The movie Noryang The Story of the Sea of Death

The Noryang naval battle, also known as the Noryang naval battle, was a battle in the Noryang Strait in Namhae County, Gyeongsang-do Province, on December 16, 1598 (November 19, 1598 in the 31st year of King Seonjo's reign).

 

The movie Noryang: The Story of the Sea of Death

 

The Turning Tide The Fall of the Japanese Campaign in the Imjin War

 

The Imjin War, a pivotal moment in East Asian history, saw its course dramatically altered due to several key events, leading to the eventual retreat of the Japanese forces. Initially, the Japanese army suffered a significant setback at Haengjusanseong Fortress, marking the beginning of a series of defeats. Compounded by the successive losses of their naval forces, the Japanese military found themselves in an increasingly precarious position.

 

The entry of the Ming Dynasty into the war further escalated the situation. Recognizing the severity of their predicament, the Japanese proposed a truce to the Ming Dynasty. However, negotiations faltered as the parties failed to find common ground. In a bold move in 1597, the Japanese mobilized a massive force of 150,000 troops in a renewed attempt to invade Joseon, sparking what is known as the Jeongyu Rebellion.

 

The tide of the war shifted with the reappointment of Admiral Yi Sun-sin as the commander of the Joseon naval forces. Under his leadership, the Joseon navy clinched a decisive victory at the Battle of Myeongnyang, turning the war in their favor. The involvement of Ming navy commanders Dodok Yoo Jeong and Jin Lin further strengthened the allied forces, allowing them to regain control over the southern maritime sphere.

 

The Japanese forces, now completely blockaded at sea, faced dire circumstances. The situation worsened when news of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's death reached them in 1598. This loss of their leader, coupled with the demoralization from continuous defeats and the impending hardships of winter, especially with their maritime supply routes severed by the Joseon navy, left the Japanese army in disarray.

 

Faced with these insurmountable challenges, the Japanese army made the decision to hastily end the war and retreat. They consolidated their remaining forces in strategic locations such as Suncheon, Sacheon, and Ulsan, preparing for a swift withdrawal. This retreat marked a significant turning point in the Imjin War, illustrating the resilience of the Joseon and Ming forces and the eventual decline of the Japanese campaign.

 

The Decisive Battle of Noryang A Turning Point in the Imjin War

 

The Imjin War witnessed a pivotal battle that significantly impacted its outcome: the Battle of Noryang. This engagement was marked by the strategic maneuvers of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, the commander of the Three Provinces' Naval Forces of Joseon, and his Ming Dynasty allies. Their target was Konishi Yukinaga's unit stationed at the Suncheon Japanese Fortress, aiming to block the Japanese army's retreat route.

 

In a brilliant display of naval warfare, the Joseon navy, which had already achieved remarkable success in six prior battles, returned to Gogeumdo Island to cut off Konishi Yukinaga's retreat. This action cornered Yukinaga's troops, prompting Yoshihiro Shimazu, Shigetora Tachibana, and Yoshitoshi So to rally their forces in an attempt to rescue Konishi's army and secure a retreat route back to Japan.

 

On December 15 (November 18 in the lunar calendar), these Japanese forces, comprising 60,000 naval troops and 500 ships, set out for Noryang. However, Admiral Yi Sun-sin, foreseeing the movement of the Shimazu fleet, collaborated with Jinrin, commander of the Ming naval forces, to lay an ambush. They planned to trap the Japanese naval forces behind Jukdo Island, northwest of Namhae.

 

The ambush was set at Gwaneumpo, the northwestern tip of Namhae Province, around 10 p.m. on Sunday (November 18 by the lunar calendar). As the Japanese fleet, led by Yoshihiro and others, entered Noryang the next morning, they were met with a sudden and fierce attack by the Joseon ships. Admiral Yi Sun-sin's fleet managed to destroy about 50 enemy ships and kill approximately 200 soldiers.

 

Despite their numerical superiority, the Japanese forces found themselves lured into a trap at Gwaneumpo, which blocked their escape route. A siege ensued, and the tide turned against them. Yukinaga, attempting to flee from the Suncheon Japanese Castle, was caught in the middle of this fierce battle, which lasted about four hours.

 

As the battle neared its end around 8:00 a.m., the Japanese navy, already reeling from significant losses, attempted a desperate breakout with their remaining ships. The allied forces of Joseon and Ming continued the chase until around noon, effectively clearing out the remaining enemy forces.

 

Tragically, during this pursuit, Admiral Yi Sun-sin was fatally wounded by a bullet from the Japanese army. His last words, emphasizing the urgency of the battle, instructed that his death should not be disclosed to avoid disrupting the morale of his soldiers. Along with Admiral Yi, several other notable figures, including Garipo Cheomsa Lee Yeong-nam and Ming Dynasty Navy Vice-Marshal Deung Ja-ryong, also lost their lives.

 

Despite these losses, the battle was a decisive victory for the Joseon and Ming forces. Out of the 150 fleeing Japanese ships, about 100 were captured, and only about 50 managed to escape. In the aftermath, Konishi's army, along with the Shimazu forces, retreated south of Namhae-do and eventually withdrew to Busan, marking their immediate retreat from the conflict.

 

The Battle of Noryang effectively ended the Jeongyu Rebellion and brought closure to the seven-year-long Imjin War. This historic battle not only demonstrated the strategic brilliance of Admiral Yi Sun-sin but also marked a significant turning point in East Asian maritime history.

 

Strategic Dynamics in the Battle of Noryang

 

In the historical context of the Noryang Battle, an often-overlooked detail concerns the leadership and troop sizes of the involved forces. Contrary to some accounts, So Yoshitoshi of Tsushima did not command an army of 60,000. During this period, it was uncommon for a single general to lead such a vast number of troops. For instance, Shimazu Yoshihiro, the lord of Satsuma with a domain of 220,000 koku (a unit of volume), led a force of only 7,000 to 10,000 men, which highlights the improbability of a single commander leading a force six times larger than Yoshihiro’s.

 

The battle itself was a significant clash between the Japanese forces attempting to escape from Suncheon Waegyo Fortress and the allied forces of Joseon and Ming. Admiral Yi Sun-sin and Jin Lin led the Joseon-Ming coalition, while the Japanese side included Yukinaga’s troops from Suncheon, as well as reinforcements from Sacheon, responding to an unexpected turn involving Jin Lin’s attempted bribery.

 

The allied forces aimed to prevent Yukinaga’s Japanese troops from escaping back to Japan. However, the coordination between the Joseon and Ming forces was not without its challenges. Initially, Jin Lin observed the battle from a distance, only joining the fray after witnessing the fierce fighting of the Joseon navy. His delay and eventual encirclement by Japanese forces necessitated assistance from Admiral Yi Sun-sin, underscoring the still-developing cooperation between the Joseon and Ming contingents.

 

This battle, characterized by its intense naval engagements, resulted in the destruction of over 450 Japanese ships, inflicting considerable losse

 

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