Turtle Ship from the Imjin War, First Revealed in 2022

Naval Academy "Reenacting the Heroes Who Roamed the Battlefield"

The turtle ship recreated by the Naval Academy was unveiled to the public for the first time in line with the 2022 Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin Defense Industry Exhibition (YIDEX) held at the Naval Academy.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] The Turtle Ship that crushed the enemy fleet during the Imjin War 430 years ago reappeared in 2022.

The Navy Academy began designing the Turtle Ship in 2019 and recreated it in four years. It was publicly unveiled for the first time on the 6th at the 2022 Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin Defense Industry Exhibition (YIDEX) held at the Naval Academy.

The Naval Academy announced that before recreating the Turtle Ship, it formed a professional advisory group consisting of about 10 professors, researchers, and external experts in design and construction fields.

The advisory group stated that through historical verification and several discussions, they recreated the Turtle Ship used by Admiral Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin in naval battles during the Imjin War as closely as possible.

According to the Naval Academy, the Navy produced the first Turtle Ship in 1980 by combining the Jeolla Left Naval Command Turtle Ship and the Tongjeyeong Turtle Ship recorded in the “Complete Works of Admiral Yi,” which are records from 200 years after the Imjin War.

The first Turtle Ship was donated to Namhae County in 1999 and is currently operated as an exhibition hall, and the second Turtle Ship, identical to the first, was made and is managed by the Naval Academy.

A part of Admiral Yi Sun-sin's report titled ‘Dangpo Battle Against Japanese Invaders’.

The third Turtle Ship was constructed based on the Tongjeyeong Turtle Ship in the “Complete Works of Admiral Yi,” reflecting recent accumulated research results as much as possible, including the wartime report “Dangpopa Waebyeongjang” by Chungmugong, the “Haengnok (Travel Record)” written by Chungmugong’s nephew Lee Bun, the naval document “Haeyuseo” by Gyeonggi Naval Commander Choi Jin-rip, and supporting materials and literature.

Unlike the dragon head of previous Turtle Ships, the third Turtle Ship’s bow (height of the cover) is made in a straight (-) shape directly connected, allowing the structure to fire cannons as described in the records.

The previous Turtle Ship’s dragon head was shaped like a dragon head on a long neck with a periscope structure, positioned higher than the hull.

The newly constructed Turtle Ship measures 24 meters in length and has a displacement of 92 tons.

It was made from sturdy domestic pine wood and is relatively smaller and lighter than the second Turtle Ship, with the length reduced by 10 meters and displacement by about 60 tons.

The cover corresponding to the turtle’s back was replaced with wooden planks instead of iron armor, and iron nails were used to reflect the characteristics of a highly maneuverable assault ship. A newly recreated large oar (Daeno) serves as an auxiliary rudder.

The unveiling event held at the Naval Academy’s Turtle Ship pier was attended by Navy Chief of Staff Lee Jong-ho, Hong Nampyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam, Naval Academy Superintendent Ahn Sang-min, National Assembly member Kim Young-sun, and advisory group representative Professor Lee Min-woong of Daegu Catholic University.

The 2022 Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin Defense Industry Exhibition is held at the Naval Academy from the 6th to the 9th.

A Navy official said, “We worked hard to recreate the actual form of the Turtle Ship, hoping that the descendants of Chungmugong, the Republic of Korea Navy soldiers and cadets, will hold Chungmugong’s spirit for the country in their hearts.”

Park Jun-hyung, director of the Naval Academy Museum, said, “Although there are limitations to perfect restoration due to the lack of related documents and materials, we tried to recreate the Turtle Ship, which was the main player in naval victories, by gathering the consensus of contemporary records and academic experts. We hope this Turtle Ship construction during the Imjin War period will be an opportunity for not only Navy soldiers but all citizens to further inherit and promote Chungmugong’s patriotic spirit.”