[Ko Gyu-hong's Trees and People] The Spirit of General Yi Sun-sin... You Are Truly the True Hupak Tree

<20>Native Hoobak Tree and Japanese Hoobak Tree
People Unaware of Native Hoobak Tree Called Japanese Magnolia 'Hoobak Tree'
Japanese Magnolia Blooms Large Flowers, Native Hoobak Tree Has Small, Cute Flowers
Wanghoobak Tree on Changseon Island, Namhae, 'Yi Sun-sin Tree' Designated Natural Monument in 1982

The camphor tree of Admiral Yi Sun-sin standing by the seaside of Danhang Village, Changseon Island, Namhae.

Knowing a name is a step closer to acknowledging its existence. It is an expression of profound love for the subject. The reluctance to call out the name of something unloved is not limited to people alone. The desire to know the name of a tree is also another expression of deep affection for the tree.

Tree names often reveal their characteristics. They may contain ecological features and also reflect the patterns of human life intertwined with them. Knowing the exact name of a tree naturally becomes an opportunity to feel closer to it. This can be said to be a prerequisite for love. Therefore, before knowing the name, taking a step closer to the existence itself is a very useful and important lesson in plant observation. Before flipping through a plant guidebook and memorizing tree names one after another, one must approach the tree, listen to the vitality shown from the trunk to the leaves, and first recognize its uniqueness.

Ironically, there is a tree that has long been loved dearly under a mistaken name. It is a tree that fills the neighborhood with a pungent fragrance from its white flowers, known as the ‘Acacia tree.’ The honey collected from the flowers of this tree, mentioned in the lyrics of a children’s song as ‘Acacia flowers blooming brightly,’ is called ‘Acacia honey’ by us.

However, the correct name of this tree is Akasina tree. The scientific name of this tree, introduced about a hundred years ago, is Robinia pseudoacacia L., where the prefix pseudo means ‘false.’ In other words, it means ‘not an Acacia tree’ or ‘false Acacia tree.’ It is a warning not to confuse it with the Acacia tree. Nevertheless, we have long called this tree the Acacia tree.

The Acacia tree is a tropical plant that cannot grow in our climate. The tree often seen standing alone in the middle of the African savanna in animal documentaries is the Acacia tree. Unlike the Akasina tree, which blooms white flowers, the Acacia tree produces small yellow flowers. From the overall atmosphere to the flowers, it is a completely different tree. The only similarity is the leaves.

Among the misnamed plants, there are peculiar and sometimes unfair cases where foreign plants introduced to Korea are called by the names of native trees, causing the native trees that have lived with us on our land to lose their names.

The Hoobak tree is such a case. The name ‘Hoobak’ sounds rich and generous, and it often appears in our poetry, but the ‘Palgu-hal’ referred to as the Hoobak tree in many poems is incorrect. Most of the time, it is the Japanese magnolia mistakenly called the Hoobak tree. Especially, the Hoobak tree said to grow in the central region is almost always the Japanese magnolia.

The Japanese magnolia, introduced from Japan, blooms with white, luscious flowers above its broad deciduous leaves.

The Japanese magnolia is a type of magnolia native to Japan, with large white flowers blooming in May and June, and large leaves spreading richly beneath the flower clusters, evoking a sense of generosity. Even the smooth texture of the bark on the developing stem is beautiful enough to be loved by people. The overall impression fits well with the name Hoobak tree, so the name has been accepted without resistance. The problem began when the Japanese name Hoobak (厚朴) was used as is by people who were unaware of the existence of our native Hoobak tree when the tree was first introduced.

However, the unfortunate fact is that our native Hoobak tree, which bears the name ‘Hoobak tree,’ grows in the warm southern regions of this land. Our Hoobak tree and the Japanese magnolia are fundamentally different. The Japanese magnolia’s flowers bloom large and showy at the ends of branches, while the Hoobak tree produces tiny, delicate flowers less than 1 cm in diameter. Although they bloom clustered together, making their presence clear, their atmosphere is completely different from that of the Japanese magnolia flowers. Moreover, the Hoobak tree is an evergreen tree, making it easy to distinguish from the Japanese magnolia, which sheds all its large leaves that appear ‘hoobak-like’ in autumn.

If a completely different Japanese tree growing in Japan is called the Hoobak tree, the native Hoobak tree will lose its unique Korean name. Our Hoobak tree develops thick trunks and branches that spread widely in all directions, making it a very warm and comforting tree. In the southern regions, it is commonly used as a pavilion tree like the Zelkova or the hackberry tree.

The legendary shade of the magnolia tree where Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his soldiers took shelter and regrouped during the Battle of Noryang.

It is even more ironic that a large tree representing our native Hoobak tree embodies the spirit of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who heroically died fighting against the Japanese. The tree is the 〈Namhae Changseondo Royal Hoobak Tree〉, designated as a natural monument in 1982. Although the prefix ‘Royal’ is attached, recent botanical taxonomy tends not to distinguish between this tree and the Hoobak tree due to their minimal differences. The ‘Royal’ remains only as part of the original proper name when it was designated as a natural monument.

The tree stands by the seaside in Danhang Village, Daebyeok-ri, Changseondo Island, a small island attached to Namhae County, Gyeongnam Province. The village is located roughly midway along the Hallyeohaesang coastal area from Hansando in Tongyeong to Yeosu. It is also the seaside where Admiral Yi Sun-sin achieved remarkable victories during the Battle of Noryang.

The Hoobak tree standing in front of the village is said to have been sent by the Dragon King to the village fishermen long ago. At that time, an old fisherman caught a huge fish large enough to hold a village feast. After gathering all the villagers, the fisherman cut open the fish’s belly and found seeds of a tree inside. The villagers regarded these seeds as a gift from the Dragon King and planted them in a sunny spot. That was the moment the 〈Namhae Changseondo Royal Hoobak Tree〉 began its life.

The ‘seeds sent by the Dragon King’ sprouted and grew robustly. To protect the fishermen who faced harsh sea conditions, the villagers gathered every year on the 10th day of the third lunar month to hold a ritual in front of this tree. This ritual, called the ‘Dragon King Festival,’ was held to pray for the fishermen’s safety and a bountiful catch. Over many years, the tree grew into a large tree about 9 meters tall and became a symbol of the village. The tree’s broad, flat canopy resembles a large, rounded hat, and its branches spread widely in all directions, overwhelming those who see it. The shade formed by the branches, measuring 21.2 meters east-west and 18.3 meters north-south, is spacious enough to shelter the entire village population.

Our native Magnolia obovata bears small yellow-green flowers clustered at the tips of its branches.

The spirit of Admiral Yi Sun-sin became embodied in this tree during the fierce Battle of Noryang, the last battle of the Jeongyu War (1597), fought in the sea in front of this village. When Admiral Yi was hiding in this village, he judged that his forces were inferior to the enemy’s. He gathered bamboo nearby and set it on fire. The burning bamboo exploded with popping sounds like cannon fire, intimidating the Japanese fleet watching from afar and causing them to retreat. Then, the admiral and his soldiers rested under the shade of this Hoobak tree, reorganized their ranks, and planned their next strategy.

The villagers celebrated Admiral Yi’s victory and showed their support by offering abundant food, and from then on, this tree was called the ‘Yi Sun-sin Tree.’ Although the admiral only rested briefly here, the fact that such a respected general rested under this tree became a source of pride for the village.

This tree is a representative old tree of our native Hoobak tree. It is fundamentally different in appearance and flowers from the Japanese magnolia. It is a different tree from the Japanese magnolia that lives in the homeland of the Japanese who drove Admiral Yi Sun-sin to his death.

Reflecting on the traces of human life contained in a single tree, it is worth reconsidering the meaning of knowing a name. Entering the shade of the seaside Hoobak tree and correctly knowing the tree’s name is not different from properly reflecting on the history of this land. This is the early summer to revisit that truth.

Ko Gyu-hong, Tree Columnist

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.