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Lee Kyu-won ( ko, 이규원,
Hanja
Hanja (Hangul: ; Hanja: , ), alternatively known as Hancha, are Chinese characters () used in the writing of Korean. Hanja was used as early as the Gojoseon period, the first ever Korean kingdom.
(, ) refers to Sino-Korean vocabulary, wh ...
: 李奎遠; 19 March 1833 – 11 November 1901) was a military official in the Joseon
Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
Dynasty.
King Gojong appointed Lee Kyu-won as a Royal Prosecutor for Ulleungdo
Ulleungdo (also spelled Ulreungdo; Hangul: , ) is a South Korean island 120 km (75 mi) east of the Korean Peninsula in the Sea of Japan, formerly known as the Dagelet Island or Argonaut Island in Europe.
Volcanic in origin, the rocky s ...
Island in 1881. He drafted the official report to King Gojong.
Background
Lee was born on 19 March 1833. He passed the mandatory Military Service Examination at age 19 and started his career as a Seonjeonkwan in 1858.Career
Governor
He was appointed as governor of many local areas including Tongjin (Gimpo) and Jeju Island. He died on 11 November 1901, at 69.Royal Prosecutor
Lee Kyu-won was appointed as a Royal Prosecutor in 1881 by King Gojong and was sent toUlleungdo
Ulleungdo (also spelled Ulreungdo; Hangul: , ) is a South Korean island 120 km (75 mi) east of the Korean Peninsula in the Sea of Japan, formerly known as the Dagelet Island or Argonaut Island in Europe.
Volcanic in origin, the rocky s ...
in order to survey the island the following year. At that time, the island had only 106 inhabitants. He spent ten days on Ulleungdo, surveying the land and marking out sea routes back to the Korean Peninsula
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
. According to his diary, he became acquainted with 132 Koreans
Koreans ( South Korean: , , North Korean: , ; see names of Korea) are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Korean Peninsula.
Koreans mainly live in the two Korean nation states: North Korea and South Korea (collectively and simply refe ...
and 8 Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
men.
The diary included a record of the topography, geomorphology, climate, animals, plants and products of the island. He recommended Naridong as an appropriate residential area, because the area is flat and large enough for 1,000 households. He suggested 14 possible ports along the sea coast.
Lee told King Gojong that he believed that Usan Island was the ancient name of Ulleungdo. He reported that he and his group climbed the highest mountain in Ulleungdo, the Songinbon Peak) the only other visible island was Jukdo, 2 kilometers from Ulleungdo.
See also
*Jukdo (island)
Jukdo () is a small island adjacent to Ulleungdo, South Korea, in the Sea of Japan. It was formerly also known as ''Jukseodo'' () in Korea and China and as ''Boussole Rock'' or ''Ou-san'' in Europe. It lies east of Ulleungdo, and is the larges ...
* Usan-do
References