The National Museum of Korea is launching a major new exhibition on Admiral Yi Sun-sin (1545–98), offering an unusually intimate look at both the legendary commander’s battlefield brilliance and the private struggles that shaped him, curators announced Thursday.

Opening Friday in Seoul, “The Great Admiral Yi Sun-sin” brings together 258 artifacts, including the original manuscript of Yi’s wartime diary “Nanjung Ilgi,” the 1647 chronicle “Chingbirok” by statesman Yu Sŏngnyong (1542–1607), and several of Yi’s personal weapons.

Yi, a commanding figure of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), led Korea’s navy through the Japanese invasions of 1592–98, collectively known as the Imjin War. Though vastly outnumbered, his fleet did not lose a single battle. He was killed during the final engagement at Noryang in 1598.

While exhibitions on Yi Sun-sin are hardly new, this marks the first time the National Museum of Korea has organized one. It coincides with the 480th anniversary of Yi's birth and the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation.

“Yi Sun-sin is a figure who transformed impossibility into possibility,” said curator Seo Yoon-hee during a press preview at the museum in Yongsan District. “His anguish in moments of defeat, his despair and crisis, and his refusal to collapse — his determination to rise again — speak to challenges we still face today.”

The exhibition unfolds in four sections, beginning with Yi’s preparations ahead of the Imjin War and progressing through his defining victories, from the Battle of Myeongnyang (1597) to his death at Noryang. A later section traces Yi’s life in his own words through manuscripts, letters and personal belongings, before examining how he has been remembered from the 17th century to the present.

Among the highlights are 20 artifacts comprising 34 individual objects preserved by Yi’s descendants, including one of his swords. The show also offers a rare look at Japanese materials held by daimyo families — helmets, spears, portraits and wooden statues of warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–98), who orchestrated the invasions.

Yet the exhibition aims to humanize Yi as much as it venerates him.

“We know Yi Sun-sin as an unfaltering icon, but the breadth of objects here shows a far more nuanced figure — a man of poetry, a devoted father and someone who spent many nights wrestling with duty and fear,” Seo said.

Museum director You Hong-june emphasized that the show is meant not only to honor a national hero but to speak to contemporary audiences.

“Admiral Yi’s writings are records of war, yes — but also records of a human being enduring hardship,” he said. “I hope this exhibition becomes a source of encouragement for all who are striving to overcome difficulties in their own lives.”

The exhibition opens Friday at the National Museum of Korea.

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Jason Yim yimjongho1969@gmail.com