While we were at the Lotus Lantern Festival this past spring we picked up some excellent literature about various aspects of Korean culture, all in English and provided for free by the Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project (KSCPP).
I finally had the chance to sit down and read through the book dedicated to the late, great Admiral Yi Sun-sin. The entire book is available online - click here to read it for yourself!
In short, he was an outstanding naval commander who served Korea well during the 1590s - often compared to Admirals Nelson and Togo - and was undefeated in his 23 battles at sea. One of his most astonishing victories came at Myongnyang in 1597, when his small fleet of 13 vessels successfully defended against 330 Japanese ships; they sank or severely damaging 121 of Japan's fleet without the loss of a single Korean ship.
He is still revered as a national hero of Korea and an impressive monument honors him in Gwanghwamun Square.
He is also credited for successfully using the first iron-clad naval vessel. Below is a replica of the Kobukson or "Turtle Ship", which can be found inside the main museum at the War Memorial of Korea
Just a little serious history and reading I thought I'd share with everyone - enjoy!
Visit the KSCPP website for additional free books, available in English, French, German, and a few other languages, about:
No comments:
Post a Comment