Chapter 379
Late December of the Imja year. Otaornai Port on Daeseol Island. (Now Otaru)
There was quite a complicated story behind the name ‘Otaornai Port’.
At first, it was named ‘Sajangcheon (沙場川)’, meaning ‘river in the middle of a sandy beach’, taking the meaning of Otaornai.
However, the Ainu people’s reaction was not favorable, and thanks to Hunminjeongeum being introduced earlier than in other places, the name was settled as Otaornai Port, its original name.
And a Challenger-class warship was docking at the pier of Otaornai Port, where snow was piled high.
On the side of the ship’s bow and stern, a nameplate with the Chinese characters ‘길림 (Kirin)’ was attached.
It was the 10th ship of the Challenger-class, ‘Kirin’, named to commemorate the ‘Battle of Kirin’ where the Joseon army crushed the Jurchen tribes led by Yi Manchu and Mengtemu.
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Go Il-nam, the captain of the Kirin ship docked at the pier, shouted to the sailors.