- Overview
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This is a book about the life of Gim Jeong-ho, better known by his pen name Gosanja, written by Park Bum-shin.
- Book Intro
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This novel tells the life story of Kim Jeong-ho, the Joseon-era cartographer who compiled many well-known maps including the seminal Daedongyeojido (The Great Map of the East Land), which is considered to be the most accurate map of the period.
Although Gim Jeong-ho is respected as a great cartographer and geographer in Korean history, little is known about his personal life. The dates of his birth and death are estimated, and information about his hometown, family clan, and identity are all hypothesized. Questions still remain regarding how he was able to create a nearly error-free map at the time and why Dokdo was omitted from Daedongyeojido. This fictional account of Gim Jeong-ho fills in the blanks in historical texts and paints a picture of his life through the author's humanistic insight and vivid imagination.
- About the Author
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Park Bumshin
Park Bumshin was born in Nonsan in the South Chungcheong Province in 1946. He made his literary debut in 1973 when his short story The Remains of Summer won the annual spring literary contest hosted by JoongAng Daily. During the 1970s, Park received sensational attention, announcing medium-length novels mainly based on the outcasts of society. From the late 70s to early 90s, Park published a large number of books, delivering aesthetic emotions to many readers. Park has received a number of awards including the Republic of Korea Literary Award (1981), the Kim Donglee Literary Award (2001), the Manhae Literary Award (2003), and the Han Musuk Literary Award (2005).
