Yi Sunsin

Yi Sun-sin (1545–1598) was a military commander of mid-Joseon Korea who led the Joseon navy during the Japanese invasions (Imjin War), winning a string of decisive engagements including the battles of Hansan, Myeongnyang, and Noryang. With tactics built around the turtle ship (geobukseon), he held command of the southern seas and played a major part in saving the country from disaster; the war diary he kept, the Nanjung ilgi, survives as a valuable historical record of his life and of the war itself.