"I Want to Change the Defensive Historical Perception with the Battle of Noryang"

Director Kim Han-min Introduces 'Noryang' at KOCCA's 'Content Insight'
"Yi Sun-sin Pushed Back Japanese Forces Relentlessly, Raising Historical Awareness"
"How War Ends... Influences Future Generations' Perspectives"

The Battle of Noryang was fought on November 19, 1598, when the Joseon-Ming allied fleet led by Yi Sun-sin and Chen Lin defeated the Japanese navy off the coast of Noryang. At that time, the Japanese forces struggled both at sea and on land. Even Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who had led the invasion of Joseon, died, prompting a withdrawal. Yi Sun-sin led about 200 allied ships against approximately 500 Japanese vessels heading back to their homeland. Around 200 Japanese ships were sunk or damaged, about 100 were captured, and the remaining retreating ships fled. Yi Sun-sin pursued the fleeing Japanese until he was struck by a bullet and died.

The intense battle will be reenacted in the upcoming film "Noryang: Sea of Death," set to be released next year. It is the final installment of the Yi Sun-sin trilogy following "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" (2014) and "Hansan: Rising Dragon" (2022). Director Kim Han-min introduced the film at the "Content Insight" event held on the 27th at the Hongneung Content Talent Campus, describing it as "the definitive portrayal of Yi Sun-sin's life and philosophy that influenced future generations."

What caught his attention was Yi Sun-sin's determination and fighting spirit to not let a single Japanese soldier return. In the Battle of Noryang, Yi Sun-sin did not hesitate to engage in close combat to annihilate the Japanese forces. Although there were considerable casualties among his own troops, he continued the offensive and brought the Imjin War to a close.

Director Kim said, "They fought to ensure that the Japanese, who invaded again during the Jeongyu War, would never set foot on the Korean Peninsula again," adding, "How a war ends can influence the mindset of future generations." He also noted, "A defensive or self-deprecating view of history has unconsciously permeated our society," and expressed hope that "by recognizing the proud aspects of Yi Sun-sin, this perception will change to be more proactive and positive."

This hope arose while preparing the screenplay. Director Kim questioned why Yi Sun-sin fought fiercely for nearly 12 hours without rest during the Battle of Noryang. He said, "I wondered why he pushed the Japanese relentlessly without any break, and after examining various circumstances, I realized he was presenting a very important theme about historical awareness," adding, "I made every effort to capture that in the film."

Historical works with strong thematic consciousness are often criticized for exaggeration or distortion. Balancing fact and fiction is inherently difficult. Director Kim is no exception. A representative example is the close-quarters combat on Yi Sun-sin’s warship in "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" (2014). While there are records that Yi Sun-sin rescued An Wi’s ship surrounded by Japanese vessels, there is no record that Yi Sun-sin’s own ship was ever in danger.

Director Kim said, "I intentionally changed the background of the close-quarters combat to visually show 'Life is death, death is life (生卽死, 死卽生),'" and offered the following advice to creators: "As long as it does not significantly conflict with historical verification, it is acceptable to interpret certain contexts flexibly. While verification is important, effectively conveying the thematic message takes priority."

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