The city of Seoul announced that an international academic conference titled “Meeting Admiral Yi Sun-sin in Seoul” will be held on the 25th at 10:30 a.m. in the multipurpose hall on the 8th floor of Seoul City Hall’s main building, celebrating the 480th birthday of Admiral Yi Sun-sin. This academic conference aims to shed new light on the historical significance of Seoul in the life of Admiral Yi.
Admiral Yi Sun-sin was born in 1545 in an area believed to be Geoncheon-dong, now known as Inhyeon-dong, and spent his childhood in Seoul. His central government official career and military service also began there. However, up to now, Seoul’s connection with Admiral Yi has been underrepresented, with related facilities limited to a “birthstone marker” and a small underground exhibition hall at Gwanghwamun Square called the ‘Story of Admiral Yi’.
The conference will comprehensively examine research outcomes and historical evaluations of Admiral Yi, focusing on the relationship with Seoul. Particularly, the presentation under the theme ‘Why Seoul for Admiral Yi Sun-sin?’ will highlight the pivotal points Seoul had in Admiral Yi’s life.
The keynote lecture will be given by Professor Emeritus Mark Peterson of Brigham Young University in the United States. Following him will be presentations by Korean scholars, including Sang-bae Lee, research commissioner of the Seoul History Compilation Institute, Min-woong Lee, professor at Daegu Catholic University, and Young-goo Noh, professor at the Korean National Defense University. Additionally, international scholars such as Yasushi Inoue, professor at Japan’s National Defense Academy, and Weiguo Sun, professor at Nankai University in China, will participate in the presentations.
The topics will range from Admiral Yi’s personal insights and international stature to his connection with Seoul, current research on the Imjin War, changing perceptions of Yi Sun-sin in Korea and Japan, naval relations between Joseon and China, and Western evaluations of Yi Sun-sin. The final presentation will propose directions for establishing a memorial hall dedicated to Admiral Yi. A comprehensive discussion, led by Professor Emeritus Seung-cheol Son of Kangwon National University, will follow the presentations.
The academic conference is open to all Seoul citizens, and pre-registration is required to ensure smooth operation. Seoul plans to publish a booklet summarizing the contents of the presentations after the event.
“This international academic conference is a new opportunity to highlight the historical significance of Seoul throughout Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s life journey,” said Mache-sook Ma, head of the Seoul Cultural Headquarters. “Seoul will continue to expand its public cultural foundation, allowing citizens and the world to collectively remember and experience the historical locality and legacy associated with Admiral Yi Sun-sin.”