Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
INTERVIEW Admiral Yi Sun-sin's epic saga concludes in 'Noryang: Deadly Sea'
Actor Kim Yoon-seok plays the role of Yi Sun-sin in the period action film "Noryang: Deadly Sea." Courtesy of Acemaker Movieworks and Lotte Entertainment
By Lee Gyu-lee
Director, actor share heavy responsibility of portraying Korea's iconic historical figure
The new period action film “Noryang: Deadly Sea” marks the end of a decade-long film trilogy on one of Korea’s most highly regarded historical figures — Admiral Yi Sun-sin.
Director Kim Han-min / Courtesy of Acemaker Movieworks and Lotte Entertainment
Since its release on Dec. 20, the film has garnered attention as it adds a defining chapter to the series that began with "The Admiral: Roaring Currents” (2014), which garnered over 17.6 million ticket sales, followed by “Hansan: Rising Dragon” (2022).
“I couldn’t believe this day would come. Looking back, time passed quickly from ‘The Admiral: Roaring Currents’ to ‘Noryang.' I felt I should achieve a successful outcome as an end,” the film series’ director Kim Han-min said during an interview with The Korea Times at a cafe in Jongno District, central Seoul, Tuesday.
“And to do that, I strongly felt the need to clearly and accurately convey the purpose of making each series. I feel proud that I was able to make the movie as I intended.”
This film follows the last battle of Yi (Kim Yoon-seok), the Battle of Noryang, which took his life during the Japanese invasions of Korea (1592–1598).
It delves into the last phase of Yi’s life as he prepares for the last major battle on the sea to annihilate the Japanese force as it retreated from Joseon, which put an end to the conflicts. It zooms in on Yi’s determination to claim a complete victory over Japan so as to prevent further invasions in the future.
The previous two installments cover Yi’s other two significant battles during this tumultuous period.
A scene from the film "Noryang: Deadly Sea" / Courtesy of Acemaker Movieworks and Lotte Entertainment
Noting that he didn’t want this film to be just another sequel, the director said the focus of this last installment is to do with the reasons Yi forged ahead with the last battle.
“The huge success of ‘The Admiral’ was a great help. I put in a lot of effort to avoid making ‘Hansan’ and ‘Noryang’ merely as sequels from the previous success. It took me time to contemplate what kind of film ‘Noryang’ would be and how it could establish its own presence,” he said.
"In ‘Noryang,’ it was crucial to explore why Admiral Yi Sun-sin fiercely and relentlessly engaged in the battle and continued the war that everyone was saying was over. I felt finding the answers would give meaning to making this piece. And the answer that I found was Admiral’s determination for a complete closure and surrender."
Actor Kim Yoon-seok took on the role of Yi, followed by actor Choi Min-sik for the first installment and Park Hae-il for the second. The director shared that Kim Yoon-seok was the perfect fit to bring together the previous portrayals of Yi by two actors.
“Kim Yoon-seok is a unique actor who has both the courageous admiral from ‘The Admiral’ and the wise strategist from ‘Hansan.’ With this work, it was crucial to show Yi’s inner struggles and wisdom to end the war. As I think of the actor who exudes such an aura, Kim Yoon-seok was a fitting choice,” the actor said.
“I felt he was an incredibly talented actor. He said from the start that he would completely trust himself to my world of Yi Sun-sin. His respect for the director was tremendous. It was the first time I’ve experienced something like this."
The film "Noryang: Deadly Sea" opened in local theaters Dec. 20. Courtesy of Acemaker Movieworks and Lotte Entertainment
Actor Kim shared that he was both curious and overwhelmed when he was offered the role.
“It felt overwhelming that two actors before me did an outstanding job with the character. But Admiral Yi Sun-sin, himself, put on the weight. As the two actors, I just had to rely on him,” he said, adding the script moved him to take the heavy role.
“I found the script to be truly excellent. I liked how the relationships between Joseon, Japan and the Ming Dynasty were intricately woven together … In the end, there was a lot to unfold in Noryang. I believed this film would mark the beginning and end of Yi’s seven-year war, and share the relationships and grievances he accumulated over that time.”
He tried to put himself in Yi’s shoes as he went through the last part of his life, such as going through struggles during the war and losing his beloved son to the Japanese.
“Noryang was the toughest period for the admiral. He struggled the most between the Battle of Myeongnyang and Noryang. A lot of the generals who fought together died towards the end of the seven-year war, including his closest comrades,” he said.
A still from the film "Noryang: Deadly Sea" / Courtesy of Acemaker Movieworks and Lotte Entertainment
“After going through heated passion in Hansan and extreme strength and beliefs in Myeongnyang, Yi found himself in solitude at the Battle of Noryang, pondering how he would bring meaning to the war's end.”
The film refrains from being overly dramatic, although it follows the last breath of Yi amid the battle, spending the majority of its running time on the battlefield.
The director shared that he trusted Yi’s perseverance and his sincerity towards the cause and that that would speak for itself.
“I believed Admiral Yi Sun-sin's death itself would leave a clear message for future generations. I wanted to capture the authenticity and sincerity of the admiral as much as possible,” he said, adding he came up with additional lines, which were not in the historical record, for his death scene.
“I contemplated what went through his mind when he passed away. And with this aspect, I added the line, 'We must never let this war end like this.’”