South Korean Navy and Worthy Descendants of Yi Sun-shin
... (1598), which cost him his life, when about 150 Korean and Chinese vessels defeated the fleet of about 500 boats, according to Korean sources, carrying the retreating Japanese army home. Despite its glamorous past, the current Republic of Korea’s navy is fairly young. The Association of Naval Affairs of Korea was established on 11 November 1945, with Sohn Won Il at the head. This entity became the Korean Coastal Guard and subsequently, on 15 August 1948, the South Korean Navy. Sohn Won Il became the first ever Chief of Staff of the Navy. However, the first Korean fleet was capable only of providing for the country's coastal defence. It had two second-hand, 1,500-ton US patrol frigates with a total strength ...