Yi Sun-shin, an Admiral Who Became a Myth
Roh Young-koo
Koreans’ battle against Japanese imperialism and its blatant invasions, and their
subsequent foundation of a modern nation, led them to rediscover several heroes
within their own history. Admiral Yi Sun-shin, who fought the Japanese forces
during the Imjin Waeran and saved the Korean people, was one of the historical
figures praised most highly.
But his glorious victories and achievements had already been praised and hon-
ored since the midJoseon dynasty. When meritorious attainers were being appoint-
ed right after the Imjin Waeran, the victories that Yi Sun-shin had achieved in his
sea battles were being cited as part of the major factors that contributed to the
repelling of the Japanese troops. Quite oddly, though, Admiral Weon Gyun’s vic-
tories were being highly spoken as well for political reasons.
After the Byeongja Horan, the level of praises and honoring of the achieve-
ments of Admiral Yi Sun-shin became more heightened, and countless occasions
to honor him and his achievements were continuously arranged. After the defeat
under the Chinese Qing dynasty troops at the time, Korean people’s worshipping
of a competent military leader who repelled enemy forces with superior power
was higher and stronger than ever.
During the reign of King Sukjong, the honoring of Yi Sun-shin took on anoth-
er level of interest, as Yi Sun-shin came to be praised as a loyal vassal of the King
who served the Joseon king well and also saved the civilization of Ming China
that was flourishing on the Korean peninsula. This was because the general senti-
ment of the time was that Joseon was the true successor of the cultural essence of
Ming China in all possible ways.
During the modern times, Yi Sun-shin’s status was once again elevated to that
of a national hero, and the Turtle Ship (Geobukseon) developed by him is per-
ceived and believed to be the world’s first armored ship. But during the Japanese
colonial period, some revised nationalists demoted him as an exemplary person
and not a national hero.
Several evaluations of Yi Sun-shin with different nuances continued even
after the liberation in 1945. Especially during the early days of the Park Chung
Hee regime, Yi Sun-shin was praised as a savior of the nation, and he was praised
as an honorary person who was truly loyal during the 1970s when the authoritative
regime continued. Different evaluations on Yi Sun-shin remind us of the unfortu-
nate days when presidents had the power to influence the objects of worship.
Keywords:
Yi Sun-shin, national hero, Imjin Waeran, Joseon-Centrism.
The Review of Korean Studies
Vol. 7, No. 3: 15-36
© 2004 by The Academy of Korean Studies
Introduction
Memories of war last the longest among historic occasions because of the
shocking experiences by various classes during its course. Moreover, those
memories leave traces in various forms afterwards as they influence the next
generation of people experiencing war. In particular, the experience of a total
