The Joseon Navy (; Hanja: 朝鮮水軍) was the navy of the Korean dynasty of Joseon. While originally commissioned to protect merchant vessels and coastal towns from Japanese pirate raids, the Joseon navy is best known for defeating the Japanese naval forces during the Imjin War and is often credited with halting the Japanese invasion campaign and saving the dynasty from conquest. "His naval victories were to prove decisive in the Japanese defeat, although Yi was to die during his final battle in 1598.""Just as a complete Japanese victory appeared imminent, Admiral Yi entered the war and quickly turned the tide.""Yi's successes gave Korea complete control of the sea lanes around the peninsula, and the Korean navy was able to intercept most of the supplies and communications between Japan and Korea"Elisonas, Jurgis. "The inseparable trinity: Japan's relations with China and Korea." The Cambridge History of Japan. Vol. 4. Ed. John Whitney Hall. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1991. pp. 278Lee, Ki-baik. A New History of Korea. Trans. Edward W. Wagner and Edward J. Schultz. Seoul: Ilchokak, 1984. pp. 212
History
Throughout Korea's naval history, rough waters around Korea's coast usually change tides and currents. Korean shipbuilding tradition centered on creating simple but structurally sound vessels that emphasized strength and power rather than speed. The Joseon Navy utilized warships from the Goryeo Dynasty to defend against wokou. In the 15th century, under the decree of King Sejong, more powerful cannons were developed and tested. The cannons on battleships proved to be a great success during actions against Japanese pirate ships.
In 1419, King Sejong sent Yi Chongmu to raid the Japanese on Tsushima Island in the Oei Invasion as a response to Japanese Wokou raids on Korean coastal cities. Yi took 227 Korean ships and approximately 17,000 soldiers, landed, attacked, and plundered Japanese pirate settlements on Tsushima Island. The So clan, the ruling family of Tsushima, requested negotiations. In the diplomatic exchanges that followed, Korea permitted the So clan to continue trade with Korean coastal harbors under the condition that they suppress the activities of Japanese pirates.
During the Joseon dynasty, the navy and maritime operations fell into disuse, while fishing vessels continued to operate and prosper. The entire military was ignored and weakened because of the relative peace during the Joseon dynasty. Also, with the policy of Korean kings that emphasized agriculture and Confucian ideals, the Korean navy, along with the rest of the Korean military, weakened steadily. However, Korea eventually developed strong wooden ships called that made up the backbone of the Joseon navy. and the Korean navy were most widely used during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592-1598), particularly under the leadership of Admiral Yi Sun-sin. Admiral Yi also developed the turtle ship, based upon an older design. The Kobukson, or Turtle Ship, was the world's first armor-plated warship.
By the end of the 19th century, the Joseon Navy had no significant naval force"The First US Naval Attaché to Korea". Central Intelligence Agency Official Website. Retrieved May 6, 2007. other than coast defense fortresses. Although according to the Geunsejoseonjeonggam, both the government and private entities owned a total of 143 steamships. In March 1893, the Korean Imperial Naval Academy (통제영학당,統制營學堂) was established. The academy produced approximately 160 officers before its closure during and after the First Sino-Japanese War.
Organization In the early Joseon period, each port had a naval commander (水軍都節制使), a deputy naval commander (水軍都僉節制使), and a naval administrator (水軍處置使). During King Sejong's reign, the naval commander was renamed to naval pacification administrator (水軍都安撫處置使) and was assisted by high-ranking officers such as Domanho (都萬戶) and Manho (萬戶). According to the 『Gyeongguk Daejeon』, under the garrison system, naval commanders were stationed in major garrisons, deputy naval commanders in large garrisons, and Manho in various garrisons.
The command system of the naval forces was that one or two provincial commanders from each province commanded a provincial naval base, and each coastal county and city had a naval commander. The majority of the Joseon Navy was stationed in Gyeongsang, Jeolla, and Chungcheong provinces. After several reorganizations concerning the naval command of the military magistrates during the reign of King Sejong, he established the naval commander system, under which the naval commanders were placed.
During the reign of King Sejong, the naval forces were systematically organized in terms of the number of troops, military ships, and the establishment of forts at various ports. The naval forces and the regular army were the main conscripted forces among the civilian population. During the reign of King Seongjong in 1475, out of a total of 148,849 soldiers, the naval forces numbered 48,800, and the regular army numbered 72,109. The naval forces were supplemented not only by coastal residents but also by people from inland regions. Among the naval forces, positions such as Jinmu (鎭撫), Jiin (知印), Yeongsa (令史), Sagwan (射官), and Yeongseondumok (領船頭目) were given preferential treatment over lower-ranking soldiers.
According to the 『Gyeongguk Daejeon』, military ships were classified and distributed into large, medium, and small fierce ships (大中小猛船) for each port in each province. The total number of military ships nationwide was 737, including 81 large fierce ships, 195 medium fierce ships, and 461 small fierce ships. The crew size for each type of ship was 80 for large fierce ships, 60 for medium fierce ships, and 30 for small fierce ships. Excluding non-military ships, the total crew size multiplied by the number of ships equaled 24,400, which matched half of the total number of naval forces (48,800), aligning with the two-shift rotation system.
In the naval organization of the late Joseon period, shield ships were typically deployed in one of two formations: shield ship, 1 armed ship (byeongseon), and 2 patrol ships (sahuseon), or warship (jeonseon), 1 shield ship, 1 armed ship, and 2–3 patrol ships.
The first arrangement was typical of naval posts in Hwanghae and Chungcheong Provinces, while the second was used in Jeolla Province, where maritime defense was of greater importance.
Ranks The navy’s command structure in the early Joseon period included posts such as the Naval Commander-in-Chief (Sugŭn Dojeoljesa, 水軍都節制使), Deputy Commander (Sugŭn Doch‘ŏmjeoljesa, 水軍都僉節制使), and Naval Commissioner (Sugŭn Ch‘ŏch’isa, 水軍處置使). In Sejong’s reign, the Dojeoljesa was renamed the Doanmuch‘ŏch’isa (水軍都安撫處置使), with subordinate officials including the Domanho (都萬戶) and Manho (萬戶). According to the Kyŏngguk Taejŏn (經國大典), under the local fortress system (Jingwanje, 鎭管制), the main fort was commanded by a Naval Jeoldosa (水軍節度使), major forts by a Naval Deputy Commander (Sugŭn Ch‘ŏmjeoljesa), and smaller forts by Manho. A ship's crew comprises rowers, gunners, sailors, low-ranking officers, lieutenants, and a captain.