[Lecture] 'From Island to Peninsula: How the West First Saw Korea'

TITLE:
From Island to Peninsula: How the West First Saw Korea


SPEAKER: TJ Kim


DATE: Tuesday. November 11, 2025. 7:20PM (Seoul)

VENUE: Seoul Public Activities Center (SPAC, 서울시공익활동지원센터). ‘다목적홀’

(ADDRESS: Basement Floor, 40 Baekbeomro 99-gil, Yongsan Verdium Friends(용산베르디움프렌즈) #101, Yongsan-gu, Seoul), 2-3 minutes walking from Exit 8 of Samgakji-Station (Line 6 & Line 4)

ADMISSION (Online & In-person): Free for RAS Korea Lifetime and Annual Members; W10,000 for Non-members; W5,000 for Non-member students (Student ID requested)

If you would like to attend online Zoom,
RSVP by November 10 (Monday).
Zoom Link Request ☞ https://forms.gle/U9ykpspdKi7SipAx9
We will email you the link on the morning of the lecture day.

For Non-member, payment to be remitted to the following account:
SHINHAN BANK ACCOUNT # 100-026-383501 (RAS-KB)

To attend in-person, RSVP is not required.


SUMMARY:

During the Age of Exploration, European mapmakers charted the world’s newly discovered lands with a mix of scientific observation, maritime reports, and imagination. Working from limited information gathered through trade and exploration, they often portrayed distant regions in ways that reflected both geographic uncertainty and Eurocentric curiosity. Korea, situated on the margins of their knowledge of East Asia, was variously drawn as an island, a peninsula, or even a mysterious landmass—its shape and name shifting as cartographers like Vázquez Dourado, Ortelius, Jansson, and D’Anville sought to reconcile rumor with reality.

In this presentation, TJ Kim, President of the Korean branch of the International Map Collectors’ Society (IMCoS), traces how Western maps from the 16th to 19th centuries depicted Korea, the East Sea, and the islands of Ulleungdo and Dokdo. Drawing on examples from his extensive collection, he explains when “Corea” first appeared on European maps, how the name of the East Sea changed over time — from the “Sea of Corea” to the “Sea of Japan” — and how Western explorers came to identify and label Korea’s eastern islands. After the talk, the presenter will show over 20 Maps and Atlases to those in attendance so that they can examine the original materials.

BIO:

TJ Kim is the CEO of Tmecca Korea, Inc. and Techno Mecca, Inc., companies specializing in antiquarian books, maps, and museum consulting worldwide. He also serves as Vice President of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) and President of the Korea branch of the International Map Collectors’ Society (IMCoS). Educated in Korea, the United States, and Japan, he holds advanced degrees in art history, computer science, and mathematics.

VENUE:

The Seoul Public Activities Center(SPAC, 서울시공익활동지원센터) is located at Yongsan Verdium Friends #101 (용산베르디움프렌즈 101동) B1, 40 Baekbeomro 99-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Walk 2-3 minutes from ‘Exit 8’ of Samgakji Station (LINE 6 & 4) and take the elevator down to the B1 Floor.

You may also like the following events from Royal Asiatic Society Korea:

• Next Thursday, 13th November, 07:30 pm, [Korean Literature Club] 'Chinatown' (by Oh Jung-hee; Tran. by Ju-chan Fulton & Bruch Fulton) in Seoul
• Next Saturday, 15th November, 01:30 pm, [Cultural Excursion] 'Namsan's Remnants of Imperial Japan' with Matt VanVolkenburg in Seoul

Also check out other Arts events in Seoul, Fine Arts events in Seoul.