Green-glazed stonewares were first made in Korea in the 9th and 10th centuries. By the 11th and 12th centuries, they were the most widely produced form of Korean ceramic. A distinctively Korean type of green-glazed stoneware was created in the 12th century, characterized by its inlaid slip decoration; this type remained popular until the 14th century. The main centers for the production of greenwares were Puan in North Cholla Province and Kangjin in South Cholla Province, which are located on the southwest coast of the peninsula.

Korea had strong maritime ties with south China. The development of green-glazed wares in Korea is often linked to the prominence of this tradition in China, particularly during the 9th through 13th centuries. As a result, Koryo-period (918-1392) greenwares sometimes parallel the shapes and decoration of Chinese wares, particularly such southern wares as Yue and Qingbai. Most of the scholarship on Korean green-glazed ceramics (many of which do not depend on Chinese prototypes) and the value placed on Koryo ceramics in China during the late 11th and early 12th centuries suggest that the relationship between Chinese and Korean ceramics may be more complex and interactive than previously thought.

The broad pattern of cracks seen on this otherwise undecorated bottle, an effect known as "crackle" or "crazing" created by the shrinking of the glaze in the kiln, is often found on Korean and Chinese ceramics. Often deliberately achieved, crackle is much admired in East Asia. Poetically known as a "plum vase" (Chinese, meiping; Korean, maebyong), the shape of this bottle originated in China and became one of the most popular in East Asian ceramics. Bottles of this type were most likely used to store liquid, possibly plum wine, and generally had a small cap.