Admiral Yi Sun-sin prayed, "Now that everyone is united in their desire. I hope to defeat all the enemies. If I could avenge this enemy, I would not hesitate to give up my life."

In December 1598, seven years after the outbreak of the Imjin War, the Japanese army was ordered to retreat following the death of their commander, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Japanese general Konishi Yukinaga, who was isolated in Suncheon, was looking for a chance to break through the allied forces of Joseon and Ming for a retreat to Japan.

This news also reached Admiral Yi Sun-sin, who had led the army during the Battle of Myeongnyang to victory with just 12 ships in 1597. The admiral firmly believed that completely annihilating the Japanese army was the proper way to end the war, stating, "We absolutely should not end the war like this." He prayed, "Now that everyone is united in their desire. I hope to defeat all the enemies. If I could avenge this enemy, I would not hesitate to give up my life."

During the seven years of the Imjin War, Japan had brutally trampled upon our innocent people and our homeland. For Admiral Yi Sun-sin personally, the Japanese were enemies he could not coexist with under the same sky. The Japanese army was also the enemy that had killed the admiral's third son, Myeon, in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do, while the admiral was embroiled in the Battle of Myeongnyang with 12 ships. The movie Noryang focuses on the human side of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, where he mourns the tragic death of his son every night, tormented by nightmares. Furthermore, for the people of Joseon, the Japanese army was an entity that could never be spared. The surest way to end the war was to annihilate them, who had plunged Joseon into the flames of war with their invasion.

Knowing well of admiral Yi Sun-sin's firm determination, Japanese general Konishi Yukinaga desperately attempts to escape, offering bribes to Ming Governor Jin Lin, and even asking for help from Japanese General Shimizu, who had suffered a crushing defeat at the battle of Chilcheollyang by won Gyun. He even sends a fake Japanese soldier who allegedly killed the admiral's son Myeon to plead for his pathetic life.

The cold winter sea of Noryang turns into a sea of death. (In reality, the Battle of Noryang was a war that took place in the winter sea.) Despite immense human losses on both sides, the tide of the battle tilts towards a victory for the Joseon forces under Admiral Yi Sun-sin's command, and Ming's vice admiral Deng Zilong dies in battle. Seeing this, Ming governor Jin Lin also joins the battle to support the Joseon Navy. As a victory for the Joseon Navy becomes clear, the admiral begins to beat the drum.

The sound of the drum lasts for a very long time. The admiral was issuing a command to annihilate the enemy with the sound. Hearing the drum, the Joseon Navy fights bravely and defeats the enemy. Meanwhile, to the Japanese army, it was also the sound of death breaking their spirits. However, the drum-beating admiral is hit by a stray shot by the enemy and meets his end. He leaves his famous last words, "Do not let the enemy know of my death," as he breathes his last. Even though the admiral died, the sound of victory continues. Soon, the darkness breaks and dawn comes. Ming governor Jin Lin, confident of victory, moves to the admiral's ship and finally confirms the admiral's death.

Released on December 20th, 2023, the movie Noryang - Sea of Death, has become the top-grossing movie with 2.81 million cumulative viewers as of December 30th, just ten days after its release. Director Kim Han-min, who directed the final installment of the first-ever trilogy on Admiral Yi Sun-sin in South Korea, following The Admiral: Roaring Currents and HANSAN: RISING DRAGON, said through a pamphlet distributed in theaters, "Finally, I am concluding the ten-year journey of the Yi Sun-sin trilogy. Like the first light of dawn after a tough battle, I hope this movie will help you wrap up this challenging year and welcome a meaningful new year."