Historical significance of Seocheon

By Choe Chong-dae

I took a romantic train trip recently to Seocheon County, South Chungcheong Province, from Seoul to Janghang railway station. What was most inspiring in that coastal town was the site of Gibeolpo Naval Battle at the Geum River Estuary. In commemoration of the naval battle, a small monument stands at the end of Janghang Skywalk, an observation deck.

Unlike Hansan Naval Battle and Myeongnyang Naval Battle where the Korean hero Admiral Yi Sun-sin (1545-98) repelled Japanese invaders in 1597, Gibeolpo Naval Battle in Janghang, Seocheon, is not as well known to the public.

Throughout Korean history, Gibeolpo Naval Battle has been regarded as a great naval victory because Silla forces annihilated Tang Chinese forces. The Samguksagi, a collection of Korean historical records of the Three Kingdoms (Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla), describes Si-deuk, later called Admiral Kim Si-deuk, as having played a decisive role in bringing about victory to Silla in the Battle of Gibeolpo in 676.

Although Admiral Si-deuk lost the first battle against Tang General Xue Rengui's forces, he triumphed over the Tang's invasion, destroying many of their warships and causing several thousand causalities of Tang's soldiers in 22 battles despite being vastly outnumbered. His remarkable leadership, outstanding tactics and expert knowledge of the geographical features led to Silla's victory. Subsequently, Silla took the lead in the war on the western sea of Korea and ended the seven-year-long war.

Ultimately, victory of the Gibeolpo Naval Battle brought about establishment of the first independent and entirely unified Korean kingdom by uniting Goguryeo and Baekje under Unified Silla. Accordingly, the Gibeolpo Naval Battle site in Janghang port town enshrines the identity of our ancestors who sought to protect Korea. Watching the panoramic view of the endless sea at the site of Gibeolpo Naval Battle, I was transported back to the time of Tang China's invasion and the echo of Silla's shouts of victory in the 7th century.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries honored Admiral Kim Si-deuk by recognizing him as a Korean maritime historical figure in October 2016 in honor of his outstanding dedication in the naval battle between Silla and Tang.

In addition, more than two centuries ago two British naval vessels, Lyra and Alcete, anchored off Maryang Estuary in Seocheon towards the west sea of Korea and local officials went aboard for a look while those vessels conducted a survey of the area to produce a nautical chart in 1816.

While in Maryang, Captain Waxwell of the ships presented to the Korean officials a copy of the King James Bible. According to Ilseong-rok, an official daily journal of state affairs during the reign of King Seongjo (r:1830-1834) of the Joseon Kingdom, Captain Maxwell handed a copy of the King James Bible to Cho Dae-bok, maritime officer of Maryang port town. Notably, a travelogue called “Voyage of His Majesty's Ship Alceste, Along the Coast of Corea, to the Island of Lewchew,” was written by John McLeod, the ship's doctor, in 1818. It contains detailed illustrations depicting the historical encounter between Westerners and Koreans. In recognition of the historical site, a Bible Memorial Hall was established at Marang Village in Seocheon in 2016.

The historical significance of Seocheon should not be undervalued. Regrettably, its population has been declining gradually. We should be fostering domestic tourism to not only invigorate regional economic growth but to also educate future generations of Koreans on how Seocheon contributes to Korea's cultural richness.

Choe Chong-dae (choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and director of the Korean-Swedish Association.