뉴스레터

Editor's Note: On January 31st, 2013, the Northeast Asian History Foundation entered into an MOU with Hye-Jung Museum of Kyung Hee University for 'research and exchange partnership related to the East Sea, Dokdo and Northeast Asia.' For this month's issue of Northeast Asian History Foundation News, Dokdo Research Institute Research Fellow Lee Sang-kyun interviewed Kim Hye-Jung, director of the museum in her name, for the stories of various old maps and her thoughts on the East Sea, Dokdo, and the current affairs of Northeast Asia.

Q Lee Hye-Jung Museum is known to be the nation's largest archive of old maps. How and when did your interest in old maps start?

A Kim As a child, I was fond of pictures and frequented art museums. When in university, I stumbled upon a map in an antique bookstore near the school. I think that's how it started. At that time, I viewed maps simply as beautiful artworks, and began collecting them as a hobby. One day, I noticed that a map made in the 1700s West marked 'Sea of Korea,' instead of 'Sea of Japan' as I had learned from school. It was shocking to me as someone raised and educated in Japan, That further fueled my curiosity and enthusiasm for collecting maps. While collecting maps, I thought I should study Korean history and the history of Korea-Japan relations. And while studying, I realized that these maps were basic materials that could help resolve the issues of China's distortion of the history of Koguryo as well as of Korea-Japan relations. And I have been ever more devoted to collecting old maps since.

Q Lee Tell us about the especially challenging or rewarding experience that you've had while collecting old maps.

A Kim I feel rewarding for every map I collect, and I find each moment special. Collecting old maps can be compared to finding your way in the dark. I usually hunt old bookstores and antique shops. I have to do it on foot. When I am in a foreign country, I walk up to 30,000 steps a day, combing every shop. As I do this many times, I make friends all over the globe. And they become sources of information. From friends of mine and their information networks, I have found and gotten hold of what I couldn't have otherwise on my own. In the process, many sources that are beautiful and of high historical value have come into my collection.

Q Lee How many kinds of maps are housed in Hye-Jung Museum? Approximately how many pieces are they?

A Kim The maps number in thousands and cover a wide range from the East to the West and from the 11th century to present. Of the maps of South America made in the 11th century, the map of Aztec offers a glimpse into the history of South America from 1,200 years ago. The museum also has a number of maps drawn by descent families of Europe. As you know, in other countries maps were drawn by families commissioned by the palace. That's why those maps are more precious and harder to come by. Of all the maps, it is the map of Ptolemy that I am most proud of. From the perspective of cartology and the history of map development, it is an extremely valuable map, and it is the pride of our museum. Standing before the map always makes my heart beat with excitement.

Q Lee I heard that Hye-Jung Museum's collection includes a variety of relics and sources in addition to old maps. Specifically what are they? And how did you begin collecting them?

A Kim Most people think that the historical record is better if it is more expensive. But its historical value is what counts more. The maps of Korea, our homeland, and the maps of its neighboring countries need to be examined side by side for comparison of their evolution in relation to each other. Making comparison in terms of comparative culture while reflecting on self is important to those who study history. This is the principle applied to the greater part of my collection. When collecting Korean ceramics, for example, I asked myself if certain item could be included in the exhibition of other historical folklore sources, that is if it is an item essential to museum studies. If the answer is yes, I collect it and display it on exhibition. That's how sets of wooden furniture beloved by our ancestors came into my collection for exhibition, as did the works of Lee Jung-seob and other leading artists and books written in Chinese. In other words, the focus of my collection has been placed on amassing sources that could restore the Korean people's history and culture, i.e. identity.

Q Lee Old maps made in the past must have significance and value today on many levels. What do you think is the old map's significance and value in terms of nation, academia, literature and museum studies?

A Kim In a nutshell, old maps show the history of our territory. Simply put, that territory, that land was what our ancestors fought for in wars. But we didn't study the maps. That's why we fell behind and couldn't win back our territory. And we were ruled over. We didn't make enough efforts to make it a policy to study maps and use them to expand our territory. The old maps and other historical records indicate that the Korean had a better brain than any other people in the world, and it is backed by plenty of evidence. However, the Korean have failed to put their brain to good use. This must change. Maps as territorial evidence should be studied hard. Old maps that can be basic sources for many fields of study should be appreciated, and studied continuously through interdisciplinary research.

Q Lee The Dokdo issue between South Korea and Japan remains controversial. As a Korean Japanese who knows both countries well, what do you think might be a good approach to resolving the Dokdo issue at hand? In addition, what do you think is a good approach to the issue of sea names concerning the naming of the East Sea/Sea of Japan?

A Kim Territory belongs to those who occupy it. Dokdo is guarded by the South Korean police, home to South Korean residents, although small in number, and in the range of mobile phone communication with the rest of the country. Dokdo is South Korean territory. The issue over which we need to raise our voice is the East Sea. In 1991, North Korea and South Korea joined the UN at the same time. and agreed on the name 'East Sea' that represented our territorial water east of the Korean peninsula. And in 1992 this agreement was notified to the International Hydrographic Bureau and the rest of the world. But the name 'East Seaʼ simply points to the direction to take. It shouldn't stop there. It's been twenty years since the 'East Sea' movement started. Initially, the 'East Sea' accounted for merely 2 percent of all its alternative names. But the number has gone up to nearly 30 percent. But using the name 'East Sea' is not enough. What we Koreans should do from now on with concerted efforts is to also include its historical legitimacy in the naming. In other words, we must be aware that 'Donghae' is the exact name equivalent to our nation's name, and make it known far and wide. If the Republic of Korea is our house, Donghae (East Sea) is our garden. And Dokdo is a beautiful object in the garden. Currently, the "Sea of Japan" accounts for 70 percent of all its alternative names. Japan claims that 'Takeshima' lies in the 'Sea of Japan.' When Japan makes such provocative claims or remarks, the Korean people shouldn't be inflamed. If Shimane Prefecture provokes us, jut let the governor of Ulleungdo deal with it by sending them an official complaint. If the central government of Japan provokes us, just let the Foreign Ministry of Korea deal with it by sending them an official complaint. Meanwhile, we will have to continue to collect related historical sources, internally study and preserve them for the future.

Q Lee I hear that you are a third-generation Korean Japanese. When and how did you move from Japan to Korea? And what was your childhood in Japan like?

A Kim I was born, raised, and educated in Japan. I came to the Republic of Korea for the first time in 1971 on invitation to President Park Chung-hee's inauguration ceremony. Although it was a very poor country then, I somehow felt warmth, even from the view outside the car window. That's when I realized that blood is thicker than water. When I lived in Japan, I had never been marginalized or alienated simply because I was of Korean descent. Instead, I had just felt sad a few times. On the nationally celebrated Coming-of-Age Day, I decided that I didn't need to go out of my way to wear kimono and go to the celebration party. Although I had studied Japanese tea ceremony and obtained a teaching certificate, I decided to stop advancing further because any formal tea ceremony meeting required wearing kimono. This was one of those times when I realized 'Ah, I am Korean.' So I wanted to value my culture and advance it. And I wanted to improve myself in the process. I don't think I am very extraordinary. You know what they say about how living abroad makes people patriotic. I think my love for the country and the people was deepened because I was born and raised abroad.

Q Lee I understand that you have founded an orphanage to become 'a mother of society.' How did you come to practice the difficult sharing of love?

A Kim Your question sounds grand, but my answer is simple. I was thinking what would be my greatest happiness as a woman, and it occurred to me, 'I want to be a mom,' and I put that idea into practice. I set up a facility for mentally challenged children and started to take care of them. In the facility, I met my children, became their mom, and found happiness. Watching the children grow through the programs that I have designed for them is a great experience that fills me with pride. I have many children I feel proud of in Jeju Island, Mongolia, and Vietnam. Thinking of them makes me happy.

Q Lee You are the author of many publications. Which of them do you find the most meaningful or like to recommend to readers?

A Kim I am the first Korean to have set foot in Mongolia. In my 40s, my frequent visits to the country earned me the title of the explorer who opened the door of Mongolia. What I saw and felt, and my conversations with Mongols and what I found in them were compiled into a book and published last year. I would like to recommend this book Exploring Mongolia, a Country of Plains as a guidebook for those who want to visit Mongolia. I would also like to recommend The Appeal and Lure of Old Maps, also published last year. What I found and felt through the maps I had been collecting were summarized and made into this book. I hope that this book will allow the reader to feel the appeal of maps and give thoughts to basic sources that help understand history and correct it, if necessary.

Q Lee Recently, the Northeast Asian History Foundation and Hye-Jung Museum of Kyung Hee University signed an MOU. Please share your thoughts on the details of collaboration projects that the two institutions should carry out in future.

A Kim I hope to see that through the sharing of a lot of historical sources, NAHF research fellows will embark on various research projects, and write and publish good papers. It would be better if they could collaborate with the Museum for joint research. To get opportunities to showcase the quality of historical sources of the Republic of Korea by exhibiting Hye-Jung Museum's valuable collection in other countries, and to further promote the Republic of Korea, will require the NAHF's cooperation. Only when the two institutions work on these projects together will the MOU become more meaningful.
In addition, I want the NAHF to photoprint as many original historical sources of our museum as possible to set up channels in both institutions for preserving and studying the historical sources. Obtaining originals takes a lot of effort and money. Photoprinting will save costs significantly. As photoprinted copies can be good enough historical sources, I hope that our sources will be photoprinted as soon as possible before it's too late.

Q Lee You are active in various fields. What are your plans, if any, that you want to execute in future?

A Kim The first project I undertook after coming to the Republic of Korea was the Hye-Jung Social Welfare Corporation. As I wanted to be a mother of society when I began, I want to carry on with the mother spirit and establish a college to which my children can go. I am also a mother in the Republic of Korea, with as much enthusiasm for education as any mother in the country. I want to establish a special college and make it open to my children so that they can earn a college diploma. This is the mission I should fulfill as a mother. And the mission I should fulfill as a scholar, director of a museum, and collector of historical sources is to make a museum in a stand-alone building open to many. Fortunately, Gyeonggi Province promised to make efforts to establish an old map museum within the provincial museum. So I recently signed an MOU with Gyeonggi Province. This will give Gyeonggi residents access to the sources in Kyung Hee University, and allow Kyung Hee University to tap into the sources in Gyeonggi Province. I don't think that the benefit of collecting sources should be limited to one individual or one institution. Those sources should be shared by many eyes, make the heart of many scholars beat, resulting in the publication of beautiful papers. That's how their value is proved. So I'm very glad that I signed MOUs with the Northeast Asian History Foundation and with Gyeonggi Province.