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TheNavalEmploymentof Korea(Chosun),Japan,and China(Ming)duringtheImjinWar

장학근 1

1임진왜란사 연구회장

Accredited

ABSTRACT

TraditionalKorean navalsystem was established to preventJapanese pirate.AsJapanesepirates’activitieshad increased,theChosun kingdom haddeployedsailorsandwarshipsin portsalongthecoastlineandislands to repelinvading Japanese pirates from the sea.And they divided sea areasintoseveralseasectorstodefendeachsectorbythemselves. Forthepurposeofseadefense,navalforceshadbeen developingflotilla organization, command and communication, maneuvering tactics, and constructed flat-house-type warships with the biggerhulland the higher freeboard than the Japanese warships in order to neutralize Japanese boardingtactics. ThetraditionalJapanesenavywasoriginatedfrom japanesepiratesand its army.Both Japanese pirate and army used similartactics,since its navyusedtofighttogetherwiththearmyduringtheircivilwar. Hideyosi had a ambition to conquer the world, ie the whole Asia including China and India. Neither he had strong warships nor naval capabilitiestodefeatChinesenavy.Asaresult,hehadnoplan fornaval battletoinvadeKoreanpeninsular. At that time, Korean court was preoccupied with the concept that “Japanese are strong in naval battle because they are islander" and “Koreans are strong in ground battle because themselves are continental people". The Korean court expected land battle and ordered naval commanderstofighton land. ThismeasureallowedJapaneseamphibious landing and resulted in serious consequence.As Chosun gave up naval battle, the Japanese landing forces invaded and overpowered defending forcesoccupiedthecapitalwithinfifteendays. Frightened and land-oriented King Sunjoasked AdmiralYiSun-sin and Won gyun to interdict Japanese forces supply line (sea line of communication).FortunatelyAdmiralYiandWon'scombinedfleetwon the naval battles continuously. So the Japanese forces had to withdraw southwardandtookdefensiveposturetobeginpeacetalks. Japaneseforcesinvadedagain afterthefailureoftrucetalks.Thistime their objective was Jeollado farming area and Korean navy. Japanese learned lessons from the previous mistakes and manuplated to setup admiralYiSun-sin.WhenAdmiralYiwasrelievedfrom thecommand,they induced Korean fleetto Busan port and destroyed itatChilchunryang strait. The Chosun courtreinstated AdmiralYiSun-sin as the commanding officerofthecombinedfleet.Again,thecourtorderedlandbattletoKorean navy sincethereremained only twelvewarships.ButAdmiralYistrongly suggested to fightatsea becauseheknew itwould be thebestway to savehiscountry.Hewon theMyungryangseabattleandmadeaglorious navalhistory. After the dramatic victory,he builtnew navalbase for combined fleetatGogumdo,and endeavored to block Japanesefleetfrom escaping. Japanese general Gonisi lost ways to escape by passing through blockadeline,hetried to withdraw from thepeninsularwhileconducting defensive operations. When Japanese strongman Hideyosi died, Gonisi bribed ChineseadmiralJin Rin.Chinesemilitary strategywastoend the warwithoutbattle,butKoreans were ready to die forrevenge.In that situation,a Japanese spy boatran away due to negligence ofChinese navy.AdmiralYiSun-sin prepared forfinalsea battleand began tosail with battle formation.He decided to attack firstapproaching Simazfleet from the sea,then to block the fleeing Gonisifleetlater.AsAdmiralYi departed the port to move to Noryang, the Chinese fleet followed to support.Navalbattlebegan when Simazfleetapproached Noryang strait,As Korean-Chinese combined fleetsecure victory,AdmiralYiSun-in was shotand dead.Theremainingcrushed Japanesefleetran awaytoBusan andbacktoJapan.FinallysevenyearsofImjinwarwasover.

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