This essay attempts to explore the maritime history of Goryeo, highlight a few issues within this history, and examine their treatment in Korean history textbooks.
I begin with a discussion of Wang Geon as a maritime power and speculate that the Goryeo he found may have employed quite aggressive open port policies. I then point out that such aggressive open port policies contributed to national development, and that the word, Korea, was derived from Goryeo, as it is known in other countries.
I go on to argue that Goryeos ability to endure almost forty years in Ganghwado when the Mongols that swept over Eurasia invaded the area lies in Goryeos mighty maritime power. In addition, I point out that the Sambyeolcho (Three Elite Patrols) attempted to build a maritime kingdom again in Jindo and Jejudo as its centers after Goryeo returned to Gaegyeong.In addition, I discuss how the combined Mongol-Goryeo forces carried out evacuation of all people in the islands and suppressed maritime powers in the extreme after the Sambyeolcho were disbanded; this resulted in the collapse of Goryeos maritime power and frequent plundering by the Japanese army.
Finally, I highlight six issues based on the statements above and examine their treatment in the Korean history textbooks currently taught at junior high schools in Korea, formulating some questions that need to be answered and offering some suggestions.
I finally conclude that the writers of Korean history textbooks paid little attention to Goryeo in relation to its maritime culture and history. From the viewpoint that Goryeo should be understood as a maritime country or a maritime power, in my study it becomes obvious that the Korean history textbooks currently used do not do justice to Wang Geon and the character of the country he founded, Goryeo.