1794 British Map Featuring Dokdo... Sea Labeled as 'Korean Sea'

Northeast Asian History Foundation Unveils 'New World Atlas'
Displays Names of Paldo, Counties, Mountains, and Rivers

The Northeast Asian History Foundation announced on the 15th that it will unveil a map created in 1794 in the United Kingdom at the Dokdo Experience Center located on the second basement floor of Times Square in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. The map is an illustration included in 'A New Universal Atlas,' published by Robert Laurie and James Whittle. It is based on the 'Map of China (1730)' created by the French geographer Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In the map, where more than half is occupied by China, the Korean Peninsula is depicted relatively in detail. The name 'Corea' is shown along with the names of the eight provinces, such as Kingkitao (Gyeonggi-do). Various counties, mountain ranges, rivers, and islands are also marked. Notably, Jeju Island is labeled as 'Fon-ma' and 'Quelpaerts.'

Ulleungdo and Dokdo are also included on the map. However, the Chinese characters used by Western scholars in the past to denote Ulleungdo and Dokdo were misunderstood, and thus the names are written using the Chinese-style pronunciations as they were originally recorded.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Foundation emphasized the importance of noting that the East Sea area is labeled as the 'Korean Sea.' An official explained, "Although the sea names are not indicated on d'Anville's 'Map of China' and other references used at the time of creation, this map specifically labels the sea as the 'Korean Sea.'"

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