Emperor of the Sea
Emperor of the Sea is a South Korean television drama series directed by Kang Il-soo and Kang Byung-taek and 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 historical drama is based on Choi In-ho's novel of the same title, 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 drama 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.
Where to watch
OK for ages 12+, with caveats: moderate violence, mild sexual content
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Is "Emperor of the Sea" appropriate for children?
ValorScore's Content Advisory for "Emperor of the Sea" is "Moderate" (18/100), measuring sex, violence, language, and drug use. See the full per-axis breakdown below to decide if it fits your family.
See the per-axis breakdownDoes "Emperor of the Sea" have woke/ideological content?
In ValorScore's editorial reading, "Emperor of the Sea" has ideological presence rated "Clean". This is editorial opinion, not a verdict — see the axes and their evidence in the breakdown below. The overall ValorScore (cleanliness + value + audience rating) is 91/100. See every axis and its evidence in the breakdown below.
See the per-axis breakdownScores reflect community and AI analysis as opinion with evidence — not a factual verdict.
Per-axis score breakdown
Axes on a 0–10 scale (the score at the top of the page runs 0 to 100).
AI analysis · reviewed by the community · How we calculate the scores
Ideological reading (editorial opinion)
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