KMI 한국해양수산개발원 KOREA MARITIME INSTITUTE

Jang Bo-Go was the most successful leader in the East Asian maritime trade industry in the first half of the 9th century. He had been the great sea trader unknown to the people due to lack of research on his life and international commercial activities. But since the 1980s many reports on his activities have been published and in recent years some scholars have tried to revitalize `Jang`s pioneer spirit` into a national maritime thinking. This study reviewed Jang Bo-Go`s maritime activities and discussed determining factors of his success in the East Asian maritime business and suggested some implications for the model of international maritime management.

This research pointed out that Jang had operated two systems, of which one was the `Cheonghae-Jin System` and the other, `East Asia System`. Cheonghae-Jin was not only a strategic alliance system with Silla Dynasty to sweep away pirates but also a basic organization to achieve his private goal to obtain the absolute commandership of East Asia`s sea trade. His East Asia System was a giant network based on Cheonghae-Jin in Silla, Hakata in Japan, Cheoksan-Po and Yangjoo in Tang (China) to promote international maritime trade. Jang`s maritime management model had characteristics of international management factors relevant to the present time : scope of trading in geography, complex trade pattern(exports, imports, intermediary trades, and liaison trades), transport patterns (direct transport, transshipment, and use of logistics hub system). 

 According to a public-opinion poll about Jang Bo-Go and maritime activities which was carried out by MOMAF in December 1998, most Korean people recognize Jang`s activities and the importance of maritime activities to the national economy. But this recognition remains at a level of ideological perception. Therefore, to permeate his pioneer spirit, it is necessary to make known the historical facts that Jang Bo-Go built a single maritime management system covering East Asia and other related determining factors for his success as a sea trade commander.