Goheung County Holds Academic Conference to Reexamine the Value of Heungyang Naval Forces

"Heungyang Naval Forces, Newly Revealed"
Sharing Research Achievements on Key Figures of the Imjin War

Goheung County in South Jeolla Province (Governor Gong Youngmin) announced on June 20 that it held an academic conference on June 19 at the county office's Uju Hall to reexamine the value of the Heungyang Naval Forces during the Imjin War.

The conference was attended by around 200 people, including Governor Gong Youngmin, local scholars, and representatives of family clans.

Goheung County held an academic conference to reexamine the value of Heungyang Naval Forces during the Imjin War on the 19th at the county office's Uju Hall. Photo by Goheung County

This academic conference was organized to share with residents the results of last year's commissioned research on figures from Goheung mentioned in the Nanjung Ilgi, and was held under the theme "Heungyang Naval Forces, Newly Revealed."

The keynote lecture was delivered by Lee Sanghoon, former deputy director of the Army Museum, who explained the nature and value of Admiral Yi Sunshin's "Nanjung Ilgi" and the achievements of research to date, in a way accessible to the local residents. In particular, he highlighted Admiral Yi Sunshin's remarkable determination and focus in repelling the Japanese invaders by quoting diary entries with vivid and meticulous factual descriptions of the battles.

The first thematic presentation was given by Lee Sugyeong, director of the Regional Heritage Research Institute, who analyzed the specific activities of individuals from Goheung and those active in Goheung during the Imjin War, as recorded in Admiral Yi Sunshin's "Nanjung Ilgi" and "Imjin Jangcho." The final results were derived by comparing these findings with previously published materials on Imjin War figures by Goheung County.

At the outbreak of the Imjin War, a total of 24 panokseon warships were dispatched from Jeolla Left Naval Headquarters under Admiral Yi Sunshin's command, of which 11 ships from 1 Gwan and 4 Po in Heungyang accounted for nearly half. In the Battle of Hansan, 13 out of 19 casualties and 59 out of 115 wounded from Jeolla Left Naval Headquarters were members of the Heungyang Naval Forces.

The analysis pointed out that, despite being key players in the Battle of Hansan, the Heungyang Naval Forces had not been properly recognized until now. Lee Sugyeong reviewed the activities of Heungyang Naval Forces members such as Jeong Geol and his grandson Jeong Yeon, Song Daerip, Song Hirip, Song Deogil, and Shin Yeoryang during the Imjin War, and also suggested ways to utilize the legacy of the Heungyang Naval Forces.

The second thematic presentation was delivered by Song Hocheol, Goheung Historical Materials Research Committee member of the National Institute of Korean History, who discussed the wartime roles and activities of local officials (hyangni) in Heungyang (Goheung) before and after the Imjin War. He provided a detailed introduction to the activities of local officials that had not been covered in previous research. In particular, he explained that their main duties included the production and transportation of military provisions, production and supply of weapons, and, subsequently, participation in military mobilization.

Song Hocheol evaluated that the local officials in Heungyang performed their administrative and wartime support duties without difficulty, and emphasized that their military achievements were recognized through exemptions from local service, appointments to official posts, and being listed as meritorious subjects.

The third thematic presentation was given by Kim Sanghyeon, Tongyeong Historical Materials Research Committee member of the National Institute of Korean History, who analyzed the military officers of the Tongjeyeong after the Imjin War through the "Tongyeong Saebyeonggwan Jwamok" and introduced 20 officers from Heungyang.

This material, introduced for the first time in the region, drew great interest from the local residents. The individuals were categorized as those who served as naval officers under Yi Sunshin, army officers who served with Gwon Yul, and figures such as Park Gwangjeon who participated in volunteer army activities.

It was also confirmed that Song Jeongrip and Noh Yunbal, previously thought to have died in the Battle of Noryang, were actually survivors and included in the list of military officers of the Samdo Naval Command. Additionally, it was emphasized that the second generation of these actively serving officers during the Imjin War continued to serve as military officers in the Samdo Naval Command after the war.

The comprehensive discussion following the presentations was chaired by Kim Heetae, member of the Jeollanam-do Cultural Heritage Committee. Designated discussants included Song Sijong, president of the Goheung Culture Center, Na Sangpil, research fellow at the Honam Institute for Korean Studies, and Kim Yongjae, member of the Tongyeong Chungnyeolsa Foundation, who engaged in a lively debate.

Governor Gong Youngmin stated, "It was a meaningful occasion to shed new light on the activities of naval forces from Goheung during the Imjin War and to share the accumulated research results with the residents." He added, "I hope this will serve as an important opportunity for residents to take pride in Goheung's history and to pass on an accurate historical understanding to future generations."

He further said, "Based on the commissioned research on Goheung figures in the Nanjung Ilgi and the academic conference to reexamine the value of the Heungyang Naval Forces, we will work to establish the Heungyang Naval Forces School to foster local identity and historical consciousness among residents."