Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🏛️

Yi Sun-sin

history Maturity 5-7 death dying war conflict Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: death_dying, war_conflict. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Yi Sun-sin was a famous Korean admiral and military general.

SignatureYiSunSin
SignatureYiSunSin

He is best known for his many victories against the Japanese navy. These battles took place during the Imjin War. This was a time when Japan invaded Korea. Yi was a leader who used smart plans to protect his country. He is now seen as one of the greatest naval commanders in history. People in Korea still honor him with many awards and landmarks.

Yi used many clever ways to win at sea. He helped build the famous turtle ship to fight.

TurtleShip1795
TurtleShip1795

These ships were very special and strong. He also used a clever tactic called the "crane wing." In this plan, his ships formed a wide semicircle to surround the enemy. This allowed his fleet to fire many cannonballs at once. These new ideas helped him win even when things looked very difficult.

Yi was born in 1545 in a place called Hanseong.

1597 petition from Yi Wonik protesting the removal of Admiral Yi Sun-sin from command
1597 petition from Yi Wonik protesting the removal of Admiral Yi Sun-sin from command

As a young boy, he loved playing war games. He was often the leader of his friends during these games. He even carried a bow and arrows to play. Later, he passed a military exam in 1576. He once broke his leg during a test, but he tried again and passed. He spent many years learning to be a great soldier.

His career had many hard moments and big wins.

Admiral Yi Sunshin's Naval campaigns in 1592
Admiral Yi Sunshin's Naval campaigns in 1592

He fought in at least 23 naval battles. He won every single one of them. In the Battle of Myeongnyang, he led only 13 ships. He used those 13 ships to defeat 133 Japanese ships! This was a huge and amazing victory. However, some leaders were jealous of him. They told lies and even sent him to prison for a short time.

Yi's life changed the course of history for Korea. He worked hard to build up the navy in the Jeolla province. This helped keep that part of the land safe from invasion. He died in 1598 during the Battle of Noryang.

Battle of Noryang
Battle of Noryang

This was the last major battle of the war. Today, his wartime journals are kept as important world treasures. You can even see his face on a Korean coin.

Korea100Won1970Obverse
Korea100Won1970Obverse
358 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (8)
File:SignatureYiSunSin.png
SignatureYiSunSin.png
File:Admiral Yi Sunshin's Naval campaigns in 1592.svg
Admiral Yi Sunshin's Naval campaigns in 1592.svg
File:TurtleShip1795.jpg
TurtleShip1795.jpg
File:1597 petition from Yi Wonik protesting the removal of Admiral Yi Sun-sin from command.jpg
1597 petition from Yi Wonik protesting...
File:Battle of Noryang.JPG
Battle of Noryang.JPG
File:총무공_장검.jpg
총무공_장검.jpg
File:Korea100Won1970Obverse.JPG
Korea100Won1970Obverse.JPG
File:Behind the scenes of Hansan; Rising Dragon 한산; 용의 출현 (7).jpg
Behind the scenes of Hansan; Rising...
More to explore

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.