The name "Goryeo" (高麗) was a conscious revival of the earlier kingdom's name, rendered in Hanja as "高" (high/glorious) and "麗" (beautiful). Maps produced by them began to label the peninsula as "Corea" or "Corea," directly transliterating the phonetic version used by mariners and diplomats who had interacted with the Joseon Kingdom.
The Internal Evolution of Korea's Name Before Global Export
Creating detailed maps of East Asia, Ricci labeled the region and the dynasty ruling it as "Cauhi" or "Coresu," which were approximations of the Korean pronunciation of Goryeo. Founded by Wang Geon, who unified the Later Three Kingdoms, this powerful kingdom deliberately positioned itself as the successor to Goguryeo, one of the ancient Three Kingdoms of Korea.
In the wake of the Gojoseon kingdom's collapse, the Han Empire established four commanderies in the northern Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria around 108 BCE. For a time, the name appeared both as "Corea" and "Korea" on European maps, but the latter gradually became the standard in English and other languages.
Tracing the Internal Evolution of the Korea Name Before Global Export
The Cartographic Crossroads: How the West Learned the Name While the name evolved internally, the definitive step in globalizing the designation came through 17th-century European cartography. The name Korea invokes images of cutting-edge technology, dynamic pop culture, and a landscape divided by history.
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