Yi Sun-sin

Yi Sun-sin (1545–1598) commanded the forces that turned back the invasion by Japan lasting from 1592 to 1598. “On the Battlements” is said to have been written on the night before the decisive dawn battle in which Yi was killed. Love can cut the heart as deeply as a sword or the sound of a flute. The woe of romantic love is very like the distress felt for one’s country.