Original subtitles

I didn't realize before but, Left Cholla Naval Station is quite

different from the Right Kyung-sang Naval Station.

How should I put it? It's cozy and intimate.

This is a smaller base with only five garrisons and five ports, sir.

Our navy is twice as large with 4 garrisons and 16 ports, so it's

natural for you to feel that way.

Is that why?

High Commander Yi, I must apologize.

I had said in the past that you are not capable of running a naval station.

I misjudged you.

You're indeed capable of running a small navy like this one.

No, you were right.

Run an entire naval station alone? I wouldn't dare try.

Without the hard work and sacrifice of my men, it would be impossible.

You've been making battleships. And mounted cannons on them as well.

Cannons are the most effective weapon in a fleet to fleet sea battle.

Fleet to fleet sea battle?

You'd take your men out to see and throw rocks at the enemy at a distance?

You're a fool.

Forget about it. Your method is wrong!

High Commander Yi...

What His Majesty wants is for us to conquer Japan.

He wants Tsushima Island than the entire Japan to belong to Chosun.

Do you think you can accomplish that by throwing rocks from a ship?

Never. Ships are merely means of taking our soldiers across the ocean.

And what the soldiers need to learn is how to penetrate deep into the

enemy territory and carry out their battles effectively.

Conquest?

If you had taken a close look at the enemy just once, you could not

conceive of such a reckless idea.

Haven't you seen the reports of the envoys that had been to Japan?

They said that the arrogant Japanese covet this land.

Then you must know that Japan was in a civil war for over a hundred years,

that anyone can rise to power with force of arms alone,

and for that reason every living male strives to be a warrior.

Do you know they are so skilled in close combat, that a ten year old

boy can take on two of our adult soldiers?

And there are hundreds of thousands of them.

You haven't changed. You still think too much.

When are you going to stop thinking so much and step up to the plate?

Did we defeat the barbarians because we were stronger than them?

Did we attack because they were weaker?

No, we always fought against an enemy twice, three, four times our size.

But we did not crumble and the northern front is still secure.

The northern barbarians and the Japanese are different.

They are elite soldiers armed with muskets.

Nothing's going to change killing time crawled up in a ball.

The best defense is offense!

A victorious army sets the stage for victory before engaging in battle,

but defeating army picks a fight first then strives to win.

Making the impossible possible... that is the spirit of the warriors.

Study the enemy first. Attack or defend?

Strategy and direction of the battle comes from knowing the enemy first.

Your argument may be convincing, but if conquest is what His Majesty

wants, you don't have any choice.

Your duty is to obey your order before you think or judge.

My men and I will fight without fear if the enemy should attack.

And I promise you we will prevail.

But if a reckless idea is forced upon me to take my men to their death,

I will defy it may it be the order of the King!

Ultimately, that is not the path that will lead this country to victory!

Oh? Then shall we try?

You your own way and me in mine, let us see who is right.

Oh, so sad...

You look like a new bride seeing her groom off.

Who is right? The Left Naval Commander or the Right Naval Commander?

Left or right? Right or left? Commander Yi or Commander Won?

You agree with everything Commander Won said. Don't you?

I bet you wish you could go with him right now. Right?

Tell me the truth. You want to go with him, right?

You think Commander Won is right about everything.

They could both be right.

What matters to me right now is that I am an officer in the Left Cholla Navy.

The Left Cholla Navy cannot defend the entire coast alone when we don't know

where the enemy will attack.

It would be much easier of all four navies can form an alliance and defeat

the enemy together.

But after meeting the Right Kyung-sang Naval Commander, that might be easier

said than done.

You know the damage that one leader's error in judgment can cause.

Countless recruits could lose their lives...

High Commander Won is a veteran warrior.

He talks about the conquest because it is His Majesty's command, but

once studies the enemy and realizes what we are dealing with, I believe

that he will renounce this reckless idea.

Mount cannons on our ships?

Yes, Your Eminence.

Lord Oda Nobunaga had mounted cannons on our antake ships

which played a key role in defeating the Kuki family.

Cannons cannot be fired from an antake.

It cannot endure the impact of the blast.

The only way would be to hang it and suspend it in air, but

that will give us poor accuracy.

Why go though the trouble?

We cannot eliminate the possibility of a sea battle.

I think I told you about the Chosun Navy.

General Wakizaka's only encounter with Chosun Navy was here in Cholla.

But Chosun has three other naval stations established on the

southern coast alone.

Is that correct, General Konishi?

Yes, it is.

Your Eminence, I urge you to take a second look.

Send our men to inspect the naval stations of Cholla.

Your fears are groundless.

Chosun is a weak country.

They may have naval stations, but they have long been worthless.

Let us not judge hastily. It wouldn't hurt to be cautious.

I agree.

The more we know the enemy the better.

Konishi,

if you were the King of Chosun, where would you place your most

competent warriors?

I would place them in Kyung-sang Naval Station closest to Japan.

How long did it take you to get here from the beach?

Slugs would move faster than this!

You would all be dead before you can get off the ship!

What are you waiting for? Punish them!

Yes, sir!

Hustle!

Stop!

Let's go!

What are you stopping for? Move it! Move it!

The greatest danger in a landing operation is enemy's ambush.

How could you be so careless when you are a commander?

Ready!

Pathetic idiots!

A spear is not a play toy!

Do you think this is a child's game?

Do it right!

Fools!

I'll teach all of you a lesson!

This place is a compete mess!

Have your men been training or haven't they?

And where are all the soldiers? I ordered you to assemble the

entire Right Kyung-sang Naval force! Lt. Yi!

Yes. sir.

How many recruits do we have in all?

Less than 3.000 have been registered.

And how many men are we supposed to have?

Twelve thousand, sir.

Then how come we only have 3.000?

The former high commander had allowed proxy payment...

What?

Bring in every single man on the conscription list!

But they've already made payments in kind,

and what they paid has already been used as military expense...

Military expense? Are you sure it didn't go into your pockets

and the pocket of the former high commander?

Bring them all in regardless! If anyone tries to resist,

bring them to me! I'll kill them right there!

Twelve thousand? Is he in his right mind?

How can we draft twelve thousand men overnight?

He couldn't be serious about attacking Japan, could he?

He is not a joker. If he says he will do something, he does.

Do you think that's possible, Captain Woo?

Who is to say it's impossible?

Didn't you hear what the Left Cholla High Commander said?

There are hundreds of thousands of them.

Even if the enemy force is only a hundred thousand strong,

we would need two hundred thousand men to defeat them.

Do you think that's possible?

It would take ten years just to build a navy that size!

Captain Han!

Am I wrong?

Then let us start by drafting the 12.000 that we're supposed to have.

Let's get started.

I have more confidence in High Commander Won than I did in the former commander

who did nothing but sit around. I don't know about you, but I

think it's better to trust and follow than sit around and argue.

What could've happened to them?

Did they drown out there or are they having a party with the sea

creatures?

Sir!

What is happening?

High Commander...!

I asked you a question!

We were confirming the safety of the patrol ships, sir.

What?

We expanded patrol area, and many of them cant make it back before dark.

There's no way of knowing if they're dead of alive, so I made them little

rocket launchers to take with them, since you can't see kites at night.

I told them to shoot one if all is well, and two if there is trouble.

Why didn't you inform the High Commander?

I let them take it just in case, but I didn't know they would use them right

away on the first day...

You're supposed to report any and all changes, Commander Kim?

Constable Kwan is right.

I'm sorry, sir. I know I should've...

I'll accept any punishment except flogging...

As your punishment, I will buy you a drink.

Pardon?!

When it comes to ingenuity, you're the best warrior in this naval station.

Using rocket launchers to communicate in the dark is a very good idea.

You're to be praised not punished.

Oh, that was nothing, sir.

There's more where that came from.

Well then, shall we proceed to the saloon for that drink?

I don't want any gaps in between.

That has to be firmly in place.

Take it all the way to the end!

More to the left! A little more!

Switch the two around!

The flat roof ship construction should be nearing completion.

Yes, sir. There is only two more left to go, sir.

I see the wood covering is starting to go up.

Yes, sir.

What did you decided to do about the iron plates?

May I take you to the blacksmith shop?

We've decided to use cast-iron after all.

The advantage is that we can save time.

How about the thickness? Won't that pose a problem?

We've reduced the thickness of the wood layer as much as possible.

And all of the shipwrights agree that it should be all right.

What did I tell you? Treat your weapon like your life!

Fool...

Idiots! You can't even get the cannons lined up straight!

Is the field artillery training to begin today?

Nokdo and Sado recruits have completed their initial training on land.

I thought I'd start with them first and work down the list.

It's up to you.

Thank you, sir.

Captain Chung.

Yes, sir.

I think there's something we must do first.

We can't fish within a mile from the navy base?

Is that what is says here?

Yes! How many times do we have it o tell you?

Lieutenant, you mean we have to go all the way around?

That's right!

No, we don't want to! That's too much trouble for us!

Right, Sang-nam?

It's the high commander's order. He doesn't want you to get hurt.

But still!

Do whatever you want!

You could go to your grave 30 years quicker trying to save half an hour!

Look far and wide!

From left to right, top to bottom, side to side, near to far,

don't miss a ripple on the water!

Of all that we do in this navy, there's nothing more important

reconnaissance!

Nothing, nothing at all!

You do know that, don't you?

Of course, sir!

Uh-oh, what's that?

It looks like a fishing boat, sir.

Didn't they see the warning signs posted allover the village not to

cross the one mile line?

They're going start the artillery training any moment now!

I better go over and give them a warning.

Oh, I have so much to do! Kim Wan's work is never done?

Be careful!

We got it!

It's a navy vessel! It's coming toward us!

What do we do?

We have to go. Let's get out of here!

What are they doing? I think they're trying to flee, sir.

Why would anyone try to flee after being spotting by the navy?

There could only be one reason!

A suspicious war craft has been spotted?

That is the signal from the patrol vessel, sir.

After them! Don't let them get away!

Get um!

Don't lose them or you'll lose your meal tickets!

If you don't want to starve to death, get um!

Boy, they just wont give up! Well, I won't give up either!

Stop! Identify yourself!

Down! Kneel!

State your identity!

Let go of me! I've done nothing wrong?

What's this?

Give it back! Give it back to me!

There's no doubt about it. You're a Japanese spy.

Where did the others run off to? Answer me!

I rarely unsheathe my sword, but when I do, I get very anxious

and I have to cut something. Talk if you don't want to die!

They're coming after us! We have to get out of here!

Let's hurry!

What are they? Look at their clothes?

I don't know. Are they Japanese or Chosunese?

Pojaks?

Yes, sir.

Pojaks are...

They are pirates that roam the southern coast.

They have often acted as guides for the Japanese when they attacked our coast.

And they had this detailed map in their possession?

Take a look. This is many times more detailed than the map that we have.

The small islands here, here and here don't even exist on our map.

Why would they need to draw this kind of map unless the Japanese

put them up to it?

And these marks, they have to mean something.

Perhaps they are areas suitable for ambush, or something like that.

Anyway, they must be interrogated.

Stop!

Stop! Stop! Stop!

What's so funny?

Stop laughing and answer my question!

I'm laughing because you're funny, sir. It's not my fault.

Funny? You're calling me funny?

Be quiet and just answer the question!

A code, sir? A code that tells you where the Japanese are hiding?

How can I not laugh? You have a wild imagination.

You ought to right a book or something.

A book? I don't like books!

I won't tolerate this insolence! Answer my question!

I assure you that map was not made for the Japanese.

Then why did you flee when you saw the navy vessel?

If you're not guilty of anything, why did you run?

Perhaps because it's become a habit.

They've always been misunderstood and persecuted by the wary authorities,

so it's natural for them to flee when they see a government vessel.

Father...

Jin!

What did I tell you? I told you not to cast a line near the naval base!

It wasn't intentional. We were swept by the current.

That's why I told you not to go out today!

My name is Uh Young-dam. I'm the one who drew them the map.

These men are innocent, so release them immediately.

Do you know that civilians are not allowed to possess maps?

I do.

Then why did you draw them a map?

Because it is essential that they have it. They could die without it.

Because they have to trade it with the Japanese to make a living?

No.

Then why did you draw such a detailed map for them?

And what are those symbols?

Those arrows indicate the direction of the current.

And those numbers indicate monthly or daily changes in the depth of water,

likely weather conditions and the type of fish that they can expect to catch.

The islands with the black dots are places that are inhabitable.

As you must already know, these men are pojaks.

No government agency of Chosun on the mainland will welcome them.

They are often grouped with the Japanese and persecuted.

That's why they continue to roam the coast unable to settle down

anywhere on the mainland.

Many of them get unlucky and die at sea in a storm.

Some pojaks indeed turn against Chosun and sell information to

the Japanese.

But how can you say it is entirely their fault?

I'm taking them back. I assure you that they're not Japanese spies.

And if they should become one in the future, I will turn them in myself.

Um...

Was it you? Did you capture these men?

Well, I, uh...

I should've known. Some things never change.

Do you think it's true?

I don't think he was lying. Isn't that why you let them go?

Every island on the southern coast, direction of the current, monthly

and even daily changes in depth of the water...

Perhaps not completely accurate. but even the weather condition

can be predicted according to that man.

It is a living map.

Pardon me, sir? You'd like to go there?

You'd like to go to that island to speak to that old man?

Since you know the island I'd like you to take me.

But why, sir?

We need that old man Uh Young-dam in our naval station.

I'll do whatever it takes to bring him.

I oppose, sir.

Oppose? I'm surprised. I thought you of all men would support me.

Um...

A navy has two enemies that must be fought.

One is our aggressor and the other is the sea.

The sea is too unpredictable. I thought you knew that better

than anyone as the reconnaissance director.

Yes, but you've seen the way that old man acts.

He talked back to you in that disrespectful tone and was

extremely arrogant. Didn't he get you upset?

No, I'm all right.

Perhaps his anger came from his sympathy for the pojaks.

I think we acted in haste.

It's this house.

Pardon me...

Father!

Elder, I came hoping to have a chat.

I have no business with you!

Darn it!

You want me to act as a guide for the Left Cholla Navy?

Share your knowledge with us.

Your wisdom will give us a huge benefit.

Don't waste your breath and leave my house.

Help us. The threat of war being felt from far and wide.

And our enemy is not pirates this time.

They are an elite army of over hundred thousand men.

If we fail to stop them at sea, the country will be engulfed in flames.

It's not my business. Please leave.

Help us.

No, I said!

The mere sight of uniforms makes me sick to the stomach?

Elder...

There's nothing you can say to make me change my mind. Now leave?

What could be the cause?

What could've caused him to have such deep antipathy for the government?

You mean all of these are petitions against the military inspector Shin Lip?

We're inundated with complaints and protests. He's exacting the

fortification expense from the people and flogging those who can't

participate in compulsory labor without considering their reasons.

Exacting funds from the people and flogging them?

What happened to the budget that was allotted for the fortification?

These are regions where there had been complaints before.

Chances are the budget went into the pockets of the local officials.

Then he should've gone after those corrupt officials or reported this

to the court!

Why is he putting the burden on the people?

He probably bought the excuses of the local officials.

It's unrealistic to expect narrow- minded and hot-tempered military man

like Shin Lip to be judicious.

Unbelievable...

Arrest the Special Military Inspector Shin Lip?

Yes, Your Majesty.

You must call him back and punish him for persecuting the people.

You must also order an investigation on the local officials for misuse and

embezzlement of government funds.

No, Your Majesty!

How can you punish a faithful subject who is working so hard to strengthen

our borders?

There is a deafening public outcry!

Why? Because he's trying to build fortifications to defend the country?

This country does not belong to the His Majesty and the royal court alone!

This is their country as well!

Minister Yoon!

Every citizen has a duty serve and contribute when the country calls

upon them do so.

Refusal may be looked upon as disloyalty.

Are we to support disloyalty and punish a patriot who works day

and night to protect our borders? That is preposterous!

I agree.

Your Majesty!

There are disputes small and large in every endeavor.

But do not doubt that this is a result of Shin Lip deep loyalty.

A man of your discretion must know that Shin Lip is the best warrior

in this Chosun and that I trust and depend on him.

What do you stand do gain by incriminating him?

Oh, I must've dozed off. I didn't hear you come in.

You must be exhausted, sir.

No, I'm fine.

I wish I could share your burden, but I'm so incompetent and useless...

What do you mean?

You have an extremely important role in this navy.

I appreciate your work, and I'm glad I have you to depend on.

Sir...

I...

I... um... I'm...

I, I better go now. I should be out there patrolling the coast.

Please get some rest, sir.

I think I will try once more.

Again, sir? But you were there just this afternoon.

How many times we do have to do this, sir? Aren't you tired, sir?

It's because of me, isn't it? You are refusing to help because of me.

I don't want to see your face, so leave!

I'll leave soon enough, so bear with me.

I don't exactly enjoy being here either, Captain.

Don't call me Captain!

Why not? Does is remind you of the past, Captain?

Stop!

I never dreamed that you'd still be living here like this.

Be quiet! Get out of here! Get out of here at once!

Why couldn't you just kill those miserable pojaks and send their

heads to the king as Japanese spies like you were ordered to do?

If you did, you'd be an army general of a navy commander by now,

Why did you have to protect those pojaks?

Is that why? Is that why you kill those poor men and took their heads

to the high commander, you heartless bastard?

Yes, that's right!

And thanks to that, I climbed the ladder of success and now I'm a

Frontier Commandant!

Aren't you proud of me?

Yes, I'm darn proud!

That's why you're so cold to the high commander, right?

You think High Commander Yi is just like me and the old high commander

who slaughtered the pojaks for advancement.

If you know that, get out of here.

But you're wrong.

He's not like me. None of the warriors in the Left Cholla Navy is like me.

They're not smart.

They don't know how to advance without making effort like I do!

That place is swarming with fools who work like a dog day and night

thinking only about protecting the country!

Lieutenant Kim...!

That's why I'm... leaving that place.

I lust don't fit in with those fools.

So accept the high commander's proposal and go to work for him.

He's too dense and too hardworking for me, but he's just your type, Captain.

So don't make him beg anymore and help him.

Help us. The threat of war is being felt from far and wide.

And our enemy is not pirates this time.

They are an elite army of over hundred thousand men.

If we fail to stop them at sea, the country will be engulfed in flames.

It's not my business. Please leave.

You are very lucky, High Commander.

You're blessed with good men.

Am I?

Please relay this message to one of them for me.

It couldn't have been easy for a young lieutenant the years ago to

defy his commander's order even if he knew that order was wrong.

Yes, I will relay the message.

You said you wanted to protect Chosun.

Does your Chosun include those neglected pojaks?

Would you accept them as citizens of Chosun?

I will if that's what they wish.

Then... I will help...