Jang Bogo

Jang Bogo (?–846) was a military commander and powerful local magnate of Unified Silla who built his strength at sea. From Cheonghaejin, the naval base he established on Wando Island, he cleared the southwestern coast of pirates and came to dominate the East Asian maritime trade linking Silla, Tang China, and Japan. Working from the sea rather than the court, he stands as a key figure showing the importance of maritime activity in Korean history.