Korean National Heroes on Korean bills

Admiral Yi Sun-sin lived in the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910)(present-day Korea) during the 16th century. He is well renowned for his victories against the Japanese invasions between 1592 and 1598. Most probably, one out of every three Koreans would answer Yi Sun-sin, if they were asked who their favorite hero in Korean history is. He faced many hardships; the Joseon Kingdom had a shortage of battleships, arms and military power. Furthermore, it did not give Admiral Yi the support he needed. Nevertheless, he fought valiantly and gained victories in all the 23 sea battles he fought. However, his prowess in battle is not the only reason he is held in high esteem. While he was in battle with the Japanese fleet, he was ensnared in political infighting, demoted, convicted and sentenced to death, although that sentence was never carried out and he was eventually exonerated and returned to battle. Even on the verge of death, he did not bemoan his fate. He tried his best until the very last and saved the nation. The real reason why Admiral Yi is deeply etched on the hearts of all Koreans is because of his indomitable will, which transcended even the threat of death. His loyalty and love toward the nation have become a model for all Koreans.

More detailed information about Admiral Yi

Admiral Yi fought in the Japanese invasions of Korea between 1592 and 1598. At that time, the Japanese army overran most of the territory, and Korea was on the verge of crumbling. Even with clear numerical inferiority, Admiral Yi beat the Japanese navy in 23 battles and became Korea’s best-loved hero. His greatness comes from his leadership, strategies, administrative ability and love for the nation.

First of all, he made accurate forecasts and careful preparations, which he executed withdaring. While the Joseon Government was asserting that there would be no war and remain unconcerned, Admiral Yi correctly predicted the upcoming naval clashes. He built battleships and turned the undisciplined soldiers into an elite contingent. Later in the battle of Myeongnyang in October 1597, Admiral Yi announced to his soldiers “those who seek to live shall die and those who seek to die shall live!” With these words, heinspired his fleet of only 12 ships to defeat a Japanese armada of 300 battleships. He was a brave commander who always stood at the frontline.

Second, he was an innate strategist. By cutting the enemy’s supply route, Admiral Yi ruined their strategy. He employed tactics beyond common sense and successfully held back an army of 150,000 for five years with only 10,000 men. Admiral Yi had been constructing panokseon, the main battleship of the Joseon fleet. This wooden ship had two decks and a command tower in the center of the upper deck. Admiral Yi equipped the panokseon with long-range cannons, which he developed himself. He also invented the geobukseon, or turtle ship, from the panokseon. It was an assault ship with a curved roof of wooden planks that were covered with metal plates. The metal plates had metal spikes, making boarding impossible. The geobukseon played an essential role in Admiral Yi’s strategies. Furthermore, he trained his soldiers in many battle formations, such as the Crane Wing formation, which was extremely useful for surrounding and attacking enemy ships. This formation was used in the Battle of Hansan Island, which is known as one of the four great battles in world naval history along with the Battle of Salamis, Battle of Gravelines and the Battle of Trafalgar.

Third, he was a capable and principled administrator and a man of letters. He harshly punished deserters and promoted talented persons. In tough times, he cultivated farmland, made clothing and manufactured other materials. When the government increased taxes, he offered his surplus to the government. He was extremely popular, and this was one of the reasons that he could fight against the strong Japanese navy. He also studied hard, as he originally wanted to become a scholar. He wrote the Nanjung Ilgi (War Diary of Yi Sun-sin), which is kept as a valuable historic document.

Finally, Admiral Yi loved his country and people. Even though he was ensnared in political infighting, demoted, tortured and was on the verge of execution, his only concern was the security of the country. When the Japanese navy attacked with 300 ships and everything seemed doomed, he told the king, “I still have 12 ships which are ready for battle.”

He is remembered not only because he was never defeated, but because his indomitable will and love for the nation have become a model for Koreans nowadays. The Japanese army had reached as far north as Pyongyang in just two months after the beginning of the war. Due to Admiral Yi’s continuous victories, the Japanese army was cut off from supplies and isolated. The invasion ended after seven years. Admiral Yi met a glorious death in the Battle of Noryang against the Japanese navy.

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Another Korean hero, who is equally as loved as Admiral Yi, is King Sejong the Great. He was the fourth monarch of the Joseon Kingdom, reigning from 1418-1450. At that time, the country was at the peak of prosperity economically, politically, socially and culturally. Of the thousands of years of Korean history, it can be called the Renaissance Era. Political affairs were stable, the economy grew quickly, and it had great military influence over other countries. King Sejong the Great is revered by Koreans for his outstanding policies reflecting his devotion to the nation. His welfare policies compare favorably with those in the 21st century. He gave slaves 100 days off for maternity leave and even promoted Jang Yeong-sil, a slave, to a high-ranking position because he was an extremely talented inventor-scientist. At that time, such a thing was totally unprecedented.

His greatest achievement is the creation of the Korean alphabet, Han-geul, which is still being used today. At the time, there were great differences between spoken and written Korean. Korean was written using classical Chinese characters, which were cumbersome and took long years to learn, so that only the upper class could read and write. Commoners, therefore, could not express themselves in writing and could not defend themselves. Furthermore, the upper classes were against educating commoners because knowledge is power. However, King Sejong stood on the side of the people and listened to them. He researched many alphabets in order to invent one that would be easy for commoners to use and eventually created Han-geul. It is not an exaggeration to say that the reason why Korea has the most advanced information and communications technology today is due to the creation of the Korean alphabet.

More detailed information about King Sejong the Great

As a child, the prince we know as King Sejong the Great was a studious boy who showed an avid love of learning. Having spent his youth with books, he had a vast store of knowledge, an insatiable curiosity and a respect for learning. He had varied interests and great enthusiasm, despite poor health. He was an excellent judge of character, could spot hidden talents in men and respected them for their abilities regardless of their social position. A patron of the arts and sciences, he attracted around him the very best minds of the day. He was also a man of action and a practical person, who took a keen interest in the day-today affairs of government, tenaciously seeking the best solution to problems of agriculture, defense and diplomacy, as well as literature, printing, medicine and science.

First and foremost, the accomplishment for which King Sejong is best remembered and on which he worked personally for years with the help of many scholars was the creation of Han-geul, a phonetic alphabet for writing Korean. It was called Hunmin jeong eum (Correct Sounds for Instructing the People) when it was promulgated in 1446. Ignoring the criticism of those who felt that it would be a dangerous thing to educate the common people, King Sejong wrote that he had compassion for the many uneducated people who could not express themselves in writing. Han-geul is considered one of the most scientific and easiest to learn writing systems.

Second, he promoted learning in all fields. He encouraged scholars to research and improved movable type and the art of printing in order to produce more books on every subject. These were distributed to ordinary people. One benefit was that commoners began to have a better knowledge of agriculture, which eventually was followed by an increase in agricultural production. As a gifted musician, he not only composed many songs and music for ritual ceremonies, but also had a new musical notation system developed. He exerted great effort to systematize existing music and to promote new compositions. He also ordered the invention of new instruments

Third, to promote agriculture, he made researchers study and develop astrology, geography and other sciences. He appointed young scientists such as Yi Cheon and the former slave Jang Yeong-sil to official positions. Many inventions such as sundials, water clocks, rain gauges and gauges to record the level of river water were created. He also created a new almanac and astronomical charts based information about the cyclic movements of celestial bodies imported from China and the Arab world. In addition, he had books translated into Han-geul and distributed to the common people. Under his reign, science and technology were advanced the most.

Finally, King Sejong the Great also made great achievements in diplomacy and national defense. He carried out active diplomacy with China’s Ming Dynasty while sending an expedition against pirate bases on Tsushima Islands. Furthermore, he opened three additional ports to develop relations with Japan. He suppressed attacks from the North, he established four additional outposts in Pyeong-an-do (province) and set up six garrison forts in Hamgyeong-do(province). He deployed military forces along the northernmost rivers of Amnokgang and Duman-gang and clearly established and defended the borders of Joseon Dynasty.

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