In the naval history of the world, "Chung Mu" is actually
Admiral Soong Shin Yi of the Yi Dynasty, whose fame is comparable
to that of Admiral Nelson of Great Britain. Admiral Yi was in
charge of naval operations during the Yi Dynasty. He anticipated
the Japanese invasion, and in preparation had his armed forces
trained for war.
In 1592 when the Im Jin Uae Ran (a conflict between the Japanese
Empire and the Yi Dynasty) broke out, Admiral Yi led his
battleship, Ko-Buk-Sun (the turtle boat) which he designed
against the Japanese invaders. Whenever his naval forces met with
Japanese battleships, Admiral Yi was victorious. His forces
reigned supreme over the sea during the 7-year conflict.
However, Admiral Yi was imprisoned and almost sentenced to death
due to the plotting of Won Keun, the Naval Commander in Kyong San
District, who was a rival of his. Won Keun was killed during
battle, and the King reluctantly pardoned Admiral Yi and assigned
him to the battlefield as a soldier because of the urgent need
for his expertise.
Admiral Yi was eventually given command of the naval forces
again, and on November 8, 1598, Admiral Yi was shot to death
during a sea battle against the Japanese Navy. He died at the age
of 54.
Admiral Yi showed true allegiance to his country, and had a noble
character and excellent leadership ability. Admiral Yi was a
great hero in Korean history and almost single-handedly protected
the country. He also wrote a book entitled “The Diary During the
Conflict”.
END: Bring the right foot back to a ready posture.