Panokseon

Panokseon (Korean: 판옥선) was a class of Korean oar- and sail-propelled ship that was the main class of warship used by Joseon during the late 16th century. The first ship of this class was constructed in 1555. These ships were built from sturdy pine wood and, as the primary warship of the Korean Navy, they were instrumental in victories under the command of Admiral Yi Sun-shin against numerically larger Japanese fleets during the 1592-1598 Japanese invasions of Korea. A key feature of a panokseon was its multiple decks. The first deck had non-combatant personnel, such as the rowers, who were positioned between the lower deck and the upper deck, away from enemy fire. The combatant personnel were stationed on the upper deck, which allowed them to attack the enemy from a higher vantage point. The panokseon also had a raised roofed observation platform where the commander stood. The panokseon served as the base for the Korean warship type called the geobukseon, which was used to great effect during the 1592-1598 Japanese invasions of Korea.