Reviews: The National Atlas of Korea for Children

Aimée C. Quinn reviews The National Atlas of Korea for Children (2017), published by Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport and National Geographic Information Institute as the fifth volume of the revised National Atlas of Korea. Its six thematic sections introduce map projections, history, the natural environment, contemporary culture, environmental challenges, and global connections; supplementary material includes coloring maps, a detailed map of the Korean Peninsula, and an index. Quinn praises the child-oriented maps, illustrations, and language, especially the precise scientific writing in “Natural Setting,” while noting that some passages address older readers. She describes the atlas's coverage of urbanization, cultural life, conservation and restoration efforts, and international partnerships. Her criticisms include mismatched cover and contents icons, an unexplained opening image-and-map spread, insufficient introductory information about map types and tools, a highly compressed historical timeline, and cultural data from 2010–2014. She also notes that the atlas frequently treats the whole peninsula as “Korea,” while many maps distinguish the two republics. The review presents the atlas's educational and national-pride aims and concludes with information on free online access and limited hardcover distribution.