japan’s efforts to open a route to Han Sung and regained control of the southern sea for his country. The last hope of General Yi saved the endangered Josun from its fall. His victory led to the eventual end of the war and the recovery of peace in Asia. General Yi Sun-sin is and will forever be remembered as an immortal hero, who taught the value of bravery and hope to the descendents of Korea.

 

 With General Yi's spirit in the 21st century each Koreans are still fighting with the intruder. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) is the main entity that decides the names of the seas of the world.  It adopted the name of the Sea of Japan, instead of the East Sea. During the Japanese Occupation Period (1910-1945), Korea was unable to represent itself.
Using its colonial power, Japan managed to spread the name of the Sea of Japan over the East Sea. In 1991, Korea finally raised an objection about the name to the international community.

However, Korea failed to gain support due to the influence of Japan’s nearly 100 years of lobbying. Among all the world maps in the 1990s, Around 97% adopted the name of the Sea of Japan, only 3% adopted the name of the East Sea. The name of the East Sea was in great danger. In the face of crisis, young Koreans stood up as the General Yi's of the 21^st century. They began the counterattack. Against the 97%, Koreans found hope from the 3%. International textbooks, International map publishers, Elementary, middle, and high schools of the world. Young Koreans have been reaching out to the people of the world, who are misinformed about the truth of the East Sea. they have promoted the legitimacy of the name of ‘the East Sea’. Consequently, major institutions like National Geographic and World Atlas started accepting the name of the East Sea. As of 2012, 29% of world maps use the name of the East Sea, along with the Sea of Japan. In March of 2012, Joong ang Daily New York reported a surprising change. Since 2005, 89% of world maps use the East Sea along with the Sea of Japan. These are the results of our steady efforts to promote the adoption of the name, the East Sea. General Yi defeated the Japanese fleet of 133 ships with only 12 ships. What made this possible was his bravery and unyielding hope. His spirit was passed down to today’s Koreans. Against the 97%, they found hope from the 3%. With bravery and hope, these young Koreans are protecting the East Sea. Admiral Yi Sun-sin saved our land and oceans from colonialism. This would be one of the reason that Koreans consider Admiral Yi their most respected historical figure. The undefeated record in all his battles, the greatest naval admiral of the world’s military history.

 

 

                                                                      Dok Do island

Appendix1 - 7 battle achievement out of 40 battles

 

1. Battle of Ok Po

	Josun Navy	Japan Navy
Commander	Yi Sun-Shin, Won Kyun	Dodo Dakadora
Force	24 Pan Ok Sun, 57 fishing boats	30 ships
Damage	None	26ships sunk, 4000+ death

 

2. Battle of Pusan Port

	Josun Navy	Japan Navy
Commander	Yi Sun-Shin, Won Kyun, Yi Uk Ki	Most of japanese naval generals
Force	74 Pan Ok sun	470 ships
Damage	6death, 25 injured	130ships sunk, 33780+death

 

3. Battle of Dang Hang Po

	Josun Navy	Japan Navy
Commander	Admiral Yi Sun-Shin	Unknown
Force	30 Pan Ok Sun	Unknown
Damage	None	130 ships sunk

 

4. Battle of Sa Chun

	Josun Navy	Japan Navy
Commander	Admiral Yi Sun-Shin	Gameita Gorenori, Wakizaka Yasuhiro
Force		unknown
Damage	11 death	67ships sunk, 10120+ death

 

5. Battle of Han San Do

	Josun Navy	Japan Navy
Commander	Admiral Yi Sun-Shin	Wakizaka Yasuharu, Kuki Yoshitaka, Katō Yoshiaki
Force	56 Pan Ok Sun	133ships
Damage	3 death, 10 injured	103 ships sunk, 12 ships captured,  8980+ death

 

6. Battle of Myung Rang

	Josun Navy	Japan Navy
Commander	Admiral Yi Sun-Shin
Force	13 Pan Ok Sun (2400)	330 ships (100000+)
Damage	11 death	133+ ships sunk

7. Battle of No Ryang

	Josun Navy	Japan Navy
Commander	Admiral Yi Sun-Shin	Gonishi Yukinaga, Wakizaka Yasuharu, So Yositoshi, Tachibana Munishige, Simaz Yoshihiro
Force	83 Pan Ok Sun	500+ ships
Damage	300 death	350+ ships sunk, 100 ships captured  50000+ death

 

 

Appendix 2

필사즉생 필생즉사

Those willing to die will live, and those willing to live will die

 

maxim before the battle of Myeong Ryang to encourage soldiers
Ended in victory for the Joseon fleet of 12 ships against 133 Japanese ships

 

물령망동 정중여산

Do not move easily. maintain composure, act like mountains,

maxim before the battle of Ok Po

 

 

금신전선 상유십이

"신에게는 아직 12척의 배가 있사옵니다."

Your Highness, I still have twelve battleships.

 

차수약제 사즉무감
If I could swipe the enemy I would not have any regrets even I die right now

 

 

금일고결사 원천필섬차적
I today prepare for death, please god let me exterminate the enemy without fail.

 

 

삼척서천 산하동색 일휘소탕 혈염산하

vow to god with my sword makes the mountains and river shake

one sweep stains the mountains and rivers in blood

 

 

전방급 신물언아사
Battle is urgent. Let no one knows my death

Appendix 3

 

Wakizaka Yasuhiru (Japanese naval general during the invasion)

Yi Sun-Shin is the man I fear the most, hate the most, like the most, want to kill than any others and would like to have a tea with.

 

Dogo Heihachiro (Japanese naval admiral who annihilate Russia's Valtic Navy force)

Nelson admiral from England is not a person who can be called a war hero. Yi Sun-Shin is the only general in the world navy history that can be called a war god. I cannot be even a sergeant if Yi Sun-Shin was compared with me. If he had my navy force he would have conquered the world.