Korea: Admiral Yi - Keep Beating the Drum - Extra History - Part 1

📜 History of Korea's Admiral Yi - Part 1 - Extra History
Admiral Yi Sun-sin of Korea began his legendary career with a series of disasters. Fate (and corrupt officials) conspired against him to have him repeatedly knocked down from the success he had earned, often because his insistence on strict military codes and refusal to ignore corruption made enemies of his fellow officers. Even when his superior had him tortured and blamed after a loss to the Jurchen raiders from the north, Yi perservered. Stripped of his rank and now reduced to a common enlisted man, Yi nevertheless served Korea with distinction. Meanwhile his childhood friend, Ryu Seong-ryong, had risen to become the prime minister of Korea. Ryu recognized the threat of war from Japan looming on the horizon, so when Yi asked to retire in 1588, Ryu convinced him to stay.
* Watch Extra History ad-free & get 1-week early access on NEBULA go.nebula.tv/extrahistory
* Suggest & Vote on our next episodes, get exclusive content & 24-hour early access on PATREON bit.ly/EHPatreon
* Show off your fandom with MERCH from our store! extracredits.store/
Interested in sponsoring an episode? Email us: [e-mail]
TWITTER: bit.ly/ECTweet I FACEBOOK: bit.ly/ECFBPage
INSTAGRAM: bit.ly/ECisonInstagram I TIKTOK: bit.ly/ECtiktokz
GAMING: / @extracredits I TWITCH: bit.ly/ECtwitch
Miss an episode in our Admiral Yi Series?
Part 1 - • Korea: Admiral Yi - Ke...
Part 2 - • Korea: Admiral Yi - Be...
Part 3 - • Korea: Admiral Yi - Th...
Part 4 - • Korea: Admiral Yi - Th...
Part 5 - • Korea: Admiral Yi - Ma...
Series Wrap-up & Lies Episode - • Korea: Admiral Yi - Li...
♪ "Drums of War" by Sean and Dean Kiner - • ♫ "Drums of War" by Se... - Available on Patreon!
Thanks for the high-quality conversations & for following our community guidelines here: bit.ly/ECFansRNice
Artist: David Hueso I Writer: James Portnow I Voice: Daniel Floyd I Editor: Carrie Floyd
♪ Extra History Theme by Sean & Dean Kiner I ♪ Music by Demetori: bit.ly/1EQA5N7
#ExtraHistory #AdmiralYi #History

[@Kaebuki]

“When you carry your team but the other members claim credit.”

[@Shaun_Jones]

Yi probably wore a back brace after carrying the entire military

[@lapeez2277]

Shaun Jones he actually wore a grave

[@ilikepizza6826]

Yeah so true

[@azelfdaboi5265]

Sounds like me playing as the USA on Hoi4

[@helpiamstuckonthismanshead3385]

Benedict around in a nutshall

[@typhoonhurricane18]

Admiral Yi; a man who played life on Hard difficulty because otherwise it would have been unfair to everyone else.

[@lucasbeck1391]

If he wanted to make it fair he should have played on very hard or impossible instead

[@JakeBroe]

haha, Legend!

[@klakkat]

@@lucasbeck1391 I think he was playing on Impossible. He's just that good. I mean, I've studied his battles, and I'm sure I couldn't have done as well as he did even with full hindsight.

[@lucasbeck1391]

@@klakkat YOLO i dont think he would have done that well on impossible

[@luckyassassin1]

@@lucasbeck1391 based on what happened in his life I'm assuming he played his life on legendary difficulty because he is a legend on par with sun tzu

[@rayray6490]

Poor man has the most frustrating career sabotages.

[@xkilla911]

imagine all the other career sabotages we haven't heard of...

[@VersusARCH]

He also had powerful backers who always managed to reinstate him.

[@cantspeakcantspeak79]

thats basically your life as a Korean seriously, help

[@batukhan1]

@@cantspeakcantspeak79 This still happens? I thought Korea is free of corruption

[@simonbernard4216]

@@batukhan1 Just saw South Korea was the 39th country in the Corruption Perception Index. That's indeed not terrible for a developed country

[@intreoo]

The number of times Yi was betrayed by his own country, he could've chosen to stop serving it entirely. And yet, this man, despite being backstabbed multiple times, still sacrificed his life for his country. Korea will never know such a brilliant, talented, and patriotic man ever again.

[@hiroono1]

Historically, Yi Sun-shin did not win even once in the seven years after the Battle of Hansando. He launched surprise attacks, but was repulsed by the Japanese navy each time and retreated. He ignored the orders of the Korean government and fled before the enemy. Therefore, Yi Sun-shin was demoted. The 23-23 victory is a fabrication by later generations of Koreans. There is no record of the completion of turtle ships, and there is no evidence that they fought against the Japanese army. It is also a lie to say that Yi Sun-shin did not lose a single ship. He died fighting when the Japanese navy returned home, and at that time most of the remaining Korean ships were destroyed by the Japanese army. Therefore, a few years later, Korea lost the battle with Qing and became a vassal state.

[@OhYouInternet]

This series lead to me going to Seoul just to see Yi's statue, and getting him tattooed on my arm. So this is probably the most expensive series of videos I've ever watched, but worth every penny.

[@user-ph6sq3mz2d]

👏👏

[@TheHiddenNarrative]

What did you think of the statue?

[@bluetran1]

As a Korean hats off to you ! ... I think many Koreans often forget how cool Yi was

[@intreoo]

You can visit his tomb in Asan, which is a few hours outside of Seoul. I *HIGHLY* recommend visiting! It’s well kept, has various historical sites, war/artifact displays, and is also a beautiful area in general.

[@malegria9641]

Ayo that’s badass, did you post this anywhere? I wanna see

[@enenao]

This man's Iron Will is impressive. Any other would have thrown the towel by this point.

[@goodnamestaken]

I would've been totally over this after the second or third screw job. Good luck defending your own crap without me, is what he could have easily gone with.

[@huydang5955]

Only if you’re not Asian. We don’t know the meaning of the word called failure. It’s either victory… or death.

[@aqiltijani4646]

That explains alot about japan killing POW

[@huydang5955]

@@passingbycommentor hang in there, bro! Don’t give up! You’ve got kids you see sometimes- wait, wrong motivational speech. 😂

[@ArchBishopDrake]

On EU4, the devs added Admiral Yi. He’s a 6,6,6 admiral, which is the highest stats any single leader can have. An absolute legend

[@johndole9810]

What game are you talking about.

[@ArchBishopDrake]

@@johndole9810 Europa Universalis 4 by Paradox Interactive

[@user-ff4ci9ss2f]

why?

[@ArchBishopDrake]

@@user-ff4ci9ss2f because

[@enigmabureau]

@@user-ff4ci9ss2fwhy not!

[@prez902]

My favorite Admiral ever. I love how every time he’s thwarted he gets back up. Not because he wants appreciation or wealth just because he wants to defend his home!

[@Real_OSHA_Unsafety_Engineer]

Home Alone: Imjin War

[@dreademperor2094]

That is a true patriot

[@8_bit_idiot212]

name every admiral

[@MrKastle09]

I only know of Admiral Yi because Turtle Ships kick ass in Age of Empires 2

[@extrahistory]

+Krisna Siv (kastle09) Would you believe they actually nerfed Turtle Ships (relative to RL) in AoE2? They made them slow and took away all of their broadside cannons, because otherwise they'd have been ridiculously overpowered compared to the other ships in the game. -Soraya

[@cseijifja]

+Extra Credits yes, this is probably one of the only times in this period of history that eastern war machines outclassed anything the west had to offer. The man literally invented a bloody ironclad.

[@TubeBeky]

+Krisna Siv (kastle09) Civ 5 ^^

[@MrKastle09]

Extra Credits turtles to stonk. Unbelievable

[@notbobby125]

+Krisna Siv (kastle09) Turtle ships are also kick ass in Civilization V. They are Korea's unique unit, replacing the much weaker exploration focused Caravel.

[@tylerharris7081]

You can tell a nation has been at peace for too long when their most dutiful, disciplined, and hard working officers are punished and demoted for actually doing their job.

[@timeforsuchaword]

+Andulin Ardenson "at peace for too long" is perhaps a problem that's better left unsolved.

[@timothymclean]

+timeforsuchaword If only it were that simple...

[@tylerharris7081]

timeforsuchaword History and human psychology has proven that peace can be just as dangerous as war. With war comes violence, sickness, and distrust. With peace comes stagnation, laziness, and cowardice.

[@timothymclean]

Andulin Ardenson I disagree. Stagnation, frequently, but it can be avoided if there's some other reason to change-like non-violent competition. Laziness is almost never a problem; there are always ways for ambitious people to improve their lot. And if by "cowardice" you mean "reluctance to start a war," that's a good thing.

[@tylerharris7081]

Timothy McLean By cowardice I mean submission and ignorance. Sometimes evils must be addressed with violence and certainty. A corrupt government must be toppled. A liar who betrays and agreement must be brought to justice. The coward is content with leaving things as they are, but such behavior is not healthy. Mankind must change and change often. Doing so will inevitably lead to conflict. Warfare is the greatest of all competition. Through it mankind grows and learns. Do I think we should actively pursue war? Absolutely not! However, I do think war is sometime needed. It is a matter of balance.

[@russelldominy9831]

I have next to no contextual knowledge about Korea's history, but this is by far and away one my favourite series of extra history. Fantastic story, incredible soldier, extremely well told.

[@foolishmuleth6757]

@S Such a good read

[@shauryakamboj1012]

Every time life throws me down, i come back to this series and I'm back on track in no time. Admiral yi's diligence and zeal motivating us centuries after his death.

[@hiroono1]

당시 조선 민중은 일본군을 환영하며 협력했다. 일본군에 식량을 제공해 길 안내를 했다. 서울 왕궁에 방화한 것도 조선인이다. 이순신 등 당시 조선군은 대부분 사망했기 때문에 현재 한국인은 당시 민중의 후손이다. 따라서, 이순신은 당신의 조상의 적이다. 당신의 조상의 아군은 일본군이다. 이것이 역사의 진실이다.

[@cypressz]

Admiral Yi is undoubtedly one of the greatest men in history. While men like Alexander serve as a paragon of world conquerers men like Admiral Yi serve as a paragon of the incorruptable man. Korea was so inept and corrupt that it deserved to fall but was saved entirely by the actions of one great man who refused to give in to the institutional rot that beset the nation. Korea didn't deserve Admiral Yi, no country really deserves a man like that. But they exist. They're the great pillars of mankind that hold our species up from the seas of chaos and evil. We should all try to live up to those ideals.

[@hayek218]

Yi Sun-sin: Even though Korean wants to include Yi Sun-sin (李舜臣) as one of the three Greatest Admirals of the world, Horatio Nelson of the Britain who prevailed in the Battle of Trafalgar, John Paul Jones of the America who defeated the British for its independence, and Heihachiro Togo of Japan who defeated the Russia’s Baltic Fleet, he was not even a supreme commander, nor did he prevail in the battle Koreans claim to have won. To start with, throughout their history, Korea was the weakest in the region. Since the time of Yuan Dynasty, Korea had been a tribunary state of China for almost one thousand years. They always ask other countries to fight for Korea’s domestic issues like in the Korean War, and this is why they have no true national hero. Yi Sun-sin was merely a commander of a fleet out of many Joseon fleets, certainly not the admiral or the commander of the Ming-Joseon Navy. Not only he failed to defeat the Japanese navy, he could not them on the sea and allowed them to land on the Korean Peninsula. Japan at the time as the hay days of samurai and had the largest number of guns in the world with many experienced samurai in communications and modern battle tactics of the day. Korea on the other hand was merely a tribunary state of Ming with NO guns. There is no way Korean could beat Japan by itself. In fact, in the first dispatch, Japan conquered Seoul within one month, and Pyeongyang within two month capturing the prince of Joseon as a hostage while there was NO Japanese commander who was killed except for one who was assassinated during hawking. The only military exploit that Yi Sun-sin had against Japan was when he attacked “a supply fleet” and temporally cut off its supply route. But this is by no means being destroyed or defeated. He strategies were more like those of pirates or guerrillas such as setting fire on ships at night or attacking from the back of Japanese fleets after agreeing on cease-fire. Coward and so typical of the weak. Later, since the military leader of Japan, Hideyoshi who planned to conquer China through Korea, died of old age in Osaka, Japan agreed on cease-fire and retreated. But it is a blatant lie for Koreans to say that Yi Sun-sin was a great admiral of the world, defeated the Japanese navy, and is the one from whom the world’s other admirals learn from. However, you could at least say he had some brain, avoiding front-to-front battle with the mighty Japan.

[@muthu8568]

Don't know about korean claiming him to be the national hero or whatever.But , about him being considered one of the greatest admirals is because of his lack of prior naval experience and any records of information regarding tactics(which the above said three had).And precisely of korea being weakest is why he is unable to launch a large scale confrontation.Finally, him being reason for the invasion is not successfull( while Hideyoshi is still alive) is why he is said to had won the war.

[@rojaiwla]

You meant Joseon, not Korea. Korea was not "born" yet.

[@jonathanchaves8589]

@@hayek218 you are such envidious man see the entire like you should and you know what even an admiral japanese respect him keep your venom inside sneak.

[@somedude5951]

@@jonathanchaves8589 *snake...

[@AmariFukui]

Just imagine how differently history could have gone if Yi died after falling off that horse...

[@Fonsekabab3]

yi dies => japan conquers china => super duper strong japanese in ww2 => axis win => totalitarian world

[@yousefghuniem5575]

Welp, that would be anti climatic

[@nerdsforever4852]

The Japanese most likely conquer Korea in a quick war before making great advances into Northern China. Then the Ming mobilise there army. the result would then be a long bloody conflict with the Ming eventually driving the invaders back into the South China Sea. The Choseng dynasty are restablished in Korea. It is possible that this might lead to a shift in the dynamics of East Asian Politics from isolationism to a more internationalist outlook. in China I don't see much changing a Ming victory would merely reinforce the Ming's view that they where the great civilization without equal. Whiles Japan would most likely continue down the same path as in our timeline just with more dead Samurai. Korean culture would undergo a huge change as the humiliation of not only being occupied but needing to be saved by The Ming could inspire a new wave of Korean militarism. The Korean military is rebuilt with aid from the Ming who would use the Koreans as a counter weight against Japan. This might also lead to Korea being more open to Western trade and influence than there local powers. Dutch, Portuguese and British trade would flow in which would lead to a quicker industrialisation of Korea .Also with a free East Asian port it is possible that America never would have opened up Japan . Korea would industrialise before Japan or China. its possible regions like Rikyu and Taiwan would be Korean teritorys instead of what they where in our timeline. So to summarise by the twentieth century we have Korea is the Asian power a weak and fractured Qing dynasty ( This happened in our timeline) Japan is a technological backwater unchanged since the 16th century and WW1 on the horizon from here its impossible to say what happens. Korea might conquer Japan that said its also possible that another colonial power maybe France or the Netherlands have already done so. They might join the Central powers or the Entent or stay neutral. same in the second world war.

[@in4ser]

The only time Japan was even a threat to China was industrialized Meiji Japan. Toyotomi Hideyoshi's invaders had trouble fighting the few roaming Jurchen bands much less deal with a real army of Wanli.

[@et496]

D:

[@cyshin1128]

I’m Korean, I am not used to English historian words, I only know them in korean, I had no idea who this was about. Just watched because I was korean but when you said *Yi sunshin* I was like, YESEEEEEEESS

[@marunomi]

What historical term? Admiral? That's not a historical term; it's a military rank.

[@AzngameFreak03]

@@marunomi She means the pronunciation of Yi Sun-sin in Korean is 이순신 EE SOON SHEEN, so she didn't know who Yi Sun Sin as, because it's the wrong pronunciation in English. Capital "E" sound, "Soon" the OO's are like when you go OoOo when someone is in trouble, SH "EE" you clench your teeth sound N.

[@Rainime]

이순신 장군, my favourite!

[@uali5000]

Im sitting in an E Mart store in Korea rn watching this video lmao

[@Epsilon15]

"Your skills are inferior." -Admiral Yi, probably

[@guessmyname1246]

He was actually very humble

[@luskarian4055]

@@guessmyname1246 Master Yi from League reference

[@KiDravenPL]

kinda true, because he was a really really really really really strict man, he was the most strict on himself though,

[@danhatman3538]

Plays Eu4, Somehow manages to unite japan almost exactly the same time it was done historically. "time to invade korea" Admiral Yi wipes my fleet 7 galleys to 50 gg

[@artofthepossible7329]

Sounds about right.

[@user-qy5qd1xu1j]

That 6/6/6/0 is OP XD

[@alexanderjohngolveo1351]

What is "Eu4?"

[@KayDizzelVids]

@@alexanderjohngolveo1351 Europa Universalis. It's a PC Game very similar to Crusader Kings 2.

[@bmobmo6438]

Asian Skanderbeg

[@ryanharrelson6935]

By the end of this series Regular Yi will become not just Admiral Yi, but Master Yi.

[@dragatus]

+Ryan harrelson I was waiting for someone to make the reference.

[@neruos8738]

+Ryan harrelson WALPOLE

[@Duke_of_Lorraine]

+Ryan harrelson Walpole ? Nah I only speak with the Emperor.

[@lordcherrychanga4294]

He will command an Alpha Strike against the japanese on the next episode.

[@Seppevh]

+Ryan harrelson you could say the japanese's skill was inferior

[@damienwong2742]

Ancient Korea: we have no use of you. Go do whatever low ranking soldiers usually do Also Ancient Korea: Help! Save us!

[@pribbin1284]

lol

[@kritiasmaple2714]

This actually happened a lot in korean history

[@anjelinuss1113]

Korea is always between china and japan.This is also happening at nowadays.

[@robertevbayekha6639]

@@user-fd8ev2yv8r no it happen in the early modern period

[@user-jx3bp3yy6v]

I’m related to this guy! Every year my parents take me to his grave and we honour him and stuff

[@ChadtronicFan]

Good!

[@reenasingh6693]

@Junsu Park sjvxjKf

[@daeseongkim93]

진짜? 전라도 이?

[@user-jx3bp3yy6v]

Daeseong Kim 덕수 이씨에요^^

[@user-ty4we4mk6b]

장군님의 후손이라시니 자랑스러우시겠네요

[@srvaudiau]

I had never heard of Admrial Yi until this video series. Now he is one of my favorite historical figures. Not just for his impressive military career, but for his monumental character.

[@user-ty4we4mk6b]

he never loses in any battle. including his last battle when he died and this nokdundo battle.

[@bela15216]

i'm going to count how many times yi gets screwed over. 1. 2:37 2. 2:47 3. 3:07 4. 4:26 5. 5:35 6. 6:16 let's see, that's 6 so far. how many next episode?

[@jongbhak]

In total, he scored 24 victories in 7 years(0 defeats). Almost all of them were more like total destruction.

[@williamachia6919]

453763553563537556235563455656355675553253563545354635453623255 loses

[@miko5742]

@@williamachia6919 thanks, William.

[@milky1234123]

I always come back to this every few months to be in awe at this legendary man and the obstacles he had to over come while he was in service. They need to turn his life into a series detailing everything

[@badbeardbill9956]

"I'm about to end this man's whole career." The guy comes back. "NANI?"

[@artofthepossible7329]

And proceeds to brutally destroy his foe.

[@sharilshahed6106]

rinse and repeat............. Then everything changes when the weeb nation attacks.

[@motorola9956]

Hoxy?!! is equivalent to Nani?!! In korean

[@user-ty4we4mk6b]

@@motorola9956 no. hoxy= by any chance, just in case. approximately hoxy= what if? nani=WTF? in korean, nani=뭐(muo)? 무엇(muot)?

[@motorola9956]

@@user-ty4we4mk6b im no korean, but i like hoxy better. Thank's for the knowledge btw :D

[@erttheking]

I've never heard of this guy *Presses nose against the screen* looking forward to fixing that.

[@erttheking]

+The JuanTrueKaiser Sadly no. It's why I watch this series.

[@MDWolfe]

+erttheking Sadly such is the state of the history of man that everywhere in the world great men and women are little known when they have shaped the world as it is today. I'm sure many do not know of Stonewall Jackson or Grant. Just as many others do not know of Yi or Cao Cao

[@erttheking]

Minngarm Halnhammer Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if non-Americans didn't know about the American Civil War. Like I said in the last video, until a few years ago, I didn't even know there was a Spanish Civil War around the WW II period until a year or two ago.

[@TheJuanTrueKaiser]

erttheking If you wanna learn more about the Far East check out 'IT'S HISTORY' (A youtube channel) and its videos about dynastic China. They are very well researched and easy to watch. 

[@iuhtrfdsacvdsgdf]

+Minngarm Halnhammer i know of them because of the games "fate of the dragon" and the dynasty tactics series

[@dagdamor1]

I came back to re-watch the Admiral Yi series, recognized the title for the first time, and got really fucking sad.

[@taknoid5218]

same

[@aintitmax7113]

Same

[@johncairns5069]

?

[@holabird6529]

agree

[@PlaylistProleteriat]

What?

[@whatdatechnodogedoin]

Ryu is actually a great friend. Really helped yi get to where he is today

[@urass3737]

But he almost died because of it.

[@user-jr6cr4id5m]

이순신에 대한 이야기를 외국버전으로 보니 감개가 새롭습니다. 이순신 장군에 대한 뿌듯함과 나의 옛 나라에 대한 부끄러운 마음이 교차하네요.

[@recursor9469]

"Because the military was in such a state that men had to harvest their own food". Still better fed than North Korea.

[@Romellenios_Lanz_Daemos]

😂

[@Nyx-kb7ze]

But they were in north korea

[@Romellenios_Lanz_Daemos]

@@Nyx-kb7ze it's a communist joke.

[@sirsmiteful6285]

recursor94 well spoken, good sir

[@bmobmo6438]

@@Nyx-kb7ze r/woooosh

[@onibashu]

The greatest naval commander in history period.

[@konradverner6326]

That is false because he was never tested against a fleet with cannons so that was unknown. Nelson actually had to fight against an opponent with the same technology as him so he is defenitely at the top.

[@jackscurfield7630]

Nelson mate

[@konradverner6326]

@Ssam Park You don't know how he would preform against cannons but i know how nelson preformed against cannons. Being unsure also doesn't mean true. So i will say nelson is better because i don't need to speculate.

[@konradverner6326]

@Ssam Park That doesn't mean he is a bad admiral though. WTF does the government shitting on you have to do with how good of an admiral you are.

[@konradverner6326]

@Ssam Park Not at all what i am saying is you can't say he was the best because he never fought an opponent who can really fight back. Nelson fought against a fleet with the same types ships as him. Yi fought transports. You are probably korean considering your name and you would like Yi to be the best but there is no reason to believe he is the best. If i had a mashine gun and was fighting a bunch of musketeers i would probably win does that mean im the best mashine gunner, no.

[@WolfWriterL.P]

the music at the begining gives me so much nostalgia...

[@s0dami]

한국에서 거룩한 영웅 이라는 뜻의 '성웅' 이라고 불리는 사람은 이순신 한 분 뿐일수밖에 없는게, 단순히 왜구를 많이 죽이고 많은 전투에서 승리했기 때문이 아니라, 인간으로 보여줄 수 있는 도덕성과 군인으로 보여줄 수 있는 의무의 끝을 보여주었기 때문이 아닐까 생각합니다....

[@user-py2bu4lj2x]

모든 역사적인 인물들은 모두 하나의 허점이 있기 마련인데 이순신은 단 하나의 허점도 옶다죠

[@user-fp5vz5bi8e]

괜히 '이순신에 대해서 가장 비판적인 글을쓴 사료는 난중일기이다' 라는게 아니죠

[@bentucky4324]

I agree

[@jinlee7123]

@@user-fp5vz5bi8e 근데 그게 맞음

[@npark6176]

지금까지 자손들도 모든 가문 통틀어 전장에서 전사자가 가장 많은 가문입니다.

[@MyronChoe]

the biggest badass of all time ever since history being recorded.

[@GodSlayingBunny]

TF What not the biggest but still one of the best

[@chaewonbae5358]

It is XP

[@gargoyles9999]

TF What Walpole?

[@GodSlayingBunny]

gargoyles9999 obviously

[@keithw.4373]

DovidoTv l

[@johnblack4380]

Corruption is the root of all evil.

[@somedragonbastard]

CORRUPTION HISSSSS

[@combativeThinker]

But what causes corruption? The love of money. Therefore, the love of money is the root of all evil, as Jesus said.

[@irrelevant_noob]

Bryan Merrill you mean Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) not Jesus... Way to show off your biblic knowledge. :p

[@keithkania3810]

Bryan Merrill I’m not even sure that 🅱️esus even knew what money is

[@keithkania3810]

Also money is just a currency aka wealth, other resources can be seen as wealth (Such as food). What you mean is Greed and that is only one of the evils

[@hypocriticalcritic6915]

This is one of my favorite history stories ever

[@g.a.5061]

I appreciate introducing our hero to other people (감사합니다)

[@PINGPONGROCKSBRAH]

I wonder how many people like Yi are forgotten to history because they didn't have a friend in high places.

[@surizurimasuri7459]

He isn’t, he’s just not relevant in America or where ever else you live, he’s well remembered in Korea

[@jamessquires3899]

Hes friend was literally the prime minister... Thats a friend in a high place.

[@theredblurb132]

So many... Its ridiculous.

[@idekwtfqqq9524]

He is very well known in my country korea

[@ibrahimo6075]

2 nested reply koreans missing the whole point lol

[@ThePa1riot]

5:58 “If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame. But, if orders are clear and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers.” ~Sun Tzu

[@irrelevant_noob]

Except they didn't disobey, they followed orders and lost due to insufficient troops. That's on the general's failure to properly plan the defenses.

[@daorkimedes7076]

i thought this was a similar quote from Grand Admiral Thrawn...

[@doopboop8359]

-common sense

[@irrelevant_noob]

Elijah Conry you may be right... Here's a possible similar one: "A leader is responsible for those under his authority. [...] Those whom he commands are in turn responsible for their behavior and their dedication to duty. Any who violates his trust must be disciplined for the good of others." Was this what you were thinking of?

[@daeseongkim93]

Da Orkimedes thrawn is obviously taking up after sun tzu’s military doctrines

[@galenrichter41]

honestly, if i saw a man taking a physical exam like that, break his left after being thrown from a horse, drag himself to a tree, splint the leg *himself*, get back on *the same horse that threw him*, and then go *finish the fucking exam*, i woulda just been like "nope, you pass. I don't care, I need that man on my side". that shows an insane amount of dedication. and pain tolerance

[@Madrigal025]

When ever I feel that life is getting heavy, I always go back to this Series.

[@TheCasualSubculturist]

As a Korean American, I am glad that you are even covering Yi Soon Shin's rocky life story and his amazing achievement. Without him, Korea wouldn't stand under the name today as whole country probably crumbled under Japan, well before even Japanese Occupation during World War II period... There's so many story to share within the 50 centuries worth of Korean history, and Extra Credit won't tell all side of the story let alone about General Yi's ones, but I am glad that this story is even known outside of Korea and being told to the world, especially fellow gamers. This story does coincide with Japanese history lesson that covered by Extra History, as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who later unifies Japan during Sengoku Jidai(Period), attacks Korea for the sake of expansion and spread out the overflowing power of their generals who have no enemy to attack under unified flag. Toyotomi is known pretty negatively to Koreans, because history books taught in Korea usually do not cover Japanese history, but just attack itself. If I have to give one tips to the Extra Credits though, is that I hope you guys name whole name when you call someone, instead of just Last(family) names. Koreans do not have many last name.... you already might've confused why Yi-il and Yi Soon Shin have same last name... and explaining why Koreans last names are this way will take hours if not days to explain... and I dont even know super details either. Koreans mostly call each others by first name because of this. P.S. Amazing pronunciation for Admiral Yi's full name. and other korean names in general... you probably practiced aren't you? XD

[@extrahistory]

+The Casual Subculturist We asked a friend (S. "JJ" Jae-Jones in the credits) for help with pronunciation! We did our best to follow JJ's excellent pronunciation guides, although generally pronunciation is not our strong suit. Pronunciation and flags. O-o -Soraya

[@whitelady1063]

+Extra Credit rise is not weet

[@elilee3328]

+The Casual Subculturist I am a korean Canadian and I'm also glad that you guys are covering one of my country's greatest war heros. In a world where most people in the world have not heard his name it makes me happy that he gets some attention

[@rjfaber1991]

+The Casual Subculturist Just to make sure I've got this right as a non-Korean (please roast me if I haven't, I love to learn): Korean surnames come from traditional clans which all claim to trace their ancestry to one ancient Korean monarch or other. All clans are subdivided into families tied to a certain city or region in Korea where they originated. Women keep their own surname upon marriage, and children inherit their father's surname. Marriages between people of the same surname are absolute taboo, regardless of how distant the relation between two people might be. Koreans generally prefer to keep the surname-first order of their name in a Western context, unlike Japanese people who tend to reverse the order to fit the Western standard. That's about all I know about Korean names, really, but if there's anything I don't know, please mention it, even if it does take (as you say) days.

[@Ben786]

+Robert Faber One thing that kind of blew my mind was the generation name. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_name

[@BlooOcean]

Holy geez, a history about Chosun dyansty? I must be dreaming! Being Korean, it's quite shocking when I first saw how US global history textbook Korean history section is only like 1 or 2 pages long. Thank you for going over the most famous Korean naval commander!Just a quick correction, during Chosun dynasty, the capital city was called Han-Yang, not Seoul. The capital city wasn't called Seoul until 1882.

[@extrahistory]

+BlooOcean We had a discussion about that during editing. Ultimately, we decided to call it Seoul in this series because that's the name more people would recognize. We want to give people as many anchors as possible to realize that this history we're talking about isn't dry, distant facts about places they've never heard of, but vibrant memories that matter dearly to places they know today - like Seoul. -Soraya

[@Lord_Unicorn]

+Extra Credits And i totally understand and appreciated for this video :)

[@BlooOcean]

Extra Credits whoa, I wasn't expecting a direct reply from you guys! And I respect your decision, you could say I was being nit-picky with historical details

[@IncinerationCompany]

+BlooOcean 서울은 수도를 지칭하는 순 우리말입니다. 지금이야 서울특별시 때문인지 반쯤 고유명사화되었습니다만 일본의 서울은 동경이고 중국의 서울은 북경이다 하는 식으로 사용되었습니다. 조선시대 중세국어에선 셔블로 표기되었으며, 17세기 하멜표류기에도 서울이란 말은 sior이란 형태로 등장하고 있습니다. 오페르트의 금단의 나라 조선에서는 구한말 민간인에게 한양이라고 하니까 못알아들어요 그래서 서울 했더니 아~ 서울~ 했다는 기록이 있습니다. 그리고 한양은 신라의 진흥왕이 명명한 지명입니다. 이성계의 한양천도후 공식명칭은 한성부가 되었지만 불리던대로 한양이라고 불리기도하고 서울이라고 불리기도 하였습니다. 그러니 조선의 서울, 한성부는 서울이라고도 불렸습니다.

[@frozenfeet4534]

+Extra Credits Haha the way you use hyperbole even in ordinary comments like these makes me feel the power of your writing so hard. As an avid writer of literary fiction I have to say you make this stuff sound utterly dreamy.

[@emmettg7490]

This is my favorite Extra Credits series.

[@SlR-]

1:30 “Had dreamed of being a soldier since he was a little boy...” with a moustache, a little boy with a moustache.

[@fearxhusky114]

Teenager?

[@miko5742]

Wait, that's not normal?

[@goodnamestaken]

When Admiral Yi turned 18, he told his father, "You are the man of the house now."

[@Nubsteplawl]

Admiral Yi better be koreas civ leader in civ vi! Hes the reason there still is a korea!

[@somedragonbastard]

I WANT IT NOW I DON'T EVEN PLAY CIVILIZATION AND I WANT IT

[@thebravegallade731]

Steven Holloway sejong is better.

[@thebravegallade731]

Steven Holloway sejong is better. not only is he an actual king, but he's the only person in korean history that beats him in achievemnts fame and relevence. I mean he's the one WHO MADE THE KOREAN WRITING SYSTEM that is sooo good its being used as placeholders for languages that don't have written versions today.

[@Nubsteplawl]

TheBraveGallade while sejong was great and in terms of accomplishments might be better than admiral yi, admiral yi is the reason its still korea and not a puppet state of japan xD

[@thebravegallade731]

Steven Holloway And thats why he's pretty much THE hero of korea. Unfortunetly kim gu was targetted by both north and south(read: soviets and US) while trying to go for a unified korea... and got killed despite all that he did in the tempoary government a la the korean resistance to japan.

[@grfrjiglstan]

Huh. Odd that Korea, while geographically close to Japan, viewed military service in completely the opposite way that they did.

[@Jh5kRadio]

+grfrjiglstan Geographically speaking, yes they're close. However, keep in mind that there's a reason Korea was called the Hermit Kingdom around that era.

[@MarquisForneus]

+grfrjiglstan Its not that odd, look at the cultural differences of some European Countries that are similarly close.

[@Paintpenetrator]

+grfrjiglstan one of the prominent reasons is that unlike Japan which isolated itself from East Asian Theatre, Korea was in very close proximity with China. The threats Korean faced at this time were Japanese pirates and Manchu raiders. Korea had formed a strong bond with China so there was no "threat" of standing army invading its soil. And Japan as you've seen in sengoku jidai video went through a very long civil war period which generally make your country to put more emphasis on military.

[@paranoidude]

Japan was very culturally isolated at this point in history. Korea was more influenced by China than Japan.

[@BlueCrystalGem]

+grfrjiglstan Thank to China really. Chinese vassal states all had taken on the Confucius and Buddhist ideals and a governmental structure that born from them.

[@meshifriendpanzee]

최근 우리나라의 위인들이 세계에 많이 알려지는것 같아 기분이 매우 좋습니다. 앞으로도 한국을 많이 사랑해주셨으면 합니다 :)

[@vource2670]

Still my most favourite KZbin series

[@extrahistory]

Admiral Yi: one of the greatest naval commanders the world has ever seen. His success did not come easy. #ExtraHistory

[@josephwear9572]

+Extra Credits By war looming on the horizon, do you mean with Sengoku Japan?

[@eventyraren]

+Extra Credits can you do an extra episode of trying to connect Welpole to punic war, WW1 and Sangoko Jidai. I like to find out how he connect with japan

[@ravoln2457]

+Extra Credits My Fucking God I love you guys. Thank you for covering one of my favorite historical figure.

[@arcadiusdrathalas6007]

+Joseph Wear They say just that at the end of the episode...

[@sharpie660]

+Joseph Wear They directly say that at 7:10.

[@hiqqo]

In the next episode... Yi will be demoted. Again.

[@Tzilandi]

+Glorious Potato Because of Walpol?

[@hiqqo]

Tzilandi Of course!

[@rjfaber1991]

+Glorious Potato Yes, he will, but why let repeated demotions stand in the way of a good Crusade?

[@hiqqo]

Robert Faber Nice one.

[@Duke_of_Lorraine]

+Glorious Potato I'll make Yi's boss swear a broath not to demote him again.

[@parkmojo6168]

Ah Admiral Yi a true souls player proving to never give up time and time again.

[@JakeBroe]

Dokdo belongs to Korea!!! Anyone? Like if you agree... haha

[@zey2012]

Hell yeah

[@alpaka6321]

thanks 👍

[@mrpuncher100]

Word

[@zaclegoattack]

Heck yeah

[@IGetBeat]

Yes

[@tommykarrick9130]

It's crazy how Admiral Yi's life was so close to "did a thing and then did nothing for a while, then he did some more stuff but took a 4 year break, then won a battle or two, and then retired" instead of the near mythological legacy of battle after battle he probably shouldn't have won and saving Korea almost single handedly

[@EldricVanguard]

And so, Master Yi has entered in Extra History! Can't wait for the Japanese Invasion!

[@Tyler-sy7jo]

+Yasashi Tsu-Kun (YasashiTsuKun) Records state that his first words shouted at the oncoming enemy forces were "Your skills are inferior". He then proceeded to run really really fast and kill the entire group in one strike.

[@jossgoyanko7006]

+Tyler van de Ven We need to petition Netherrealm Studios to make Admiral Yi a playable character in the next Mortal Kombat.

[@mergenocide]

+Tyler van de Ven PENTAKILL

[@Tyler-sy7jo]

Pedro Gusmão Just a bit of League humour. In all honesty, so far Yi sounds like a very honorable, hard working, and diligent man. Can't wait to learn more about him.

[@xiahoupaul19]

+Yasashi Tsu-Kun (YasashiTsuKun) He was an expert at backdooring the Japanese fleet.

[@shooby117]

Admiral Yi is the most respected korean and greatest admiral in history!! ❤

[@math2222322]

I watch this at least once a year. BEAT THE DRUMS OF WAR!!!

[@AegixDrakan]

CROSSOVER WITH THE SENGOKU JIDAI SERIES. YES. :D Man, though..Yi really was dedicated. Getting screwed time and time again and still never giving up. That's really admirable. ...Pun actually not intended. XD

[@robm6645]

+Aegix Drakan Don't forget it's also a crossover with the South Sea Company series, after all Walpole's behind it all.

[@AegixDrakan]

Rob McCune But Walpole is behind ALL THE THINGS. XD

[@WATCHERtheCHANNEL]

+Aegix Drakan Don't forget the part where Peter screws up and no one can take the invaders seriously anymore, or that part where incompetent Roman officers try to zerg-rush enemy generals with total disregard for their reputations as military geniuses.

[@poeticider]

One hell of a coincidence, but as you were doing the Justinian and Theodora extra history I was living in Istanbul and had a wonderful time actually visiting all the different places you were talking about in your videos. Now I am moving to Seoul next month and you are doing a series on Korea... STOP STALKING ME PPL!

[@extrahistory]

+poeticider We're doing the Broad Street Pump next. Don't... don't get cholera. -Soraya

[@yogsothoth7594]

+Extra Credits Darn I could have but I'm vaccinated for it.

[@lukeyami]

+Extra Credits That was part of my dissertation for my History course at college. Looking forward to that one.

[@nivekzorantinez8872]

That's something that makes me... filled with such strength. Time and time again, he placed his life.. HIS LIFE. With every battle... he fought, not a single moment of regret as all he wanted to do was serve his Country & his People! Time and time again, he was knocked away by his own people!! Who have no clue.. that this Man, will be one of the main pillars to keep their Civilization in tact. Truly.. just goes to show you, how great he was... Does he have a memorial somewhere?

[@anastasia-fr1gn]

Yes there is a statue in Seoul in gwamghwamun square. It's right before the palace. It's pretty amazing to see.

[@gamefan1019]

I constantly come back to these videos. They are truly splendid!

[@MegaCKY]

대단합니다. 어떻게 한국사람보다 한국 역사에 대해 더 잘 알 수가 있죠? 오늘. 비디오 5편을 보면서 그동안 몰랐던 것들을 많이 배우고 갑니다. 좋은 비디오 감사합니다.

[@idrinkbleach188]

???????

[@user-dg3tj1nt5b]

Wow, I think you know about Korean history better than us, Native Koreans. Today, I watched five of your videos and learned a lot of important histories. Thank you for your videos. ->Translation

[@thewoozinator951]

넴넴부 Thx😅

[@Hadigreece]

좀 오버한것 같지만 이순신 드라마도 있고 이순신 전기와 난중일기 책으로 어느 학교 도서관이든 작은 동네 어디든 있을텐데

[@guessmyname1246]

I learned about Yi because my mom read me a book about him in Korean before bed. This helped me learn more though since that was long time ago.

[@manguy01]

Man. I cannot thank the Patrons enough for funding this show that I absolutely _love_!

[@jeremybarnes920]

So he's the real world Thrawn.

[@dango6266]

Yes

[@bkjeong4302]

Not the only candidate for that title, but certainly up there.

[@jeremybarnes920]

@@bkjeong4302 Know of anyone that would make a better match? Cause I'm really interested in this kind of stuff.

[@placeholder8768]

Sebastian Montgomery Nelson is quite similar, in the sheer genius and badassery.

[@brandonseff6044]

YES

[@jayjeong209]

FYI, Admiral Yi's descendants were not given due respect and treatment of Admiral Yi's heroic deeds for next 100 years after his death. It shows how Joseon dynasty court was corrupt, broken, and learned no lessons from Imjin War. On a seperate note, this series has done superbly telling the story of Admiral Yi. I like how creators of this video try to stay unbiased as much as possible. It does not victimize Korea nor does it villianize Japan.

[@user-qk7oi9oz1v]

ㅠㅠ우리 이순신장군님 살아계실땐 달가운 대우를 못받았죠..ㅠㅠ 존경합니다 진짜 진정한 히어로

[@snowmystique2308]

Good God, Yi's life was a war before he was in a war.

[@dawnroper1567]

This was the first Extra History episode I ever saw. It made me a fan.

[@jblevins2363]

I see there has been no commentary for a couple of years, but I'm watching. Thanks. I was in Korea with the US Army in the mid 80s stationed very near Admiral Yi's tomb. I recommend a visit to anyone who gets the chance.

[@Volthoom]

So, who do you think was _actually_ behind all of Yi's misfortunes? ...it was Walpole.

[@guessmyname1246]

Lol

[@xkilla911]

wat is this reference

[@RKroese]

@Sulfur Aliens

[@aident6911]

@@xkilla911 South Sea bubble.

[@jongbhak]

Jealousy

[@sabata2]

I'm SO freaking glad this series is weekly now. I love it.

[@scribblerstudios9895]

Gotta love the fact that one of his own rivals was able to accept he had limitations and was willing to look past past differences as to request Yi.

[@milky1234123]

Dude back here again to enjoy this history making mans life. No words can describe just how much i love this series of video about yi. So bloody good

[@greedymilk7708]

it felt strange with the video not starting off with the normal intro music.

[@daydreamerb01]

I'm so glad you guys made a video series on Admiral Yi. I only learned about him after I went on a holiday to Seoul a few years back. He's right up there with my favourite historical figures of all time! Also, I enjoy watching these Extra History videos.

[@justinbowers2749]

JOHN PAUL JONES When Yi Sun Sin was a little boy he pointed to the sea Said when I get to be a man a fightin' man I'll be I'll leave my mark on the ocean and my name in history When Yi Sun was a member of the Joseon Army He fought the Jurchens on the border which was a thing to see He was nearly jailed but he lived to see his name in history He fought in the rain and he fought in the sun and he fought in the moonlight too He fought with his ships and he fought with his gun And he fought till his blood ran through Well Yi Sun Sin was a fightin' man a fightin' man was he He sailed all around Tushima straits and he helped keep Korea free

[@guessmyname1246]

Great poem!

[@spm1632]

Great poem for a great warrior

[@jackhobbs6246]

awsome poem lad

[@janroodbol5055]

this was the start of my addiction a addiction even your upload frequentie cant overcome

[@123Khorne]

Yi is the quintessence of a god damn war hero.

[@putridspit]

yeaa! back to the east! i have so much curiosity towards eastern history.

[@TheJuanTrueKaiser]

+putridspit They really need to explore the dynastic history of china, it is rich with drama and is almost criminally overlooked by Westerners. People more than often fail to realize just how powerful/influential China was for almost all of its history, and that in many ways it is an empire that has never actually fallen.

[@jonathanbell1604]

+The JuanTrueKaiser Except when the Mongols pretty much destroyed it and installed their own line of Emperors...

[@rjfaber1991]

+Jonathan Bell I know the Yuan dynasty is traditionally villified by Chinese sources for being non-Chinese (the same is true of the Qing to a lesser extent), but they were actually pretty decent rulers. They don't compare overly well to the Song, because the Song period was China's absolute golden age, but if they really were so inferior you would expect China to make immense progress once the Yuan were ousted in favour of the Ming, which simply didn't happen. I'd argue that the traditional view that the Yuan were a poor dynasty has more to do with the contrast provided by the brilliance of the Song than it does with anything the Yuan actually did.

[@labrynianrebel]

+The JuanTrueKaiser China has been conquered many times. Mongols, Khitans, Jurchens, Manchus...

[@rjfaber1991]

labrynianrebel Jurchens = Manchus...

[@ryancue7809]

Fantastic intro sequence. I love how your team tells a story. Thank you.

[@lynxydoll73]

Your videos have reminded me how much i love learning about history, so thank you for that

[@sophieward7225]

When you guys finish a series, you should edit all the videos together into one super long one!

[@Cythil]

+M.W. Vaughn Well there is always the option to run a playlist. Those are nice for stuff like this.

[@1993smoker]

+M.W. Vaughn agreed !!! like a documentary

[@sophieward7225]

+Cythil I know, but then you get all the outtros and intros running into each other and repeating each other. One long video without interruption would be more fluid

[@Cythil]

M.W. Vaughn Good point.

[@sophieward7225]

+Cythil Thank you

[@Flaris]

My condolences for Yi. I mean damn that guy had a rough time through his career. Being a good, honest, hardworking person in a time where the corrupt go ahead a lot easier. No wonder after a certain point he was finally just ready to retire. Getting stabbed in the back by your superiors has to get exhausting after a while. Can't wait for the next ep.

[@ChronicalDamage]

i have mad respect for this guy. Probably my favorite episode of extra credit..

[@leiladekwatro3147]

This man's whole life is just "I get knocked down, but I get up again, you're never gonna keep me down" over and over again

[@seahawk124]

The quality of these episodes are only getting better. Keep up the good work.

[@OnlyPassingHere]

After seeing episode 5 of this serie, the name of this first episode and the way you open it make so much sense. Thank you guys for making me learn about Yi. I think this was my favorite topic so far. (and I really loved the one about the South Sea Bubble) Looking forward to the next subject :)

[@dr.j5642]

This has got to be one of the best videos i've seen from this channel

[@user-ru8ps1dr8p]

Though, it is said here that joseon didn't prepare for the war, king seonjo and his court did their best to prepare the war without harming the common people( for, it is viewed unethical to hire hardworking common people to be brought in the army and make them build weapons for no reason). It is because of this effort that 6th class officer yi sun shin was fastley promoted as 3rd class officer and put into action. And king seonjo blocked the court's objection to this ridiculous promotion and fully trusted yi for preparing the war(this is when the turtle ship was built by joseon navy). And this is main reason why yi stayed loyal to the king till the end because fast promotion like this never happened before especially military officers like yi.

[@1Invinc]

i am so happy you guys are now doing a video on one of the greatest patriots and naval genius the world have ever seen.

[@tenlosol]

It's a shame how often ypu hear stories of great men like this and hear the corruption they face. no doubt it makes their legend greater but you often wonder how the world could change of there were more virtuous in power

[@barbiquearea]

+tenlosol If you think Yu had it bad you should see what happened to one of China's most legendary generals Yue Fei and how he was rewarded for his success in defending his country. Yue who lived in the 12th century under the Song Dynasty didn't have as much trouble rising through the ranks and gaining distinction for his service. But when he took command of the Song military, the Song were on the back foot and being beaten down by the Jurchen. Things were so bad that China's two emperors (one actually abdicated) were captured and held prisoner by the Jurchen. When Yue took over command he turned things around drastically and came so close to not only recouping Song's loses but also outright destroying the Jurchen. But the Imperial Court was afraid that Yue's success would mean the Jurchen would negotiate peace which would most definitely mean the release of the two emperors alarmed the court because they wanted to keep the reigning emperor who was corrupt and pliable. So they summoned Yue to court, put him on trial on trumped up charges and had him executed.

[@Seppevh]

+barbiquearea Holy shit

[@1Invinc]

History remembers. Yue Fei died a patriot and a hero, revered and remember by the Chinese for all times, and was elevated to the stature of his childhood hero, Guan Yu. In death, his lifelong dream was fulfilled. Poetic.

[@Gooong]

+tenlosol Its almost a good thing he died heroically like he did in his final battle. Had he survived, the king would be so angry with Yi that the people in Korea loves THE MAN WHO SAVED KOREA that he would have drummed up a way to kill him fearing his popularity would influence his own position as king. Yi is a devout Confusion and is all about discipline and honour and all that serving your king and country stuff. He would never plan to take his king's power.

[@tonylimberg8624]

Wow. How so much detailed story(history) telling regarding Admiral Yi Sun-shin, you are showing. Thank you for your posting and explanation 😊 ~~!!

[@Meowmento]

I just cant help but rewatch this over and over again 수고많으셨어요

[@AscendantStoic]

I salute you Admiral Yi, this guy is so freaking awesome .. such determination and persistence is truly admirable.

[@soupy4099]

I knew about the punic wars and justinian, but aside from that I knew nothing about any of the other series you did. Every new extra history is a fantastic experience for me. Every Saturday I await the upload of the well made, hand crafted, beautifully written, narrated, edited, and illustrated retellings of history. You tell history so it seems like a story, a long narrative that we are all a part of and joyfully await the next instalment of. I thank you for this, and for focusing on the lesser told annals of history.

[@user-wz6pn4wl4g]

Thank you. 간결한 그림체와 내용 잘 보고갑니다.감동입니다.

[@wristsosloppy528]

His famous words, “if you are willing to die in battle, you are going to survive. But if you are trying to survive, you will die.”

[@guyfawkes938]

What an episode... Can you imagine being a common Korean enlistee, up in the North fighting against invading tribes, and finding yourself next to what was probably already a bit of a national hero of the time that has not only had his rank stripped from him twice in the span of twelve years, but that is also about to regain it yet again? I would love to hear the stories that such a man would tell... And we haven't even gotten to the best bits yet!

[@notbobby125]

A question for James: Do the Korean and Japanese sources for the war differ in any major way, either in interpretation of the events, in style of presentation, or in the actual events themselves? If so, how did you rectify these differences?

[@ShadowWolfRising]

+notbobby125 while i don't honestly know, given what i've heard, i'm gonna say yes.

[@proof4469]

+notbobby125 Yes, definitely. You can simply go to Wikipedia, look up a battle in the war in the English version, look at the Korean version, and then look at the Japanese page. Everything is different, from the reported casualty count to the words and rhetoric. This war is still a *VERY* sensitive nationalistic topic in Japan and Korea (and somewhat in China). Example: In Korean and American sources, Admiral Yi is referred as an admiral of the navy, but in Japanese texts, he is given an image of a privateer/pirate commissioned by the Joseon court. In Western sources, the large naval battles are "battles," but in Japanese pages, they are downplayed as "Yi's raids". In my experience, the American sources are the most accurate and least biased, especially the newer writings (they balance between Chinese, Korean, and Japanese accounts). I have nothing against the Japanese, but their contemporary accounts are more painfuly biased compared to the contemporary accounts made by the Koreans and Chinese. The reason why Korean and Ming journals were less biased and accurate (casualties, wins/losses) is because the Joseon court and people were losing virtually *EVERY* battle on land, was fleeing north, and most of the bureaucrats expected a swift defeat; in other words, there was nothing to hide. In addition, the Joseon records did not sugercoat their numbers because they were at that time desperately trying to convince the Ming court that they were in deep trouble (the Ming in the beginning was reluctant to help, and when they did help, they were reluctant to send more men); in fact, it is more likely that the Koreans inflated their casualties than deflated them (this is disputed). Joseon records recorded everything, from details of the refugees to the individual incidents of regiments going AWOL, etc. as it all happened right in their homeland. Heck, the Korean records even openly acknowledge corruption problems within their own chain of command. Meanwhile, official Japanese records were also made from the front lines, but they were tailor made to report to Hideyoshi and his court back in Japan. Japan was recently unified, and any instances of failure was viewed as a threat to national security, thus it was either downplayed or censored out completely. To Hideyoshi, this war was supposed to be a unifying and team-building experience for his new generals and vassals. Admittedly, There are accurate Japanese records too, but they are not used in mainstream modern Japanese textbooks.

[@yurigagarin9765]

+You Truly interesting. Too bad it isn't among the top comments.

[@noelwym123]

+You Somewhat related but do you think that the hostility that both Koreas and China have towards Japan is in some way tied to this whitewashing of history? Because I don't really get why is it that while Germany and the countries it devastated in the Second World War are pretty cool with each other, the East Asian countries still hold some resentment towards Japan.

[@proof4469]

noelwym123 Yes and no. Although this war is still a strong source of nationalism for all three East Asian countries... it's not really the source of controversy in current politics. China and the Koreas (especially South Korea) are currently irate about Japan's whitewashing of more recent atrocities, such as Unit 731, the "rapes" in China during WWII (most famous being that of Nanjing), colonial atrocities and exploitation, and the wide use of "comfort women"' during the war (the issue that is on the news most often). The Japanese government doesn't downright deny any of these past atrocities above (their rhetoric is complicated), but they do give green lights for national history textbook publishers to either downplay, or ignore the "messy" areas in history. Previous class action lawsuits against the government of Japan were turned down because the Japanese government ruled that the people testifying to witnessing Japanese atrocities were downright liars looking to defame Japan. The people of Germany were very good at apologizing and making reparations in both money and heart, but the Japanese are still very defensive about their past footprints. The right wing parties in Japan recently made it their official policy to *downright* deny that any of these atrocities actually happened, and this caused much outrage in East Asia. What a mess...

[@dvdjhp]

Thx for spreading this legend throughout the world. 이순신 장군 만세!

[@mordet2]

I regularly come back to this series of episodes. I don't know why but every time I just tear up.