A Historical Research on the Character Evaluation of Yi Sun-sin by Go Sang-an(高尙顔): Focusing on Physiognomy and Epidemic
Authors:   THE  TAEDONG  CENTER  FOR  EASTERN  CLASSICS, LIM Chae-Woo 
Published: January 2024

Yi Sun-sin is a national hero who defeated Japanese invasions (Imjin War) and a globally renowned great commander. Recently, there have been various issues raised in our society regarding the standard portrait of Yi Sun-sin. In our academic community, the issue of Yi Sun-sin's appearance has been discussed in connection with the portrait of Admiral Yi Sun-sin. However, there are records from the Joseon Dynasty that describe the appearance of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, but they contain conflicting information. Therefore, the question of how to represent the appearance of Admiral Yi Sun-sin in the future is a significant challenge. In this study, in this very context, we have compiled and compared records that mention Admiral Yi Sun-sin's appearance and have examined them in comparison with existing portraits, attempting to estimate Admiral Yi Sun-sin's appearance. Including Ryu Seong-ryong (柳成龍), figures like Kim Eung-nam, Yun Hyu, Hong Woo-won, Choi Yoo-hae, Kwak Yeol, and others recorded Admiral Yi Sun-sin as a courageous commander who possessed both literary and martial virtues. In contrast, Go Sang-an pointed out that Admiral Yi Sun-sin had shrunken lips and an appearance lacking plumpness, giving an unfortunate impression. Unlike other records, Go Sang-an specifically pointed out the shortcomings in Admiral Yi Sun-sin's lips and appearance, which also led some to consider it as a possible representation of Admiral Yi Sun-sin's actual appearance. In this context, this study focused on Go Sang-an's records regarding Admiral Yi Sun-sin's appearance and compared them with other records, analyzing the physiognomic significance contained in his mentions. To do so, a comparison was made with current portraits of Admiral Yi Sun-sin and his descendants. As a result, it became evident that the mention of Go Sang-an did not reveal the actual appearance of Admiral Yi Sun-sin but rather connected it to the sudden death of Admiral Yi Sun-sin in later years, expressing it through physiognomy. Furthermore, based on records regarding Admiral Yi Sun-sin's health status at that time, it was confirmed that the meaning behind Go Sang-an's character evaluation was not about flaws in Admiral Yi Sun-sin's appearance but rather that Go Sang-an made his observations and recordings during a period when Admiral Yi Sun-sin was extremely exhausted from warfare and suffered from typhoid fever, indicating very poor health. Therefore, Go Sang-an's mention should be correctly understood as an assessment made after observing Admiral Yi Sun-sin in a unique state of severe illness, later using physiognomy to describe his shrunken lips, emaciated appearance, and assessed him as having a short life and unfortunate appearance. In conclusion, the author believes that the mentions of Go Sang-an should be seen as providing evidence of Admiral Yi Sun-sin's dedication to defending the country and his deep concerns and anxiety, even as he neglected his health, and considers this interpretation to be valid.