Chang Jongmun

Chang Jongmun (Zhenian: 장종문; December 19, 1499 - June 29, 1575) was a of the Republic of Zhenia Navy. As the Republic of Zhenia Navy's from 1553 to 1567, he directed the reconstruction of the Zhenian Navy during the Third Republic and spearheaded the development of naval nuclear propulsion within the branch. He played a crucial role in laying the fundamentals of the Republic of Zhenia Navy as it is today, reforming personnel policies and significantly shaping the indoctrination of the Navy. His accomplishments regarding the reconstruction of the Republic of Zhenia Navy after the Second Zhenian Civil War earned him the nickname "father of the modern Zhenian navy".

Early life and education
Chang Jongmun was born on December 19, 1499, shortly after the December Revolution, in Seongnam, Gyeongin Province, making him the first Zhenia Naval Chief of Staff to have been born after the December Revolution. His great-grandfather was the Shindanese Grand Admiral Chang Hongseon, who was a descendant of Chang Munmu and Chang Handeok several generations earlier.

Naval career
Chang began his naval career on 1519, when he was admitted to the Republic of Zhenia Naval Academy.

Retirement and Minister of Defense
Shortly after the November Revolution, having been affiliated with the Third Republic for most of his service, Chang was initially deemed a collaborator of the Third Republic and Kim Shimin's leadership; thus, shortly after Kim Shimin's resignation, Chang too was immediately arrested at his office in the Hall of War on November 28, 1569, under charges of collaborating in the Third Republic's establishment and consolidation of power. A set of military trials that included many of the Third Republic's high-ranking military officers followed in the interim government after Kim Shimin's resignation. While Chang, considering his personal ties with Kim Shimin, was expected to be convicted of charges associated with the Third Republic, his trial was met with great resistance from within the military and civilian government alike. A nationwide campaign calling for his clemency, involving several November Revolution leaders such as Li Shan and Jung Jisang, ensued under the interim government; thus, on August 16, 1570, Chang was acquitted in the Zhenian military tribunal, with all charges against him recalled by the court altogether. However, he announced his retirement from military service the same year, claiming that "the task of building the Zhenian Navy shall now rest on the next generation".

Chang Jongmun later served as the first Minister of Defense under the Li Shan administration, being the first civilian in Zhenian history to assume the position.