I will gladly accept any punishment if you withdraw your order to abolish
the navy!
I will end my life here if you so desire!
You are continue your attempt to break me?
Must I take your life with my own hands before you submit?
Very well. Consider your wish granted.
No, Your Majesty!
You cannot punish a subject by death for being forthright!
Do not interfere!
Please withdraw your sword!
Step aside!
Strike me instead!
This man has spent every waking moment of the day for a year
protecting the southern front!
If you forsake this faithful man, I, too, cannot observe your wishes!
Your Majesty, I beg you to strike me instead!
Your Majesty...
Your Majesty!
Father nearly killed Yi Soon-shin and Minister Yu Sung-ryong?
Yes, Your Highness. General Shin Lip and Minister Yoon Du-su are
accusing the high commander Yi of treason.
That means they're out to make Minister Yu a criminal as well!
How could this be happening?
You must stop defending a criminal of treason. That, too, is treasonous.
Criminal of treason? He is His Majesty's most faithful warrior!
Faithful? Ha!
How could a faithful servant force his way into the palace in arms and
threaten his King?
Your Majesty, please do not hesitate.
You must execute him and display the austerity of the law!
No, Your Majesty! You mustn't doubt Yi Soon-shin's loyalty!
Building that hideous Turtle Ship and causing the death of innocent
men alone is a crime punishable by death!
No one grieves for the loss more than Yi Soon-shin himself!
To a warrior, his men are like his own flesh and blood!
Your Majesty, isn't it true that you had great expectations for the
Turtle Ship as well?
You agreed that fighting the enemy at sea with an
assault vessel was a superior strategy.
I do not wish to take anymore risks.
Experience is the greatest asset on the battlefield.
Make no attempt to break my will!
It is not the generals in this room who protects the southern coast
nor is it His Majesty and the lords of the royal court. It is Yi Soon-shin.
Sun Mu said, in his book Art of War that he will win who has military
capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign!
This tells us that the judgment of the warrior who protects the front
is most important and accurate of all.
Interference? Do you consider this His Majesty's useless interference?
How dare you utter such blaspheme!
He is quoting a passage in the Art of War!
What's more important then the Art of War is the royal command!
How could a subject ignore the King's command, and how co n such insolent
man be allowed to lead the military?
Your Majesty, criminal of high treason Yi Soon-shin must be executed!
Defending high treason is also high treason, hence there must
be consequences for the Left Minister Yu Sung-ryong as well.
No, Your Majesty!
Sincere council cannot be confused with treason!
Are you trying break my will as well?
Your Majesty...
Leave!
Your Majesty!
I said leave! Do not attempt to break my will!
Or you will be punished regardless of who you are!
How foolish they are! If in excess even nectar is poison.
What do they think they can gain by acting like they care more
about the country than the King?
His Majesty will forsake Yu Sung-ryong as well.
The world is as good as yours now, Minister Yoon.
Not yet.
I need the two of you to fight the Japanese and win for me.
You don't have to worry, Minister Yoon.
I am counting on you.
You had once admonished me telling me that the world hasn't changed.
Do you recall?
How about now? Has the world changed now?
No, Your Majesty. Nothing has changed.
Where is the Left Minister?
Your Majesty...
Is he still by Yi Soon-shin's side?
I'm afraid so, Your Majesty.
Minister Yu...
the heavens will not forsake you.
All is calm on the water according to reconnaissance.
The archery competition between Soon-chun and Kwang-yang troops
was completed as scheduled.
The results of the battle formation drills are satisfactory as well.
We've completed spread formation and single file formation drills,
so we'd like to begin the overlapping reversed V formation drills tomorrow.
Well done, everyone.
Oh, at any rate, when will the High Commander be back with us?
I'm getting so anxious waiting for him...
Sir.
Was the artillery training conducted on land again, Captain Chung?
Yes.
I believe my Soon-chun and Kwang-yang troops are scheduled for an onboard
artillery training tomorrow.
There will be no training onboard.
Captain Chung!
Let me make it clear, Constable Kwon.
There will be no more naval training as far as the artillery is concerned.
Ensign Chung!
Yes, sir.
I want the cannons mounted on Soon-chun and Kwang-yang galleys tomorrow.
Constable Kwon!
I will do it. From now on, I will conduct the artillery training.
The High Commander is wrong! He's making a bad mistake!
You have got to stop confusing the soldiers by blindly following the
High Commander!
We are trying to do our duty as naval officers of Left Cholla.
Constable Kwon!
Have the cannons mounted by 09:00!
Yes, sir!
Give it up now. Some things are just not possible.
We have to reduce the weight of the iron plates.
And our budget is limited.
Find a way. Find a way to reduce the thickness!
I know you're anxious, Lieutenant, but this isn't going to work.
You know that there are metals that you can and can't forge.
How is it going?
Not very well?
We had surplus lumber for galleys and speed crafts, so the hull will
be build quickly if we work day and night, but...
I guess our problem is still the iron plates.
What do we do?
We need the Turtle Ship the High Commander is going to have a chance.
Do something, fellows!
Can't you get those iron plates thin and light like willow leaves?
This is so frustrating! Iron is not paper.
Why do you keep pushing us knowing that it's impossible?
I'm frustrated, that's why.
Do you think we're working with brass?
Metal... that means we have to change the type of metal...
But can we? Can we change the metal?
I'll handle the construction of the hull on the Turtle Ship.
I can't let you be in charge of it the way you're running around so
anxious and frantic.
I can't fail. I cannot fail this time?
Haste isn't going to solve anything.
It's better to go around than to fall into the ditch.
Make it work. Do whatever it takes to reduce the weight of the iron plates.
And stay away from the Turtle Ship until you've resolved this problem.
Will you stay reticent?
Prime Minister...
The virtue of politics is neutrality. It's impartiality.
Neutrality? That is all the more reason why you should rise and
rectify the situation.
High Commander Yi Soon-shin has not abolished the army.
There was not once a call for abolishment of the navy in the
200 years of its existence. Yoon Du-su and his generals are
overestimating their own ability and making a grave mistake.
If you act hastily with unsupported claims, you can get yourself hurt.
You must learn to keep a distance and lay low at times.
This is an advice not as the Prime Minister but as your father-in-law.
Father-in-law, do you consider me as your son?
Fathers take a whip to their sons to teach them what is right and wrong.
I would expect you to show me the true path of a scholar.
How much do you know about politics?
I know nothing about politics.
But I do know that a true scholar risks his life for righteousness.
If His Majesty seeks to forsake the High Commander and the Left Minister,
I will stop him at the risk of my life.
Duk-hyung!
Father...
are you angry?
Or are you afraid?
If you are afraid, kill them without hesitation.
But if you are angry, forgive them and give them a chance.
A sovereign does not fear his faithful servants.
He feels fear only when the safety of his kingdom is being threatened.
If those men are threatening the safety of the kingdom, they are
not your faithful servants.
But even the most faithful subjects may provoke the sovereign's anger.
And as there are more than one way o defend the country,
at times they may disagree with you.
Their approach may be different, but if you know that what they
do is for the safety of Chosun, embrace them and show them your
magnanimity.
Father...
Benevolent rulers of all ages and have never spared their efforts to
win loyalty of good men.
How did you acquire Minister Yu Sung-ryong?
How much opposition did you have to fight through to place Yi Soon-shin
in command of the Left Cholla Naval Station?
You can forsake a good man in a instant, but it will not be easy
to find another good man.
Your Majesty, offer your warm hands to them first.
And they will return your virtue by serving you with their lives.
There is not one naval commander in the three lower provinces that
support you.
No one else has resisted my order to abolish the navy.
Why do you insist on walking the lonely path that no one else will go near?
It is to fight a victorious fight.
To fight a victorious fight...
You wouldn't be uttering empty words to the King.
Honor your word!
If you suffer one single defeat, I will indeed abolish the navy!
What's more, I will take your life and the lives of your men as well!
I will not commit the impiety of making Your Majesty take our lives.
As long as I'm alive, I will fight the enemy and win,
and if I must die.
I will die on the battlefield as an enemy of the enemy.
High Commander of Left Cholla Naval Station Yi Soon-shin?
Yes, Your Highness.
Please serve my father well.
I, Yi Soon-shin, will protect this country Chosun with my life.
You're looking at me with eyes of pity.
Your Majesty...
I've ceded to the stubborn subjects Yu Sung-ryong and Yi Soon-shin again.
Is that what you think?
No, Your Majesty.
How could I when you've killed two birds with one stone?
Killed two birds?
One, you've renewed the loyalty of High Commander Yi Soon-shin and Left
Minister Yu Sung-ryong,
and two, you've stopped Yoon Du-su's influence from growing out of
proportion since military leaders Shin Lip, Yi Il and Won Kyun are
Westerners.
In February of 1592 when the talks of abolishing the navy was casing a stir
in Chosun, the Japanese fleet laid anchored in a harbor delaying the
launching which was to take place on March 1st.
It was because Hideyoshi had suddenly taken ill.
Postpone the launch?
There will be no launching until His Eminence's recovery.
Asians Conquest has always been His Eminence the Taiko's cherished dream.
It is his will that he will direct this war himself.
Then how much longer must be stay here?
Your orders are to return to Nagoya for now.
Return to Nagoya? Think about the morale of the soldiers!
They will feel like we are retreating before we fight!
This may be turn out to be blessing.
A blessing?
So now we see the true you, General Dodo.
It comes time to go to war and you're getting scared!
That is untrue!
Of course it is!
Master, I'd like to conduct a naval training when we return to Nagoya.
Training?
Battle formation training to be precise.
There is more to fighting a naval war than simply just being there.
We'we been through this before, Dodo!
We must eliminate even the most remote possibility.
All of the naval leaders of Chosun are more experienced in land battles!
And so are you, General Wakizaka.
You're the best naval leader in Japan, and yet you're better at land battles.
There is a possibility.
They could be concentrating on different military exercises
because they are already practiced in maneuvering their fleet.
Yes. There are many variables on a battlefield.
It is wise to consider all possibilities.
Also, to win a war, you must forestall the enemy.
And to forestall the enemy, you must win the first battle.
If we are met with unanticipated resistance from Chosun Navy and
experience complications in landing, what would happen to the morale of
the soldiers who have traveled across the ocean to a foreign land?
Dodo and Wakizaka continue to clash?
Internal division is the greatest enemy, Your Eminence.
Reasonable amount of rivalry can so increase productivity.
But the fact that there is Konishi behind Dodo and Kato behind Wakizaka
is what bothers me.
If I keep them together, they will be more concerned with fight for
power than fight against Chosun.
How about changing the lineup of the advance guards?
That's what we will do. Send Wkizaka with Konishi.
Konishi thinks too much. He needs a decisive comrade to push him.
And for the same reason, we will pair Dodo with Kato.
High Commander...
His Majesty has acknowledged your loyalty.
Sir!
Weigh it. Hurry up!
We don't need to! It's much lighter!
Be quiet. From now on we're going to look a hundred times before we leap.
As we should!
Is that good? That's good, isn't it?
I think it's light enough that we won't have any problem with the
force of restoration.
Yes!
What's wrong, Lieutenant? I though you'd jump for joy.
If we use copper and iron alloy, our problem will be solved.
Right?
Then our problem is solved! What's wrong?
Copper is many times more expensive than iron. Who is going to give us
the money when they want to get rid of the navy altogether?
You don't need to worry about the budget.
High Commander!
I'm very proud of you. You finally resolved the problem!
Sir!
Now you can go full speed ahead with the construction of the Turtle Ship.
Don't worry about the budget and just get the Turtle Ship built.
Sir!
Yes, just get it built!
I'll go around to all the temples in the country and steal their bells if
I have to, so you just build the ship!
His Majesty has withdraw his order to abolish the navy!
You've worked hard o maintain the base, Captain Chung.
The navy is powerless without the cannons. I'm counting on you.
If it is an order, I will obey it.
Preserve the navy?
His Majesty has given Yi Soon-shin his hand of support?
That man has go to stop sabotaging the front with his arrogance and
guileful tongue!
Perhaps it was not Yi Soon-shin's guile but His Majesty came to a
decision on his own that it might be unwise to organize the military
to one extreme.
Captain Han! Are you trying to add insult to injury?
Why do you always take Yi Soon-shin's side?
This is not matter to take sides. Then do you think that the King is
a gullible man that can be played by a servant?
That would be grave impiety.
If we must fight as a navy, perhaps we should seek counsel of
High Commander Yi Soon-shin.
What? Seek counsel?
High Commander Won has everything under control!
From what I understand, the Left Cholla Navy has researched and
developed various ways to fight the enemy at sea. Then...
Silence!
Sir, this is not something you should be angry about.
Yi Soon-shin is not our enemy. We should learn from each other
and work together to make the navy stronger.
Silence, I said!
Go back to your camps and build some decent galleys for now.
Whether we fight on land or at sea, we do not need any help
from Yi Soon-shin!
I will fight my own way!
What's the most important thing for an oarsmen?
Teamwork!
You must work together to make the ship glide forward!
Is that clear!
Cadence and rhythm! Do you hear me!
I... have a difficult request.
I hate to do this, but...
I'll do it. I'll get on board with my men.
It's only right that I should row the new Turtle Ship.
Young-gap...!
That's your request, isn't it?
Don't worry. I was going to volunteer if you didn't ask.
The other guys will refuse to do it no matter how safe you say it is.
And there's another reason why I have to do this.
Those poor boys that died out there...
I have to see them off to the peaceful place.
Once they see the Turtle Ship zipping through the waves,
they will finally feel peace.
I should be the on the see them off.
Tomorrow?
The Turtle Ship will be ready for launching tomorrow?
Yes, sir.
Well done.
Sir,
there is something I'd like to do before the launching.
It's a terrible loss... They were like sons to me.
I'm glad we have you now.
At least no one will die because of a wound that's left untreated.
Nupchool...
Getting the Turtle Ship built... every moment was mother battle.
It is the blood and sweat of the Left Cholla Navy that built the
ultimate assault vessel.
Those lives that have been sacrificed in the process of
its birth, their deaths will not be allowed to end in vain.
We will remember that they were the bravest soldiers of Left Cholla Navy.
Launch!
Heave! Heave!
Turn the ship around!
Left oars forward! Right oars rearward!
Fire the cannons! Fire the cannons!
April 12, 1592, Chosun's most powerful assault vessel the Turtle Ship made
its first appearance on the pages of history after completing its test run.
This was only one day before the outbreak of Yimjin War.
The historical significance of the Turtle Ship goes deeper than being
an attack ship. It was a brilliant achievement of science and technology
built on 5.000 years of arts and culture, and it was the most
innovative invention in Korean history.
Twenty-three battles and twenty-three victories... The Turtle Ship is at the
heart of this incredible legend about Yi Soon-shin and his men.
The architect and engineer of the Turtle Ship Na Dae-yong
is a notable scientist that Chosun produced in the 16th century,
and Yi Soon-shin who trusted his creative vision
and supported him is perhaps the true epitome of a modern leader.
The courage and patriotism of Yi Soon-shin and his men
who fought bravely for the next seven years remain as honorable
traditions in the Korean navy to this day.
A main force destroyer in the modem Korean Navy is named after Yi Soon-shin,
and three of it submarines are named after Me Dae-yong,
Chung Oon and Commander of Bang-dap Yi Soon-shin.
So this is Chosun...
So.
Yes, sir!
Send out the scouts.
Yes, sir!
This is war at last...!
On April 13, 1592, some seven hundred Japanese warships appeared on the
coast of Pusan.
It was the advance guard of Chosun invasion Konishi Yukinaga's fleet.
This was its beginning of the brutal seven-year war between
Chosun and Japan...