Yi Sun-sin
Korean (Joseon) naval commander (1545 – 1598)
Yi Sun-sin (Korean: 이순신; Hanja: 李舜臣; Korean pronunciation: [i.sʰun.ɕin]; April 28, 1545 – December 16, 1598) was a Korean admiral and military general known for his victories against the Japanese navy during the Imjin War in the Joseon period. Yi's courtesy name was Yŏhae (여해), and he was posthumously honored with the title Lord of Loyal Valor (충무공; 忠武公).
The exact number of naval engagements conducted by Admiral Yi against the Japanese is a subject of historical debate. However, it is generally accepted that he fought in at least 23 naval battles, achieving victory in all. In many of these engagements, he commanded forces that were outnumbered and poorly supplied. His most dramatic success occurred in the Battle of Myeongnyang, where he led a Korean fleet of 13 ships to victory against a Japanese fleet of at least 133. Yi died from a gunshot wound in the Battle of Noryang, the last major battle of the Imjin War, on December 16, 1598.
Yi is considered one of history's greatest naval commanders, known for his strategic vision, intelligence, innovations, and personality (see military evaluation). He is a prominent figure in Korean history, with landmarks, awards, and towns named after him, as well as numerous films and documentaries about his achievements. His wartime journals, known as the Nanjung Ilgi, are part of UNESCO's Memory of the World initiative.
“Yi Sun-sin” enters the record as korean (Joseon) naval commander (1545 – 1598). Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Sun-sin, Korean and Joseon can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 14, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q50184. VIAF identifies the subject as 64291379. The Library of Congress control number is n81079067. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1545 and 1598.
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