Emperor of the Sea

Emperor of the Sea
Title card of the series
Also known as	'Sea God or Hae-sin'
Genre	Period drama
Based on	Hae-sin by Choi In-ho
Written by	Jung Jin-ok Hwang Joo-ha
Directed by	Kang Il-soo Kang Byung-taek
Starring	Choi Soo-jong Chae Shi-ra Song Il-gook Soo Ae
Country of origin	South Korea
No. of episodes	51
Production
Running time	Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:50 (KST)
Release
Original network	Korean Broadcasting System
Original release	November 24, 2004 (2004-11-24) – May 25, 2005 (2005-05-25)
Chronology
Preceded by	A Second Proposal
Followed by	Resurrection

Emperor of the Sea (Hangul: 해신; RR: Hae-sin; literally "Sea God") is a South Korean television drama series starring Choi Soo-jong, Chae Shi-ra, Song Il-gook and Soo Ae. It aired on KBS2 from November 24, 2004 to May 25, 2005 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:50 for 51 episodes. The period drama is based on Choi In-ho's 2003 novel Hae-sin, which depicts the life of Jang Bogo, who rises from a lowly slave to a powerful maritime figure who dominated the East Asia seas and international trade during the Unified Silla Dynasty.

The series was received extremely well, holding the number one spot in the ratings for majority of the weeks it aired. It was also exported to eight countries earning approximately US$1.8 million in profits.

The filming set in Wando County, South Jeolla Province also became a tourist attraction.

Jang Bogo (Choi Soo-jong) rises from a lowly slave to the military commander of the sea during the Unified Silla Dynasty. Along the way, he battles pirates, and engages in a heated rivalry with Madam Jami (Chae Shi-ra), a Silla noble who squares off against Jang Bogo for trade rights in the South Sea. Yeom Jang (Song Il-gook), Jang Bogo's charismatic comrade, supports Jang in his ascension to become the "Emperor of the Sea." But Yeom Jang competes with Jang Bogo for the love of Lady Jung-hwa (Soo Ae).