Cheoyongmu, a royal court dance, was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. According to legend, Cheoyong, the son of a dragon king, returned home late at night only to find four feet in his room—two belonging to his wife and two to a spirit of plague. Instead of reacting with anger, Cheoyong sang a song and performed a dance. Moved by his generosity and noble character, the spirit was astonished and vowed never to return. This tale of Cheoyong is recorded in the Samguk Yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms).
Admiral Yi Sun-sin, known posthumously as Chungmugong, is celebrated as a national hero who saved Korea from the brink of collapse during the Japanese invasions of the Imjin War. This conflict was an international war in which Joseon and Ming China allied to repel Japan’s invasions. Beginning in the 25th year of King Seonjo’s reign (1592), Japan launched two major invasions of Joseon, the first breaking out in the year of Imjin, hence the name Imjin War . Admiral Yi personally commanded every battle he fought, achieving an unprecedented record of consecutive victories unmatched in world naval history. His strategies are so renowned that they continue to be studied in naval academies in the United States, Britain, Japan, and beyond. So closely linked are Admiral Yi and the turtle ship ( geobukseon ) that one is often invoked in reference to the other. Even today, a turtle ship is displayed near the statue of Admiral Yi at Gwanghwamun in Seoul. Japanese soldiers once called it mekura bu...
