. . . by his thwarting of Hideyoshi ’ s Pan-Asian ambitions , Yi Sun-Shin had not merely sustained the tradition of Korean independence , but helped set the course of East Asian history for generations .
included guerilla units made up of Buddhist monks ), drove the Japanese into a narrow perimeter around the southern port of Pusan , from whence they had no option but a fighting withdrawal by sea . 29 To prevent the latter , Yi Sun-Shin set aside his reservations and graciously accepted acting in a combined Korean-Chinese naval force under the Ming Admiral Chen Leng . Chen Leng gave him all the freedom he required and together they ended any Japanese hopes of an honorable retreat . On December , 18 , 1598 , Yi Sun-Shin destroyed a 500-ship Japanese force covering the evacuation . This defeat virtually ended the seven year long Korean debacle which may have hastened the death of Hideyoshi , “ who reportedly died of a broken heart over these losses .” 30 Yi Sun-Shin ’ s nephew recounted that , at the very turn of the tide of this battle , the admiral to the fore urged his men in an assault on a Japanese ship , “ a stray bullet from the enemy vessel struck him ,” whereupon he called out to his oldest son Hoe , “ The battle is at its height ; do not announce my death !” With these words , he died . 29 Hoe and his cousin Wan then removed Yi Sun-Shin ’ s body to his cabin and returned to the battle “ banging the war drum and waving the battle flags , thus ensuring nobody knew of Yi Sun-Shin ’ s passing and securing the final victory .” 32
ASSESSMENTS OF YI SUN-SHIN ’ S CAREER AND THE POLITICS OF MEMORY After his passing , Yi Sun-Shin was given the tile of “ Lord of Loyalty and Chivalry ” or Chungmu-gong earned not only for his military prowess , but for his adherence to the highest standards of what was then regarded as “ the three essentials for the warrior : humility , discernment , and courage .” 33 Alan Burrese noted that : When Admiral Son Ko-i died in 1598 , a letter was found among his possessions . It was from Yi Sun-Shin [ n ], and in it he wrote , “ 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 . 34 A shrine was built by King Sŏnjo to honor Yi Sun-Shin in 1606 . It was the first of many such shrines and monuments , including one at the Korean Naval Academy and the large and impressive statue in downtown Seoul . 33
In time , Yi Sun-Shin ’ s naval innovations became no more than the subject of honored memory in his homeland . Like their Ming allies , the Chosŏn dynasty became preoccupied with the renewed Manchu aggression of the seventeenth century , and there was little naval development thereafter . Still , by his thwarting of Hideyoshi ’ s Pan-Asian ambitions , Yi Sun-Shin had not merely sustained the tradition of Korean independence , but helped set the course of East Asian history for generations . Had Hideyoshi achieved his goal of conquering Korea and the Chinese Ming Empire , the Manchu invasion may have run a different course , and with it , much of world history .
As the impact of his life on Korean history became better understood , Yi Sun-Shin came to be increasingly memorialized until he emerged as a national symbol of honesty and self-sacrifice . Given the court intrigues and mismanagement that characterized Chosŏn politics and the narrow military regimes that dominated Korea as it emerged from Japanese colonial domination after the Second World War , it is little wonder that post-war Korean nationalist politicians sought to promote the image of the morally and ethically impeccable Yi Sun-Shin , the soldier-hero who defeated Japan , as a model for all modern Koreans to emulate .
The judgment of Admiral Yi Sun-Shin ’ s peers underscores his real ( as opposed to represented ) achievements . Japanese Admiral Heihachuro Tŏgŏ held him in the highest regard . Tŏgŏ ’ s victory of the Russian Baltic Fleet at Tsushima in 1905 changed the course of the histories of Japan , Russia , and Korea . It stimulated the rise of nationalism in many of Europe ’ s Asian colonies and in many other ways altered the fabric of world history . Yet , according to the Japanese historical journal History Studies ( May 2002 ), the ‘ T ’ formation Togo used in the Battle of Tsushima was derived from a formation devised by Yi Sun-Shin . 36 It is little wonder then , that when asked to measure himself against a similarly influential figure , Lord Nelson of Trafalgar , Tŏgŏ remarked “ You may wish to compare me with Lord Nelson , but do not compare me with Korea ’ s Admiral Yi Sun-Shin Sun-Sin . . . he is too remarkable for anyone .” 37
In 1921 , British Admiral George Alexander Ballard ( 1862 – 1848 ) directly compared Yi Sun-Shin to Lord Nelson : It is always difficult for Englishmen to admit that Nelson ever had an equal in his profession , but if any man is entitled to be so regarded , it should be this great naval commander of Asiatic race who never knew defeat . . . and it seems , in truth , no exaggeration to assert that from first to last he never made a mistake , for his work was so complete under each variety of circumstances as to defy criticism . . . His whole career might be summarized by Yi Sun-Shin ’ s remark that , although he had no lessons from history to serve as a guide , he waged war on the sea as it should be waged if it is to produce definite results , and [ he ] ended by making the supreme sacrifice of a defender of his country . 38 Yi Sun-Shin would probably respect this soldierly evaluation of his life ( and death ) as but a series of duties to perform . However , he was more than a soldier , patriot or , for that matter , a naval genius . Through the inevitable exaggerations clouding our perception of those labeled heroes and the shadows thrown by Yi Sun-Shin ’ s own self-effacement , it is just possible to perceive his role as a good father , a faithful son , a loyal friend , and a humane official . Such a combination of qualities is so rare among world figures that we assume its presence depends upon blemishes concealed by suborned texts or constructed memory . And so it may prove in this case . This short summary of Yi Sun-Shin ’ s career is not intended to close the book on his life , but merely to suggest that it is one a student of Asia ’ s place in world history may derive some profit by opening . ■
EDUCATION ABOUT ASIA Volume 12 , Number 1 Spring 2007
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