The Guardian of the Maritime Network in Premodern East Asia: Contested History and Memory of Chang Pogo

Korea was a pivotal hub for maritime trade across East Asia, especially in the ninth century, thanks to Chang Pogo 張保皐 (788?–841 or 846 C.E.). At the peak of his activity in the early half of the ninth century, Chang played a crucial role in connecting China, Japan, and Korea, not only making a safer zone for travel and trade, but also mediating political interaction among these three countries. This paper examines Chang Pogo in history and memory. The reputation of Chang and the implication of Chang’s activities have been transformed drastically in the twentieth century along with nationalist reinterpretations of Korean history, especially in Korean popular culture.