Kim Jeong-ho

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kim Jeong-ho
Hangul:	김정호
Hanja:	金正浩
Revised Romanization:	Gim Jeong-ho
McCune-Reischauer:	Kim Chŏng-ho
Pen name
Hangul:	고산자
Hanja:	古山子
Revised Romanization:	Gosanja
McCune-Reischauer:	Kosanja
Courtesy name
Hangul:	백원 also 백온
Hanja:	伯元 also 伯溫
Revised Romanization:	Baegwon also Baegon
McCune-Reischauer:	Paegwŏn also Paegon

Kim Jeong-ho (pen name Gosanja; 1804-1866?) was a Korean geographer and cartographer. He literally walked the entire length and breadth of the Korean peninsula, through mountain and valley, in order to research and compile his magnum opus, the Daedong Yeojido, a map of Korea that was published in 1861.

The events surrounding Kim's death are obscure. What is clear is that after the publication of a later, improved version of the Daedong Yeojido in 1866 Kim is not heard from again. The most prominent story goes that the Korean regent Daewongun, upon viewing the later version of Kim's great map, became incensed by its inclusion of details of a sensitive nature critical to national defense. This was in the context of French aggression against Korea and the Franco-British assault on China (the Second Opium War), and the resulting anxieties concerning foreign invasion. The Daewongun had Kim arrested, jailed, and beaten and he subsequently died in prison. There is no evidence of this version of events. The few records in Korea that do mention Kim Jeong-ho do not record such an end.

The asteroid 95016 Kimjeongho is named in his honour.

[edit] See also

• List of Korea-related topics
• Geography of South Korea
• Geography of North Korea

[edit] Further reading

Kane, Daniel C. (2003), “Martyr to a Map: the Inscrutable Father of Korean Cartography”. Mercator’s World, Vol. 8, No. 1 (January/February 2003).

[edit] Quotes

• "There's always somebody who's smarter than you. So I try to work a little harder."