Academic Symposium "Rediscovering Yi Sun-sin" to Be Held for 80th Anniversary of Liberation

To Be Held on January 22
at the Small Auditorium of the Education Center, National Museum of Korea

The National Museum of Korea announced on January 19 that it will hold an academic symposium titled "Rediscovering Yi Sun-sin" in conjunction with the special exhibition "Our Admiral Yi Sun-sin" to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation. The symposium will take place on January 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Small Auditorium of the Education Center at the National Museum of Korea.

Special Exhibition Our Admiral Yi Sun-sin Related Academic Symposium Poster. Provided by the National Museum of Korea

This symposium aims to move beyond the traditional narrative of Yi Sun-sin as a singular heroic figure, instead providing a comprehensive examination of the military systems and technologies that supported the Imjin War, as well as the development of intelligence and medical care, the formation of records and collective memory, and the significance of Yi Sun-sin in public history.

The keynote lecture will be delivered by Myung Ki Han, a professor at Myongji University, under the theme "80th Anniversary of Liberation: Why Yi Sun-sin?" He will reposition the Imjin War as an international conflict within the East Asian order and analyze Yi Sun-sin's choices and responsibilities during a national crisis.

During the thematic presentations, Young Koo Roh, a professor at the Korea National Defense University, will examine the military innovation and significance of the Joseon Navy's artillery operations from a comparative historical perspective. Sang Hoon Lee, an instructor at the Naval Leadership Center, will reinterpret the naval battles of the Imjin War from an intelligence warfare perspective by exploring Yi Sun-sin's intelligence gathering and utilization. Moon Ja Kim, a professor at Sangmyung University, will shed light on changing perceptions of Yi Sun-sin in Japan through Edo period literature.

In the afternoon session, Junho Jang, Head of Research at the Korea Naval Academy, will analyze the historical value and significance of the "Nanjung Ilgi Draft," an early post-liberation Korean translation of Yi Sun-sin's war diary. Jung Yoon, a professor at Jinju National University of Education, will examine the process of reestablishing Yi Sun-sin's status at the national level through the compilation of the "Complete Works of Admiral Yi Sun-sin" during King Jeongjo's reign. Jong Wook Jeon, a professor at Jeonbuk National University, will reexamine Yi Sun-sin's command from a systems operation perspective by exploring disease control and the medical system of the Joseon Navy during the Imjin War. Yoon Hee Seo, a curator at the National Museum of Korea, will discuss the potential for hero exhibitions to expand into the realm of public history, using the special exhibition as a case study.

After all presentations, a comprehensive discussion will be moderated by Professor Myung Ki Han, with experts from the fields of military history, history, and museums participating to discuss the current state and future possibilities of Yi Sun-sin research.

The symposium is open to the public free of charge. Pre-registration is available until 4 p.m. on January 21 through the National Museum of Korea's education platform "Modu." On the day of the event, on-site registration will be available for up to 50 participants.

To commemorate the symposium, the special exhibition "Our Admiral Yi Sun-sin" will be open to the public free of charge on January 22.