7. and swordsmanship. This was a somewhat
7. On March 8, 1545 the 1styear of King Injong’s reign, Yi Sun-Shin was born into the Duksu Yi clan, a fairlypoor middle-class family. Despite their fairly poor and non-aristocraticstatus, Yi Sun-Shin was born into a well-educated family clan that emphasizedand valued learning and philosophic thought processes. Yi Sun-Shin’sforefathers had served in fairly high-ranking in government position. YiSun-Shin’s grandfather were a member of the reformist faction headed bystatesman Jo Kwang-Jo, which was heavily repressed by the ruler at that time,King Myungjong. Because of this connection, that grandfather’s line of the DuksuYi clan fell out of favor from the government and Yi Sun-Shin’s father, YiJung, could not obtain any favorable official position within the government.
Thus, his family suffered in poverty. 8. Due to ease the living cost. Yi Sun-Shinand his family moved down to Ahsan, his mother’s hometown which is out from thecapital.
During the teenager time, Yi Sun-Shin was a very active withoutstanding intelligence. Early on in his life he prone towards on militarymaneuvering and he enjoyed playing war games and always took as commandingrole. At the age of 21 in the year 1564, Yi Sun-Shin married Miss Bang, who wasthe only daughter of Bang Jin, a renowned master archer who used to be a localgovernor. The following year, Yi Sun-Shinbegan the study of traditional Korean military arts in archery, horsebackriding, and swordsmanship. This was a somewhat unusual interest for a son ofthe Korean elite, who at the time shared the Chinese Confucian view of militaryservice as an inferior occupation. 9.
At the age of 28 Yi Sun-Shin appliedto take the Kwago National Military Exam, the highest military exam in thecountry. He failed the exam when he fell off of his horse while being testedfor his ability to shoot arrows while riding on horseback. Even though he brokehis leg when he fell off of his horse, Yi Sun-Shin himself got up on one leg,gathered some willow tree branches from nearby and tied up his own broken leg.Yi Sun-Shin took the exam once again at the age of 32. He passed.
10. After passing his examinations, he servedin various staff and command from lower position to the highest. The 1stunit that he had been deployed was at Dongkubibo Fortressallocated for defending the northern side from the barbarian tribe of Yeojin.
Yi Sun-Shin worked hard and bravely by defeating there enemy with a successful glory.Unfortunately, instead of being praised and rewarded for his dedication andsuccess, Yi Sun-Shin, adversely, was demoted and punished to Baekuijongkun dueto his uncompromising integrity and honesty that often put him in conflict withhis direct supervising officers. This demotion was quite a severe punishment asit meant that Yi Sun-Shin had to serve with no rank in plain white clothingalongside common soldiers.
Yi Sun-Shin repeatedly suffered many discharges andobjections to his promotions throughout his carrier. However time after time,he manage to pursuit and hasten up his carrier and had attempt several of warduring the Imjin War since 1592 to 1598 with a splendid victory. 11. YiSun-Shin died during the final battle at Noryang Strait where the Korean joinforce with Chinese to attack the Japanese fleet of 500 ships that was en routeto the Chosun town of Soonchon. Towards the end, after almost destroying about200 enemy ships, Yi Sun-Shin was shot in the chest under his left arm.Concerned about his soldiers’ morale, Yi Sun-Shin told his son and his nephew,”Cover my body with shields.
The battle is in full swing. Do not reveal mydeath.” Soon after uttering those words, Yi Sun-Shin died.
