An exhibition in Seoul is showing how the East Sea was labeled on ancient maps of the world. Titled as the “
Dong-Hae
[East Sea] proven through the old maps of the world” exhibition, this
show has on display about 70 ancient maps of both Eastern and Western
origin, related to the East Sea and to East Asian geography.
Vice Minister of Culture, Sports
and Tourism Cho Heyun-jae delivers a congratulatory speech at the
opening ceremony of the map exhibition at the Seoul Arts Center on March
22.
The East Sea was called the “Sea of Joseon” (朝鮮海) in the Shin-jung-man-guk-jeon-do (新訂萬國全圖), a map made in 1810 in Japan. (image courtesy of the Seoul Arts Center)
Some
of the most note-worthy maps include Japanese ones made in the 19th
century. At that time, maps were based on European originals. The East
Sea is labeled as the “Sea of Joseon” (朝鮮海) in the
Shin-jung-man-guk-jeon-do (新訂萬國全圖), a map made in 1810 by Takahashi Kageyasu, an official in charge of astronomical affairs. Another map, the
Shin-je-yeo-ji-jeon-do,
was made by Mijukuri Shuwago in 1844 and it also labels the East Sea as
the “Sea of Joseon” (朝鮮海), refering to the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910)
that ruled Korea since the Renaissance. In this map, the sea to the east
of Japan, that is, the close-by Pacific Ocean, is labeled as the “Great
Japanese Sea” (大日本海) and the further Pacific Ocean is called the "Great
Oriental Sea" (大東洋).
Kim Hye-jung, director of Kyunghee
University's Hye-Jung Museum and co-organizer of the exhibition, said,
“Old maps prove that the East Sea should be called the East Sea, not the
'Sea of Japan.' These maps also show that Japan’s so-called territorial
claim over Dokdo is a historic distortion.”
Director Kim’s remarks are backed by maps made in Europe, too. In a map titled “
L'Asie Dressee,” made by Guillaume Danet in France in 1760, the East Sea is called the “
Mer de Coree,“
or the, “Sea of Korea.” The East Sea is called the “Corean Sea” in a
map titled, “The Empire of Japan divided into seven principal parts and
subdivided into sixty-six kingdoms,” made by Samuel Dunn of the U.K. in
1794.
The East Sea is called the “Corean
Sea” in the map titled, “The Empire of Japan divided into seven
principal parts and subdivided into sixty-six kingdoms,” made in the
U.K. in 1794. (image courtesy of the Seoul Arts Center)
This
exhibition also has some ancient Korean maps on display. They include a
four-part map made in 1770 which is designated as National Treasure No.
1598. The East Sea and Dokdo are clearly shown as Joseon territory. It
also shows detailed geographic features of four provinces: Gangwon-do,
Gyeonggi-do and both South and North of Hamgyeong-do.
The
exhibition is co-hosted by Kyunghee University's Hye-Jung Museum, which
owns a large number of ancient maps, and the Seoul Arts Center. It will
last until April 6. Admission ranges from KRW 2,500 to 5,000. For more
information, call 02-580-1657.
By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
arete@korea.kr
The East Sea and Dokdo are clearly
depicted as Joseon territory in this four-part map made in 1770,
designated National Treasure No. 1598. The above section shows Gangwon
Province. (image courtesy of the Seoul Arts Center)
People look around the “Dong-Hae [East Sea] proven through the old maps of the world” exhibition on March 22 at the Seoul Arts Center.