CHOONG MOO

In the naval history of the world, Choong Moo is actually Admiral Yi Soon-Sin (1545-1598) of the Lee Dynasty, whose fame is comparable to that of Admiral Nelson of Great Britain.

Admiral Soong Shin Lee was in charge of naval operations during the Lee Dynasty. He anticipated the Japanese invasion and in preparation had his armed forces trained for war.

In 1592 when Im Jin Uae Ran (a conflict between the Japanese Empire and the Lee Dynasty) broke out, Admiral Lee commanded his battleship Kobukson (the turtle boat), which he designed, against the Japanese invaders. Whenever his naval forces met with Japanese battleships, Admiral Lee was victorious. His forces reigned supreme over the sea during the 7-year conflict. However, Admiral Lee was imprisoned and almost sentenced to death due to the plotting of Won Keun, the naval commander in Kyong San District, who was a rival of his. Won Keun was killed during battle, and the King reluctantly pardoned Admiral Lee and assigned him to the battlefield as a soldier because of the urgent need for his expertise. On November 8, 1598, Admiral Lee was shot to death during a sea battle against the Japanese Navy. He died at the age of 54. Admiral Lee showed true allegiance to his country, and had a noble character and excellent leadership ability. He was a great hero in Korean history and almost single-handedly protected the country. He also wrote a book entitled The Diary During the Conflict.

Admiral Yi Soon-Sin of the Lee Dynasty was reputed to have invented the first armoured battleship (Kobukson) in 1592, which is said to be the precursor of the present day submarine. The reason why this pattern ends with a left hand attack is to symbolize his regrettable death, his unrestrained potential checked by the forced reservation of his loyalty to the king.