Admiral Yi Sun-Shin: Korean naval hero honoured with monument in Chantilly, Virginia

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While not very well known in western culture, Admiral Yi Sun-Shin is a major figure in Korean and Asian history. Admiral Yi’s accomplishments on the battlefield, as a leader and a naval tactician, stymied Japanese efforts to invade Korea in the late 1500s and revolutionized maritime warfare.

Admiral Yi was born in Seoul, Korea in 1545, to parents of modest means. While he was a good student, at the age of 22, Yi made the unexpected decision to pursue a military career. Initially, Yi studied horsemanship, archery, swordsmanship, and military tactics. At the age of 32, Yi passed the rigorous physical and academic examinations to become an officer in the Korean army. His first assignment was to an outpost on the northern border of Korea. Several years later he received his first posting to a naval command in southern Korea (at the age of 36). Unfortunately, his career took a negative turn after Yi refused to follow his superior’s orders, which he felt were improper/corrupt. As a result, he was reassigned to a staff position in Seoul.

Not to be deterred, in 1583, Yi accepted a posting on Korea’s northern border to deal with incursions by Manchurian (Jurchens) forces. It was a long campaign, but Yi distinguished himself in combat, being wounded in several battles, and eventually repelling the enemy. In 1589, he was re-assigned and took command of the Cheulian Naval Station in Yeosu, Korea.

The principal maritime threat to Korea at the time was Japanese piracy, which was but a precursor to Japan’s larger ambitions to conquer Korea and eventually China. At this time, the Korean navy was in a poor state of affairs, with lackluster discipline and morale, minimal training and supplies, and outdated equipment. Admiral Yi recognized the situation and immediately began to address these deficiencies, while at the same time considering how to address the growing threat from Japan.

The “Turtle Boat” (or geobukseon) was not a new concept at the time, but Admiral Yi determined it to be critical to the future defense of Korea, so he committed his limited resources into building a fleet of these vessels. The turtle ships designed by Yi held 11 cannons on each side of the ship, with two at each the stern and the bow. The sides of the ship had smaller openings for arrows, guns, and mortars to be fired. The top of the ship was covered with thick planks and spikes. There were two masts for sail power, but the ship was steered and powered by 20 oars (10 on each side).

Admiral Yi recognized the Japanese navy’s strongest tactic at the time was to board enemy ships and engage in hand-to-hand combat. With lighter and faster vessels - and fewer cannons - the Japanese relied on speed to engage the enemy. The Japanese also relied on musket volleys to clear enemy decks in advance of boarding. The Korean vessels were sturdier and carried a large number of long-range cannons. The Korean approach - promoted by Admiral Yi - was to maintain distance from the enemy and rely on superior firepower to disable and destroy the enemy vessels, a more modern, distanced type of warfare.

In less than two years, the Japanese launched their invasion in April 1592, with a force of 160,000 soldiers and 9,000 sailors on about 700 vessels. The invasion was initially a success for the Japanese, however, Admiral Yi launched a counterattack the following month, with a fleet of 85 vessels, 24 of which were turtle boats. The Korean forces were able to surprise the Japanese forces and they destroyed most of the fleet, while suffering minimal losses. During a succession of follow-on battles, Admiral Yi engaged and destroyed additional Japanese forces, culminating in the Battle of Hahsnan. In this battle, Admiral Yi lured the Japanese fleet into open water and then proceeded to use his superior firepower to destroy over 73 enemy vessels, one of the great naval battles of history. The victory stopped to Japanese invasion efforts and led to peace talks.

The peace talks eventually failed, but in the interim, Admiral Yi had fallen into disfavor within the Korean government due to infighting, political intrigue, and his unwillingness to compromise with incompetent and corrupt leaders. The Japanese took advantage of Admiral Yi’s departure and rebuilt their fleet and military forces, and in January 1597, they launched another invasion. After some initial successes, the Korean government brought Admiral Yi back into service as the Supreme Naval Commander. Despite having a limited number of ships and sailors, Admiral Yi was once again able to restore discipline and confidence, and by 1598, the Japanese invasion force had been largely destroyed and the remnants retreated to Japan. During the Battle of Noryang in November 1598, Admiral Yi was fatally struck by a bullet, which he kept hidden from his sailors until victory was assured. Japan did not invade Korea again for over 300 years (1910).

While commonly celebrated as one of the greatest naval commanders in history, Admiral Yi’s brilliance extended beyond his mastery of topography, tides, weather, and tactics. He was also a charismatic leader, who was able maintain his soldier’s morale despite trying circumstances and frequently demonstrated his loyalty to his soldiers and Korean civilians. Among naval historians, Admiral Yi has been compared to Lord Horatio Nelson of the British Royal Navy, and Japan’s World War II Admiral Heihachiro Togo once refused any comparisons between him and Admiral Yi, saying Admiral Yi “had no equal.”

The statue and replica boat are located in the parking lot of a large premier Korean day spa that opened in 2021. The spa offers a traditional Korean spa (jimjilbang) experience with saunas, body scrubs, a restaurant, and a roof top hydrotherapy pool.