Yi Sun-sin was a famous Korean naval commander. When the Japanese, under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, invaded Korea in 1592, Korea would have fallen if it weren’t for the leadership of Admiral Yi. He alone was responsible for turning the tide of this important era of Asian history.
Admiral Yi is famous for the turtle ships that he designed. These were the first ironclad warships, and played a significant part in the war against the Japanese invaders. On September 16th, 1597, Admiral Yi led 12 turtle ships against 133 Japanese ships in the Myeongnyang Straits. The Koreans sank 31 enemy ships, and sent the others fleeing in this battle. On November 19th, 1598, Admiral Yi was shot during the final battle of the war. He commanded that his body be hidden by a shield so his enemies could not see that he had fallen. He was only 54 years old when he died.
There have been many great military leaders honoured for their service to their countries- and without doubt, Admiral Yi Sun-sin of Korea is one of them.