Admiral Yi Sun-sin and Kobukson

Admiral Yi Sun-sin is said to be Korea's most revered national hero for saving Chosun Korea from the brink of collapse during the Japanese invasion of 1592.

In Admiral Yi Sun-sin A Brief Overview of His Life and Achievements (Diamond Sutra Recitation Group) the unnamed author noted that Admiral Yi "achieved a battle record that no one in history has ever matched."

"Genghis Khan lost 2 battles out of the 20 that he fought, Napoleon Bonaparte lost 4 battles out of the 23, Emperor Frederick lost 4 out of 12, and Hannibal lost 1 out of 5. In all of his 23 battles, Admiral Yi was never once defeated. Overcoming formidable odds in terms of number of ships and troops, he led his navy to victory in every engagement he fought during 7 years of war with the Japanese, losing only2 ships of his own."

Japanese scholar Hujizka Akinao wrote that few of the world's greatest heroes were able to avoid criticism and censure, and most were labelled as oppressors. "Admiral Yi, in contrast, had been held as an object of admiration and reverence even among the Japanese, whose minds were swayed by his pure and absolute loyalty to his country and people, his brilliant use of strategy an tactics which led invariably to victory."

Of Admirai Yi's battles, the most crucial were the Battle of Hansan and the Battle of Myongnyang. He was also the inventor of the iron-clad warship known as the Turtle Ship (Kobukson).

The Kobukson was mounted with a dragon's head at the bow and a turtle's tail at the stern. It had two decks; a lower deck for oarsmen and the storage of supplies, and an upper deck for archers and gunners. It was specially designed so that its sailors could see their enemies outside while remaining invisible to their enemies. This effectively disallowed opponents from boarding the ship and engaging in hand-to-hand combat.

Not only was the ship roofed over, protecting both combat and non-combat personnel, the roof was also fitted with deadly iron spikes, which were often concealed beneath harmless-looking straw mats.

Unlike other warships, the Kobukson had guns stationed not only along its sides, but also in the bow and in the stern, allowing it unprecedented accuracy and flexibility of range in fire power. The dragon head was designed not only to exhale flaming arrows and cannon balls, but also sulfurous fumes and clouds of smoke. This provided the Korean Navy with cover for tactical maneuvers, as well as for, get this, "frightening their opponents."

Wooden nails were used in the construction of the Kobukson. Unlike metal which was quick to rust, wooden nails absorbed water and expanded, and thus overtime the joints become more secure.