{ "id": "epm29x5x3t", "slug": "roaring-currents-the-road-of-the-admiral", "title": "Roaring Currents: The Road of the Admiral (명량: 회오리 바다를 향하여)", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form", "label": "Films by genre, form, and subject", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.documentary", "label": "Documentary and biographical films", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.documentary" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.documentary.documentary-feature-works", "label": "Individual documentary feature films", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.documentary.documentary-feature-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.documentary.documentary-feature-works.film-television-and-comedy-figures", "label": "Film, television, and comedy figures", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.documentary.documentary-feature-works.film-television-and-comedy-figures" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.documentary", "label": "Asia (other) · 2001 to 2020: Documentary and biographical films", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.documentary", "path": [ { "id": "geo.asia", "label": "Asia (other)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2001", "label": "Asia (other) · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form", "label": "Films by genre, form, and subject", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form" }, { "id": "geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.documentary", "label": "Documentary and biographical films", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.asia.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.documentary" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Roaring Currents: The Road of the Admiral (명량: 회오리 바다를 향하여) is a 2015 South Korean documentary by Kim Han-min and Jung Se-kyo, a prequel to The Admiral: Roaring Currents, retracing Yi Sun-sin's 16-day naval-reconstruction route before the 1597 Battle of Myeongnyang.", "snippet": "Roaring Currents: The Road of the Admiral (명량: 회오리 바다를 향하여) is a 2015 South Korean documentary by Kim Han-min and Jung Se-kyo, a prequel to The Admiral: Roaring Currents, retracing Yi Sun-sin's 16-day naval-reconstruction route before the 1597 Battle of Myeongnyang.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.genre-form.documentary.documentary-feature-works.film-television-and-comedy-figures", "markdown": "# Roaring Currents: The Road of the Admiral (명량: 회오리 바다를 향하여)\n\n**Roaring Currents: The Road of the Admiral** (명량: 회오리 바다를 향하여, *Myeongnyang: Hoeori badareul hyanghayeo*) is a 2015 South Korean documentary directed by Kim Han-min and Jung Se-kyo that retraces the route Admiral Yi Sun-sin traveled in the 16 days before the 1597 [Battle of Myeongnyang](https://www.edgepedia.org/battle-of-myeongnyang).[1](https://cine21.com/movie/info/?movie_id=43905) It was made as a prequel companion to Kim's 2014 feature film *[The Admiral: Roaring Currents](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-admiral-roaring-currents)*, which drew about 17.6 million admissions and topped the all-time South Korean box office.[2](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20157431)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Type | Feature documentary, 95 minutes, rated 12 and over in South Korea[1](https://cine21.com/movie/info/?movie_id=43905) |\n| Release | May 7, 2015, South Korea[1](https://cine21.com/movie/info/?movie_id=43905) |\n| Directors | Kim Han-min and Jung Se-kyo; Jung's directing debut, after serving as assistant director on Kim's *War of the Arrows* (2011)[1](https://cine21.com/movie/info/?movie_id=43905) • [3](https://host.cine21.com/news/view/?idx=4&mag_id=79810) |\n| On-screen participants | Kim Han-min, Otani Ryohei, Lee Hae-young, and Jang Jun-nyeong, with Kwon Yul as narrator[4](https://www.koreafilm.or.kr/library/search/video/00079764) |\n| Route covered | 450 km in total: 270 km on foot and 180 km by boat, over 16 days of filming without a rest day[3](https://host.cine21.com/news/view/?idx=4&mag_id=79810) |\n| Box office | 92 screens, 8,897 admissions, gross of 64,170,500 won[5](https://mcst.go.kr/servlets/eduport/front/upload/UplDownloadFile?pFileName=2015%EB%85%84%EB%8F%84+%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%98%81%ED%99%94%EC%82%B0%EC%97%85%EA%B2%B0%EC%82%B0.pdf&pPath=0408010000&pRealName=1457684113554.pdf) |\n| Production | Big Stone Pictures; distributed by NEW[1](https://cine21.com/movie/info/?movie_id=43905) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and structure\n\nThe documentary opens with a provocative question: was the Battle of Myeongnyang really a victory for Joseon?[1](https://cine21.com/movie/info/?movie_id=43905) To answer it, Kim Han-min and three actors from *The Admiral: Roaring Currents* follow the actual movements of Admiral Yi Sun-sin (1545–98) in the 16 days before the battle, tracing how he rebuilt the destroyed Joseon navy and obtained his 12 remaining ships.[4](https://www.koreafilm.or.kr/library/search/video/00079764) The route runs from the place where Yi received his appointment letter as [Commander](https://www.edgepedia.org/commander) of the Three-Province Navy to the place where he was handed his 12 ships, and the film reads the corresponding entries of the *Nanjung Ilgi* (Yi's war diary) at each historically meaningful site.[3](https://host.cine21.com/news/view/?idx=4&mag_id=79810) • [6](https://www.kookje.co.kr/news2011/asp/newsbody.asp?code=1600&key=20150423.22023185735)\n\nThe stops include Seokju Pass, where monks joined the fight against the Japanese forces; Gonai village, where army rations were secured; Yeollseonnu, where Yi received an order to join the land army; and Hoeryeongpo, where he sent the letter reporting that 12 ships still remained.[3](https://host.cine21.com/news/view/?idx=4&mag_id=79810) [Computer graphics](https://www.edgepedia.org/computer-graphics) and illustrations are layered over the journey to reconstruct the naval-rebuilding process, an approach the producers described as edutainment.[7](https://www.jnfilm.or.kr/sys_board2/board.php?bbs_code=notice&cate=&mode=view&option8=&page=19&sf=&sk=&uid=9)\n\n## Making the film\n\nKim Han-min conceived the project after *The Admiral: Roaring Currents* passed 15 million admissions; he later said that a tremor of fear and burden at that success pushed him to make a documentary about Yi's desperate effort to rebuild the navy.[3](https://host.cine21.com/news/view/?idx=4&mag_id=79810) He co-directed with Jung Se-kyo, his assistant director on *War of the Arrows*, because the workload, including his own on-screen participation, was too large for one person.[3](https://host.cine21.com/news/view/?idx=4&mag_id=79810) Writer Yang Hee, a broadcast writer of more than 20 years, researched the *Seonjo Sillok*, the *Nanjung Ilgi*, and the *Jingbirok*, and joined the directors on the route survey; the resulting format intercuts the present-day walk with the historical events, a structure she called a history road documentary.[8](https://cine21.com/news/view/?mag_id=79955)\n\nThe four participants divided the work naturally, in Kim's comparison to *Journey to the West*: Kim as the eldest explained the historical meaning of each site, the Japanese actor Otani Ryohei asked questions as a newcomer to Korean history, and Lee Hae-young and Jang Jun-nyeong recited lines from the feature film and quoted the *Nanjung Ilgi* to help him understand.[3](https://host.cine21.com/news/view/?idx=4&mag_id=79810) The team filmed more than 10 hours a day, and Kim lost about 10 kg over the shoot.[3](https://host.cine21.com/news/view/?idx=4&mag_id=79810)\n\n## Purpose and reception\n\nKim's stated motive was to answer doubts raised after the feature film's release. Japanese historical records had long analyzed Myeongnyang as a tactical victory for the Japanese navy, and Kim wanted to assemble rebutting material and show that the real battle was not greatly different from the film's depiction and was won under severe conditions.[3](https://host.cine21.com/news/view/?idx=4&mag_id=79810) • [8](https://cine21.com/news/view/?mag_id=79955) A Cine21 review judged the film useful for general audiences and children but found its answer to the central question somewhat simple, noting that it examined the Japanese claim from fewer angles than it might have.[9](https://cine21.com/news/view/?mag_id=79788)\n\nCommercially the documentary played in a different league from its predecessor: it opened on 92 screens and sold 8,897 tickets, against the feature film's record of roughly 17.6 million admissions.[5](https://mcst.go.kr/servlets/eduport/front/upload/UplDownloadFile?pFileName=2015%EB%85%84%EB%8F%84+%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%98%81%ED%99%94%EC%82%B0%EC%97%85%EA%B2%B0%EC%82%B0.pdf&pPath=0408010000&pRealName=1457684113554.pdf) • [2](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20157431) Kim said reaching even one more person with the story of Yi's effort to obtain his last 12 ships would fulfill the film's goal.[10](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1110131761) The film was later released on DVD by KD Media in 2015 and has streamed on Netflix in South Korea.[4](https://www.koreafilm.or.kr/library/search/video/00079764) • [11](https://www.netflix.com/kr/title/80198575)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Roaring Currents: The Road of the Admiral (2015), Cine21](https://cine21.com/movie/info/?movie_id=43905)\n2. [Roaring Currents: The Road of the Admiral (2015), Korean Film Council (KOFIC)](https://m.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20157431)\n3. [정세교, 김한민 인터뷰, Cine21 (2015-05-13)](https://host.cine21.com/news/view/?idx=4&mag_id=79810)\n4. [명량: 회오리 바다를 향하여, Korean Film Archive (KOFA) video library](https://www.koreafilm.or.kr/library/search/video/00079764)\n5. [2015년 한국 영화산업 결산, 영화진흥위원회 (보도인증 원본)](https://mcst.go.kr/servlets/eduport/front/upload/UplDownloadFile?pFileName=2015%EB%85%84%EB%8F%84+%ED%95%9C%EA%B5%AD%EC%98%81%ED%99%94%EC%82%B0%EC%97%85%EA%B2%B0%EC%82%B0.pdf&pPath=0408010000&pRealName=1457684113554.pdf)\n6. [명량해전 직전 16일간의 기록, 국제신문 (2015-04-23)](https://www.kookje.co.kr/news2011/asp/newsbody.asp?code=1600&key=20150423.22023185735)\n7. [전라남도 영상위원회 공지](https://www.jnfilm.or.kr/sys_board2/board.php?bbs_code=notice&cate=&mode=view&option8=&page=19&sf=&sk=&uid=9)\n8. [[STAFF 37.5] 양희 작가 인터뷰, Cine21 (2015-05-29)](https://cine21.com/news/view/?mag_id=79955)\n9. [이순신의 실제 행적을 죽아가다, Cine21 (2015-05-06)](https://cine21.com/news/view/?mag_id=79788)\n10. [무비혓스팟] 다크로 돌아온 '명량', OSEN (2015-04-21)](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1110131761)\n11. [명량: 회오리 바다를 향하여, Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/kr/title/80198575)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Films by genre, form, and subject › Documentary and biographical films › Individual documentary feature films › Film, television, and comedy figures*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/roaring-currents-the-road-of-the-admiral", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/roaring-currents-the-road-of-the-admiral.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Roaring Currents: The Road of the Admiral (명량: 회오리 바다를 향하여)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/roaring-currents-the-road-of-the-admiral. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Roaring Currents: The Road of the Admiral (명량: 회오리 바다를 향하여)](https://www.edgepedia.org/roaring-currents-the-road-of-the-admiral)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/roaring-currents-the-road-of-the-admiral](https://www.edgepedia.org/roaring-currents-the-road-of-the-admiral). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Roaring Currents: The Road of the Admiral (명량: 회오리 바다를 향하여)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/roaring-currents-the-road-of-the-admiral. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Roaring Currents: The Road of the Admiral is a 2015 South Korean documentary by Kim Han-min and Jung Se-kyo, a prequel to The Admiral: Roaring Currents, retracing Yi Sun-sin's 16-day naval-reconstruction route before the 1597 Battle of Myeongnyang." }