Admiral Yi Yun-shin - Jindo Bridge - Jindo, Korea
Posted by: 
silverquill
N 34° 34.405 E 126° 18.407
52S E 252938 N 3829034
This is a larger than life bronze statue of celebrated Admiral Yi Sun-shin, on the end of the Great Jindo Bridge near where he won a decisive battle against the numerically superior invading forces of Japan in the 16th century.
Waymark Code: WMEDC1
Location: Jeolla nam do, South Korea
Date Posted: 05/11/2012
Views: 1
This statue is on the northeast abutment of the second Jindo Bridge, and on the other side is a bronze replica of one of his fabled turtle ships, the first iron clad ships in the world.. There are identical statues on the south end of the bridge. It depicts Admiral Lee, somewhat larger than life-size, standing with his right hand raised, holding a baton, and a long sword in his left hand at his side. He is dressed in full battle armor.
The Great Jindo Bridge itself was a historic construction in 1984 as the longest suspension bridge in Korea at the time. A second bridge, on which this statue stands, was built in 2005 beside the original, narrow bridge.
Admiral Yi (also spelled Lee, pronounced in Korean simply as "ee") is undoubtedly the most celebrated hero in Korean history. Statues of him are everywhere, including the monumental statue in Gwangwhamun, Seoul. But, he is especially honored here on the southern coast of Korea where his final battles with the Japanese invaders took place. The Yi Sun-shin Victory Park, with its gigantic statue of Admiral Yi, is located at the south end of this bridge, on the island of Jindo.
Yi Sun-shin was a brilliant military strategist. Although he had no prior naval training or experience, his dominance during the Japanese invasion of the Korean peninsula in the 16th century is legendary. Indeed, his defeat of the Japanese in battle after battle, was the crucial element in their defeat after they had nearly consolidated their occupation, with designs to move on into China.
This bridge spans the Myeongnyang Straight, between Jindo and the mainland, where Admiral Yi fought one of the most decisive and celebrated battles of the war, crushing an armada of 113 Japanese warships and its 200 support vessels with only 13 of his own ships. It was partly his knowledge of the treacherous tides here, rated as the fastest tidal currents in Asia, with its unpredictable eddies and reversals, that led to Yi's great victory on October 26, 1597