Reviews: The National Atlas of Korea, Volume I: National Territory

Summary

This review evaluates The National Atlas of Korea, Volume I: National Territory, a 170-page volume edited by Jeong-Rock Lee et al., published in 2014 by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport and the National Geographic Information Institute of the Republic of Korea. The atlas, the first in a planned five-volume series, synthesizes cartographic, photographic, and statistical materials to present Korea's territorial history, government structure, land transformation, and global position. Organized into four sections—"Territory," "Government and Local Autonomy," "Transformation and Development of the Land," and "Korea in the World"—the volume employs GIS and data-mining technologies to document Korea's socioeconomic development and territorial integrity since ancient times, while emphasizing themes of national resilience and post-independence modernization. The reviewer highlights the atlas's visual richness and comprehensive administrative data, but also notes that the new technologies are underutilized in cross-referencing layers of data. Overall, the volume serves as an authoritative national self-representation, aiming to circulate an accurate understanding of Korea's physical and human geography to international audiences. The review also informs readers of free online access and limited print distribution.