Earliest World Map Produced in Korea
In 1402, King Taejong had Kim Sahyeong, Yi Mu, and Yi Hoe produce this map, which is now the oldest extant world map made in Korea. Starting from a world map from China, the producers made revisions to the regions of Korea and Japan, as well as some other modifications based on their own knowledge of world geography. Although the Korean peninsula and China are enlarged, the map clearly demonstrates the understanding of the world, including Europe and Africa, during the early Joseon period. Recording about 130 place names from all over the world, this map substantially reflects the collective geographic information of the time.