| Cheonghaejin | |
 | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 청해진 |
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Cheonghaejin |
| McCune–Reischauer | Ch'ŏnghaejin |
Cheonghaejin (literally "Clear sea headquarters") was a major military headquarters and trading hub located on Wando island, South Jeolla province of South Korea, and established by Korean general Jang Bogo in 828 ACE during the Silla kingdom period.[1] It traded mainly with Tang Dynasty China and Japan, and served as a military hub to combat various pirate factions.[2][3]
Cheonghaejin was established originally as a military complex by General Jang Bogo in 828, the third year of King Heungdeok's reign. Jang appealed to Heungdeok to establish a military complex in Cheonghaejin to protect Silla's merchant fleets and coastal residents from pirates.[4] He was granted permission and 10,000 troops.[5] He established a small castle and a military base in Garipo.
Cheonghaejin was very successful in its mission; it maintained strong commercial ties with Chinese and Japanese trading ports and successfully protected Silla merchants and coastal residents from pirates. Jang sent envoys called Hoyeoksa (호역사) for trading activities and cultural exchange.
It was resented by many Silla noblemen of small maritime societies because they lost their profits from private maritime trades. The noblemen of Silla sent an assassin, Yeom Jang, to assassinate Jang. After Jang's assassination, the complex was maintained by Yeom Jang himself, but the residents of Cheonghaejin, mourning Jang's death, left Cheonghaejin. They mostly moved to other regions of Silla, while some moved to China or Japan. It is recorded in Samguk Sagi that the central Silla government closed Cheongjaejin in February 851. The remaining residents were then relocated to Byeokgolgun.
Cheonghaejin is now located in Wando County, Jeollanam-do, and is a main tourist location in the region. There is a stele commemorating the relocation of residents of Cheongjaejin to Byeokgolgun and various remains of the complex. Remains of various mercantile products and plates have been discovered in Cheongjaejin, which greatly contributed to understanding the life of Silla people.
The historic site of Cheonghaejin is the site of a military fortress dating back to the Unified Silla period located on Jangdo at 734 Jangjwa-ri, Wando-eup, Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do. The distance from Wando (island) to Jangdo is about 180m, which can be covered on foot twice a day when the ebb tide exposes the seabed.
It is a major historical site where in the 9th century during the Unified Silla, General Jang Bogo installed Cheonghaejin and cracked down on pirates and let the place serve as the stronghold for a maritime trading route that dominated the maritime trade in the seas off the three sides of the Korean Peninsula.
