If we win, the enemy will be greatly discouraged. “I propose to fight,” declared Song, “however superior the enemy might be. A magistrate named Shin Ho expressed the feelings of many when he said, “It is the prime mission of our navy to defend this province.” Shin Ho’s proposal seemed shortsighted to Song Hi-Rip, who counseled offensive action against the Japanese enemy. Tempers flared as the debate grew over what course of action to take. Korea’s destiny was in the hands of these men the country’s independence and their cultural survival as a people hung in the balance. Certainly all looked to him for guidance. Some were fearful, some brave, some uncertain. A shrewd judge of character, he could read the emotions in the faces of the men assembled around him. Within three weeks of landing in Korea, Japanese forces had captured Seoul, large parts of which were looted and put to the torch.Īs the conference began, Admiral Yi glanced about the room. Consternation reigned and morale plummeted as the grim news filtered into Cholla province-tales of Korean defeats, of towns taken and inhabitants put to the sword. The weather matched the mood, which was heavy with foreboding, and officials exchanged anxious glances as they filed into the Chinhaeru Pavilion.Ībout two weeks earlier, Japanese troops had landed at Pusan, the first wave of a massive invasion that would eventually number 150,000 men. The calendar may have suggested spring, but the day was cloudy and threatened rain. Admiral Yi Sun Shin summoned a conference of high-ranking military officers and civil magistrates to his headquarters at Yosu, a port on the southern coast of Korea. It was May 1, 1592, mere weeks before the start of the Imjin War.
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