[If You Know] "Because He Is a Catholic..." Konishi Becomes a Laughingstock for Refusing Seppuku (Part 1)

'Noryang: Sea of Death' Depicting Yi Sun-sin's Final Battle
Yi Sun-sin, Who Lost His Son, Says "Spending One Night Feels Like a Year"
Reason for Reluctance to Behead Enemy During Battle...
Zhen Lin of Ming Falsely Reported the Battle of Chilcheollyang

"On November 18th (lunar calendar), at Yusi (6 p.m.), countless enemy ships came out from Namhae and anchored at Eommokpo, and many more came to Noryang and anchored there. I had promised the provincial commander that we would depart together around 10 p.m. that night, and around 2 a.m. we reached Gonyang and encountered about 500 enemy ships, engaging in a fierce battle until morning. At midnight that night, I went up on the ship, washed my hands, knelt down, and prayed to the heavens. 'If I can annihilate these enemies, I will have no regrets even if I die.' Suddenly, a great star fell into the sea, and everyone who saw it found it strange."

This is an excerpt from 'The Record of Admiral Yi Sun-sin' written by Yi Bun, nephew of Yi Sun-sin (1545?1598). Yi Sun-sin had anticipated Konishi Yukinaga's escape plan. Leaving an ambush fleet in front of Waegyo Fortress, he immediately headed to Noryang with Jin Lin's fleet. The allied fleet numbered about 250 ships and over 21,000 men. The fleet was organized with Jin Lin's main fleet at the center, Deungjaryong's fleet on the left vanguard, and Yi Sun-sin's fleet on the right vanguard. The morale of the Joseon navy preparing for the decisive battle was somber. They were families of soldiers who had perished underwater at Chilcheonryang last year and families of civilians who had lost their lives during the Jeongyu War.

Directed by Kim Han-min, 'Noryang: Sea of Death' highlights this solemn moment. It is the crowning jewel of the Yi Sun-sin trilogy, following 'The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014)' and 'Hansan: Rising Dragon (2022)'. The Battle of Hansan Island changed the course of the Imjin War, and the Battle of Myeongnyang altered the Jeongyu War. The Battle of Noryang was not originally a battle to change the war's course. With Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death, the war was inevitably coming to an end. The Battle of Noryang was fought by Yi Sun-sin to block the retreat of the Japanese army, who had failed in their invasion and were trying to return home. In terms of scale, it was larger than the combined Battles of Hansan Island and Myeongnyang. It could be said to be the largest naval battle in history before World War I, surpassing the history of the Imjin War.

'Did you know?' This section delivers useful information in a casual manner. It’s a tip for enjoying the movie more interestingly.

*The Japanese army took revenge for their defeat at Myeongnyang on Yi Sun-sin's family. They burned down Yi Sun-sin's main house and the entire village of Asan. During this process, Yi Sun-sin's third son, Yi Myeon, was killed in action. He fought against an enemy unit, killed three enemy commanders, and lost his life.

*Yi Sun-sin protected the country but could not protect his family. His third son Yi Myeon was brave and skilled in archery, showing many warrior-like qualities. Yi Sun-sin regarded him as a military leader who would succeed him. He left his grief in his diary: "In the evening, a man from Cheonan came and delivered a letter from home. Before even opening the envelope, my whole body trembled and my mind was dizzy. I roughly tore open the outer envelope and saw the bitter writing with the word 'wailing' written on the outside. Knowing that Myeon died fighting the enemy, my heart was shattered, and I wept loudly. How can heaven be so unkind? My heart burns and tears apart. It is right that I die and you live, but you died and I lived; how did this go against reason? The world is dark, and even the sun's light has changed. Sad, my son. Where did you go leaving me? You were so clever that heaven did not allow you to stay in this world. Is this misfortune caused by my sins? Now, who in this world can I rely on? I want to die following you, to live and cry together underground, but your brothers, sisters, and mother have no one to rely on, so I must endure and live on. My heart is dead, only my shell remains, and I can only wail. One night feels like a whole year (Nanjung Ilgi, October 14, 1597)."

*Yi Sun-sin tried not to show his sorrow over losing his son in front of his subordinates. "Tomorrow will be the fourth day since I heard of my youngest son's death, but I have not been able to cry freely (Nanjung Ilgi, October 16, 1597)."

*After winning at Myeongnyang in September 1597, Yi Sun-sin sailed up the west sea to Gogunsando. It was a tactical retreat. The soldiers were exhausted, and gunpowder and saltpeter needed to be replenished. Although he defeated Kurushima Michifusa's vanguard fleet of 133 ships at Myeongnyang, the Japanese still had hundreds of ships intact. The Japanese navy was too shocked by their defeat at Myeongnyang to dare pursue Yi Sun-sin. They feared him and abandoned their amphibious operations. Then Yi Sun-sin moved south along the Yeongsan River estuary to Gohado Island. He stayed there for 108 days, building about forty Panokseon warships and reorganizing his forces. Later, he settled on Geogeumdo Island in Wando, Jeollanam-do, in February 1598.

*"On February 17, 1598, we moved the camp to Geogeumdo Island. The island is about 30 ri south of Gangjin, surrounded by many mountains with a unique terrain, and there are farms nearby, making it very convenient. I gathered the people to farm and supplied military provisions from there. Thus, the army's morale had already strengthened, and tens of thousands of southern people relied on me for their livelihood. The army's grandeur was ten times greater than at Hansanjin (The Record of Admiral Yi Sun-sin)."

*Yi Sun-sin accepted refugees on Geogeumdo. He also issued sea passage permits and operated salt fields to secure military provisions. Records show that about 40,000 households lived on Geogeumdo at the time. Assuming five people per household, it is estimated that over 200,000 people depended on Yi Sun-sin. Historian Hwang Hyun-pil speculated, "It would have been difficult for 200,000 people to live on the island of Geogeumdo alone. However, Yi Sun-sin's administrative influence seemed to extend to nearby Yaksando and Sinjido, as well as coastal areas like Gangjin, Haenam, and Jindo." The Joseon navy fully revived on Geogeumdo. The military strength surpassed that of the Hansan Island period. While Hansan Island was a strategic point blocking the Japanese navy's westward advance during the Imjin War, during the Jeongyu War, Geogeumdo at the western end of the South Sea played that role.

*Jin Lin, who led the Ming navy into Joseon, told King Seonjo in May 1598, "If any Joseon general violates military discipline, I will punish them severely." Although he was a general of a superior country, it was an arrogant statement to say before a king of another country. It seemed as if he was speaking for Yi Sun-sin to hear.

*Jin Lin tied a rope around the neck of a Joseon official responsible for military provisions and dragged him on horseback because he failed to supply provisions properly. Prime Minister Ryu Seong-ryong protested but was ignored.

*Jin Lin arrived at Geogeumdo in July 1598. Yi Sun-sin treated him with great hospitality, serving venison, wild boar, fish, and fine liquor, feeding over 5,000 Ming navy soldiers to their fill. Jin Lin, who was angry because he had not been properly treated or supplied with provisions in Joseon, was impressed at their first meeting.

*News that over 5,000 Ming navy soldiers had joined at Geogeumdo reached the Japanese army. After their defeat at Myeongnyang, they had not dared to fight for several months and were troubled. Since the Ming navy had just recently joined the Joseon navy, the command structure was still disorganized. They were curious about the combat capability and willingness of the Ming navy, which was involved in another country's war. Perhaps for this reason, the Japanese, who had been fleeing after Myeongnyang, suddenly launched a surprise attack on Geogeumdo.

*Reports came that Todo Takatora, the Japanese navy's supreme commander who had been defeated by Yi Sun-sin at Okpo and Myeongnyang, and Kato Yoshiaki, who had been defeated at Angolpo, were leading a fleet of about 100 ships and 16,000 troops toward Geogeumdo. Yi Sun-sin consulted Jin Lin: "Admiral, what will you do? Will the Ming army go out to battle? Or will you coordinate with the Joseon navy? No, you must be tired from the long journey. Would it be okay if the Joseon navy fought alone this time?" Jin Lin agreed to Yi Sun-sin's solo sortie.

*Yi Sun-sin's unique tactical deployment succeeded once again. He advanced to Geumdangdo in advance and ambushed fleets on the north and south sides of Jeolido, which could be attacked via Geogeumdo. The next day, the Japanese fleet attacked through the northern sea route between Jeolido and Sorokdo. When the careless Japanese entered the narrow sea between Sorokdo and Jeolido, the ambushing Joseon Panokseon warships surrounded the Japanese ships and mercilessly fired their cannons. The ambushed Japanese were so startled they could not fight and turned their bows to flee. Half of the ships returned alive, and half were sunk. In front of Sorokdo, Japanese soldiers swimming to shore were as numerous as schools of fish. When they barely reached islands like Sorokdo, they were exhausted and crawled like mudskippers on the mudflats. Even though the Japanese were skilled in close combat, they had no strength to wield swords. The Joseon soldiers who landed on the island easily beheaded them.

*Yi Sun-sin usually avoided collecting enemy heads (trophies) during battle. He believed that no enemy ship should be lost because of it. However, in the Battle of Jeolido, he diligently collected enemy heads.

*Jin Lin, who observed the Joseon army's battle from Geumdangdo, felt conflicted because he had not achieved any merit and only watched. He regretted not joining the sortie with Yi Sun-sin. Perhaps knowing Jin Lin's feelings, Yi Sun-sin gifted him forty enemy heads obtained in the Battle of Jeolido.

*The Battle of Jeolido was a historic victory with about fifty Japanese warships sunk and thousands of Japanese soldiers killed. In terms of scale, it was comparable to the Battles of Hansan Island and Myeongnyang.

*Yi Sun-sin submitted two types of reports. One stated, "Although the Joseon navy fought alone, Jin Lin envied our achievements, so we gave him forty enemy heads from those we collected." The other stated, "Jin Lin fought hard and sank enemy ships and collected heads." It was a clever tactic. Jin Lin, who received the heads as a gift, falsely reported to Ming China that he had won. However, rumors spread that Yi Sun-sin and the Joseon navy fought in the Battle of Jeolido, and eventually a Ming inspector came to Joseon to investigate the truth. If the false report was exposed, Jin Lin would be sent back to Ming China and executed. The Joseon court showed the latter report to the Ming inspector.

*Yi Sun-sin gifted a Panokseon warship each to Jin Lin and Ming deputy commander Deungjaryong. At that time, the Ming navy was at a low level. The Haegum (ban on going to the open sea) policy blocked sea routes, halting naval development. The main ships, Saseon and Hoseon, were inferior to Japanese Antak ships and Sekibune. Antak and Sekibune were fast, which was their advantage. Saseon and Hoseon had to fire cannons and row in the same space, so their cannon power was weak and they were not fast. Their maximum crew was only eighty, compared to 200 on Panokseon.

*After receiving the gifts, Jin Lin recognized Yi Sun-sin as an equal comrade and fellow warrior on the battlefield. When they traveled together, he did not allow his palanquin to go ahead of Yi Sun-sin's. He called Yi Sun-sin 'Iya' or 'Noya.' In China, 'Ya' is a respectful term meaning 'elder.'

*Jin Lin submitted the following to King Seonjo: "The Commander is a talent who can govern the world and has the merit to overcome difficulties from heaven." King Seonjo, after reading it, was not the type to praise his generals. Instead, he was wary and fearful of Yi Sun-sin.

*Toyotomi Hideyoshi sent trusted daimyo and their armies to Joseon among his retainers. If victorious, he planned to divide the conquered Joseon lands as fiefs to strengthen their power. However, reality did not go as planned. The war prolonged, and his close daimyo lost enormous forces. Meanwhile, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the power in Edo who did not send expeditionary forces to Joseon, grew stronger.

*Toyotomi was born in 1536 as the son of a farmer and low-ranking warrior. He was promoted unusually by Oda Nobunaga. In 1582, after Nobunaga was killed by his retainer Akechi Mitsuhide at Honnoji, Toyotomi defeated Mitsuhide and took power by enthroning Nobunaga's grandson. In 1584, he fought Tokugawa Ieyasu and then made peace. In 1585, he conquered Shikoku; in 1587, Kyushu; and in 1590, Kanto, effectively unifying Japan. He was granted the title of Kanpaku and the Toyotomi family name. Before the Imjin War, he passed the Kanpaku position to his nephew Idetsugu and became Taiko.

*Feeling death approaching, Toyotomi was anxious because his son Toyotomi Hideyori was too young. He entrusted his young son to Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa and died on August 18, 1598.

*Toyotomi left a death poem: "My body came as dew and goes as dew. The glory of Osaka is a dream within a dream."

*Ishida and Tokugawa, who attended Toyotomi's deathbed, concealed his death from Konishi Yukinaga, Shimazu Yoshihiro, Kato Kiyomasa, and others in Joseon. They forged orders in Toyotomi's handwriting to command the Japanese forces in Joseon to withdraw.

*Kato Kiyomasa was born in 1562 in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. From childhood, he served Toyotomi, who was from the same region. He gained fame at the Battle of Shizugatake in 1583. During the Imjin War, he led the second army and competed with Konishi Yukinaga. Due to conflicts with Ishida Mitsunari, he joined Tokugawa Ieyasu's eastern army at the Battle of Sekigahara. As a reward for victory, he received the Kumamoto domain and built Kumamoto Castle. The area around the castle still has a village named Ulsan. He adopted a strategy of protecting Toyotomi Hideyori's safety in exchange for loyalty to the Tokugawa shogunate. Kato invaded the Hamgyeong Province area of Joseon during the war and captured princes Imhaegun and Sunhwagun as prisoners. As the tide turned, he retreated to the Gyeongsang Province coast, built and garrisoned Seosaengpo Waeseong. Around 1594, during peace negotiations, he personally negotiated and exchanged written messages several times with the monk Samyeong.

*Konishi Yukinaga was born as the son of a merchant in Sakai, Osaka, a prosperous overseas trading port. He converted to Catholicism in childhood and received the baptismal name Augustino. He managed finances under Hideyoshi's regime and gained favor but was despised by Kato Kiyomasa and others because he was not from a samurai family. In the 1600 Battle of Sekigahara, he sided with Ishida Mitsunari's western army and was defeated and executed. Being a Catholic, he refused to commit seppuku, which was considered a samurai virtue in Japan, making him a subject of ridicule during the Edo period. According to some accounts, upon hearing of his death, the Roman Catholic Church held a mass in his honor.

*After defeat at Myeongnyang and being blocked by Ming forces at Jiksan, the Japanese army retreated to the southern coast, trapped in Waeseong, unable to act. The illusion of gains from the Joseon invasion had long disappeared. Everyone wanted to return home but could not and endured difficult days in Waeseong. For them, the withdrawal order was the best news.

*Toyotomi's death was not kept a perfect secret. Joseon and Ming learned the news through prisoners who had been taken to Japan and returned. Rumors must have spread among the Japanese forces remaining in Joseon.

*During the Jeongyu War, Ming China dispatched nearly 100,000 troops to Joseon. Joseon also secured about 30,000 elite soldiers. They allied to attack about twenty Japanese castles along the southern coast. The relatively large and threatening targets were Ulsan Waeseong guarded by Kato, Sacheon Waeseong defended by Shimazu, and Suncheon Waeseong held by Konishi. Ming finance officer Yang Hao and military minister Xing Kai divided 130,000 troops into four groups to attack three places simultaneously. Ulsan Waeseong was attacked by Ming general Ma Gui, Joseon's Seongeo Yi, and Kim Eung-seo. Kato was pushed to the brink of suicide but ultimately defended successfully. Sacheon Waeseong was attacked by Ming's Dong Il-won and Joseon's Jeong Ki-ryong but was difficult to overcome Shimazu. Suncheon Waeseong, guarded by Konishi, was attacked by Ming general Yu Jeong and Joseon's Kwon Yul on land, and Jin Lin and Yi Sun-sin at sea. Konishi was the commander and vanguard of the Joseon invasion army. He was the first to land in Joseon, winning battles at Busan, Dongnae, Tangeumdae, capturing Hanyang, and even Pyongyang, wounding Joseon's pride. The Joseon court was determined to capture Suncheon Waeseong and take his head. The problem was Ming general Yu Jeong's attitude. He was passive in battle. Perhaps to avoid losses, he secretly proposed a ceasefire to Konishi before the attack. Konishi also did not want more bloodshed. They wanted to meet directly for talks. Despite his subordinates' warnings that it might be a trap, Konishi went out to meet Yu Jeong. However, it was a trap set by Yu Jeong. Soldiers were ambushed along Konishi's route. But a gun misfire ruined the plan. After the failed plot, Yu Jeong and Kwon Yul launched an attack on Suncheon Waeseong.

*Sacheon Waeseong, with a circumference of about 1 km, was located on a low hill about 30 meters above sea level adjacent to the sea. Originally, three sides except the east faced the sea. A moat was installed under the eastern wall adjacent to land. Now, the southern and northern seas have been reclaimed, making it difficult to find the original terrain. This castle was very special to the Japanese. During the Japanese colonial period, it was managed as a Japanese military victory site. Descendants of Shimazu Yoshihiro bought part of the castle site and made it a park. A monument inscribed with 'Sacheon Shinchajeon Victory Monument' was erected at the site of the tenshu (main keep). After liberation in 1945, local residents promptly removed it.

References: Hwang Hyun-pil, 'Yi Sun-sin's Sea' (2021, Yeokbayeon); Ryu Seong-ryong, 'Jingbirok' (2014, translated by Lee Min-su, Eulyoo Publishing); Yi Sun-sin, 'Easy-to-Understand Nanjung Ilgi' (2022, translated by Noh Seung-seok, Yeohye); Yi Sun-sin History Research Association, 'Yi Sun-sin and the Imjin War 4' (2006, Bibeong Publishing); Ahn Young-bae, 'Forgotten War Jeongyu War' (2018, Dong-A Ilbo); Sato Tetsutaro, Sekiko Sei, Ogasawara Naganari, 'Yi Sun-sin Alone Saved Joseon' (2019, translated by Kim Hae-kyung, Gagyanal); Kim Si-deok, 'The Imjin War as Seen by Them' (2012, Hakgojae), etc.

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