File:Replica of Mural - Tsushima Expedition of 1419 (6196910346).jpg

This mural, a replica of a historical painting, is located in the King Sejong themed area of Yeouido Park. Sejong the Great (reign 1418-1450), the fourth of the 27 monarchs that ran Joseon Dynasty from 1392 to 1910, is the most beloved historical ruler in Korea, responsible for scientific achievements and the creation of the Korean writing system, Hangul.

This mural shows another achievement of the Sejong era: a Korean military expedition to Tsushima, Japan, to bring Tsushima's pirates under control. Japanese piracy had historically been major annoyance for Korea's southern and eastern coast, and Tsushima, located only 55 kilometers off of the Korean coast, was a major pirate base.

The expedition concluded with agreements signed by the Korean royal government and the local daimyo, having Tsushima pay tributes to Korea in return for trade monopoly. A 1443 treaty formalized the arrangement, which lasted with a few hiccups until the arrival of modern diplomacy.

As this established a legal link between Korea and Tsushima, whenever Japan asserts territorial claim on Liancourt Rocks which are controlled by South Korea, Korean nationalists tend to fire back by declaring Tsushima to be Korean territory. The display of this mural is in itself a nationalistic display, as it shows one of the few occasions where the Koreans invaded a foreign land, instead of being invaded as was the case countless times.