“Our Admiral Yi Sun-sin” Exhibition Brings the Hero to Life
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
The National Museum of Korea’s special exhibition “Our Admiral Yi Sun-sin” commemorates Yi Sun-sin’s 480th birthday and Korea’s 80th Liberation anniversary. Open through March 3, the show has drawn large crowds and presents 15 items among six national treasures including Yi’s handwritten War Diary (Nanjung Ilgi) and letters, as well as dozens of treasures and relics (총통: iron cannons) recovered from battle sites. Plans and models of the Panokseon (판옥선) and Turtle Ship (거북선), armor, cannonballs, arrows, and even battlefield human remains illustrate Joseon naval warfare. The exhibition is organized into four narrative sections: preparation and victory, trials and comeback (highlighting the Battle of Myeongnyang and the famous “I still have 12 ships”), personal reflection with intimate diary excerpts showing Yi as son and father, and the hero’s later memorialization across Korean history. Visual works, including Japanese battle paintings and large donated scrolls, add dramatic scenes. The show blends military artifacts with humanizing stories to present both the legendary commander and the man behind the myths.
