South Korea

K.C. Fraser

The atlas reviewed here is, as its foreword indicates, a concise version of one with the same title published in 2007. Readers familiar with the political situation will wish to know what is meant by “Korea” in this context. The answer is that this is a South Korean publication and that most of the thematic maps therefore represent the South (the Republic of Korea) only; it is unlikely that the relevant information would have been available for the North. However, some of the physical maps show the whole peninsula.The total number of maps is about 380, with about 50 pages of explanatory text and a gazetteer. It appears that the concise version of the atlas must have been developed by reducing the size of most of the maps to a quarter of a page somewhat less than A3 in size, with the result that their scale is usually 1:5,000,000, and although well reproduced, they use a very small size of lettering. However, about 60 of the maps are of full‐page size, in particular a series of topographical maps of the whole peninsula at a scale of 1:500,000. Many readers may wonder why, uniquely, the quarter‐mile‐long island of Dokdo is favoured with a 1:10,000 map. The explanation – not stated in the Atlas – is that this remote island is also claimed by Japan (and this controversy, by the way, explains why the Korean Navy's largest warship is named after such a small island).

Gregory Chu; Jongnam Choi; Chul Sue Hwang; Doug Andersen; Kenneth H. Keller; Michael Robinson; Kelly Swanson

This article introduces the second edition of The National Atlas of Korea, published in December 2014 by the National Geographic Information Institute (NGII) of South Korea in both Korean and English, and explores its value as a resource for teaching Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG) in the United States. The atlas comprehensively covers South Korea's geography and its social, economic, political, global, and historical attributes, and includes a section on demographic, urbanization, and economic data for North Korea collected by South Korea's Ministry of Unification in 2014—information nearly impossible to obtain from any other source, including the CIA World Factbook. The atlas is divided into five chapters: Territory, Government and Local Autonomy, Transformation and Development of the Land, Korea in the World, and Map of Korea. Chapter 3 serves as the geographic and social studies core, detailing the extensive planning and policy decisions behind South Korea's land use and development since the 1953 armistice, with hundreds of maps, charts, and photographs covering topics such as population growth, settlement patterns, migration, economic growth, regional development, resources and energy, transportation, urbanization, education, health, environment, culture, and quality of life. The article emphasizes effective classroom use of the atlas, distinguishing between map reading (extracting information) and map analysis (visualizing patterns and generating new questions), and systematically introduces spatial thinking techniques including visualization and pattern recognition, asking "what if" questions, analyzing geographic attributes, establishing spatial associations, and hypothesis generation, illustrated with specific atlas maps such as commuter growth in the Capital Region. The authors also present four ready-to-use lesson plans and an AP Human Geography Curriculum Articulation document linking atlas resources to the new APHG curriculum, all freely downloadable from the NGII website. The atlas is described as a treasure trove of geographic data, maps, statistics, and photographs that U.S. geography and social studies teachers can utilize to create customized lesson plans, promoting cultural diversity and spatial thinking at no cost.

정재준; 황철수

The South Korean government published national atlases twice, in 2007 and from 2014 to 2016. The national atlas published between 2014 and 2016 is regarded as more advanced than the 2007 edition in terms of both format and content. However, it still leaves room for improvement in the quality of maps, infographics, and descriptive text compared to models from advanced countries. Furthermore, given the rapidly increasing demand for spatial information in the 21st century and the widespread use of computer technology across society, the national atlas also requires complementary work on its digital systems. Against this background, this paper aims to propose directions for the development of future national atlases of South Korea. To this end, the production and development processes of national atlases were analyzed by dividing them into domestic and international cases, with international cases further examined by separating print and digital formats. Based on this analysis, development strategies for the South Korean national atlas were proposed from four perspectives: the advancement of print-format national atlases, the transition to digital national atlases adopting an atlas information system, the establishment of a system for continuous updates to the national atlas, and institutional mechanisms for producing the national atlas.

Aimée C. Quinn

This is a review of Volume I: National Territory of The National Atlas of Korea, published in 2014 by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport and the National Geographic Information Institute. The review highlights that this volume, the first of a five-part project, harnesses new technologies like GIS and data mining to illustrate Korea's dynamic growth and societal changes since its independence in 1948. The atlas is organized into four sections: "Territory," "Government and Local Autonomy," "Transformation and Development of the Land," and "Korea in the World," with the "Territory" section being the largest, underscoring the Korean people's deep connection to their land and history of resistance. The reviewer praises the atlas for its comprehensive coverage and beautiful production, but notes that newer technologies could have been more fully utilized for data intersection. Overall, it is deemed a valuable and authoritative resource, freely available online.

Yeong-Hyun Kim

This review examines Volume III of the National Atlas of Korea (English edition), published in 2016 by the National Geographic Information Institute (NGII) of the Republic of Korea, which focuses on human geography. The volume aims to present the dynamic transformation and sustainable development of South Korea's national territory and human life, organized into four sections—National Territory and Places of Life, Population and Living, Industrial Activities, and Society and Culture—comprising 16 sub-sections contributed by prominent Korean human geographers. The reviewer regards the atlas as a comprehensive and authoritative source for the public, particularly useful for students, teachers, and researchers interested in contemporary South Korea. However, the review identifies shortcomings: the lack of a concluding synthesis, the absence of introductory overviews for sections and sub-sections, and awkward organization of certain topics (e.g., the broad scope of "Sustainable Land Development" and insufficient coverage of international trade). Despite these limitations, the volume is deemed an important contribution to geographical knowledge, with free online access enhancing its utility.

Gregory H. Chu; Chul Sue Hwang; Jongnam Choi

This paper is predicated on the body of literature that supports a theoretical concept that middle and high school age children possess the cognitive ability to understand thematic maps and achieve some degree of cartographic literacy. In 2006, the US National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies published a landmark book on Learning to Think Spatially. This book documented essential secondary education components and various aspects of teaching spatial thinking. The NRC defines spatial thinking as “a form of thinking based on a constructive amalgam of three elements: concepts of space, tools of representation, and processes of reasoning” (NRC, 2006, ix). This paper is an attempt to document and understand some of the attributes associated with these three elements. Specifically, it aims to find ways that can effectively contribute to the teaching of these elements associated with spatial thinking. The National Atlas of Korea is chosen for lesson plan development because it is well-designed and provides a range of contents and comprehensiveness that are ideal; in addition, it is freely accessible online and downloadable (http://nationalatlas.ngii.go.kr/). Four master geography teachers were invited to examine the Atlas to conceive and develop Advanced Placement Human Geography (APHG) lesson plans. Four lesson plans were written and have continually been implemented in classrooms to over 800 students in the States of Utah, Georgia, Minnesota, and Tennessee since the 2015 Fall semester. Results are presented in this paper.

Aimée C. Quinn

This is an academic review of the fifth volume of the National Atlas of Korea for Children, published in 2017 by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport and the National Geographic Information Institute of the Republic of Korea. Designed specifically for young readers, the atlas aims to help children better understand their nation and foster national pride. The review notes that the atlas is organized into six thematic sections covering Korea's natural setting, people and culture, historical context, and global connections, supplemented by coloring maps and an index. The reviewer praises the carefully selected language and illustrations that nurture children's imagination, while pointing out shortcomings such as compressed historical timelines, dated data (2010–2014), and design inconsistencies between cover icons and the table of contents. Overall, the atlas excels in presenting scientific knowledge and cultural pride, with the "Natural Setting" section highlighted for its precise and elegant scientific writing.