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A National Hero at Sea
Released in South Korea on July 30, 2014, “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” is a historical action film centered on Yi Sun-sin, one of Korea’s most revered military commanders. Directed by Kim Han-min, the 128-minute film follows Yi after his reinstatement as commander of Korea’s naval forces during the Jeongyu War.
With the Korean navy reeling from defeat at Chilcheollyang, Yi leads its 12 remaining ships into the Battle of Myeongnyang against a Japanese fleet portrayed as numbering 330 vessels. The film builds from the admiral’s doubts and strategic decisions to an extended naval battle featuring cannon fire, hand-to-hand combat and clashes between Korean warships and Japanese vessels.
Choi Min-sik stars as Yi, while Ryu Seung-ryong plays the Japanese commander Kurushima. The cast also includes Cho Jin-woong as Wakizaka, Kim Myung-gon as Todo, Jin Goo as Im Jun-young, Lee Jung-hyun as Lady Jeong, Kwon Yul as Yi Hoe and No Min-woo as Haru.
A Record-Setting Run
The film surpassed 10 million admissions on Aug. 10, just 12 days after its release. It was the 12th movie released in South Korea to reach that milestone and the ninth Korean production to do so.
By its 18th day in theaters, “The Admiral” had drawn more than 13.98 million moviegoers, overtaking the 13.33 million admissions recorded by “Avatar” to become South Korea’s highest-grossing film by audience count at the time. According to the Korean Film Council’s KOBIS box office system, its cumulative audience reached 17,597,914 by Sept. 28, 2014.
Praise and Debate
Reviews highlighted the sustained tension of the film’s long naval combat sequence and Choi’s performance as Yi. Critics also noted how the story placed ordinary Koreans alongside the celebrated commander, presenting civilians as central to the battle rather than merely background figures. Other assessments found the supporting characters and some dramatic choices less fully developed. Choi later said he would have preferred more conflict in the relationships among the characters.
The blockbuster’s dominance also fueled debate over South Korea’s film distribution system. The movie reportedly occupied 1,500 to 1,600 of the country’s 2,584 cinema screens during its run, prompting criticism that a single major release had crowded out competing films.
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