1959 Army Map Service Map of Seoul, South Korea

This is a 1959 U.S. Army Map Service Far East city map of Seoul, South Korea. Published 6 years after the Korean War (1950 - 1953), this map highlights the extensive and ongoing post-war U.S. military presence in Seoul. In so doing, it underscores the importance of the United States-South Korean Mutual Defense Treaty to the security of South Korea.

A Closer Look

Entirely bilingual, locations throughout the city are labeled in English (black) and Korean (red). City parks, universities, hotels, hospitals, train stations, shrines, palaces, and the central post office are identified alongside American military installations. The nearest towns along road and rail lines are labeled in the margin. The whole is surrounded by a numerical grid reference system that can be used to identify locations of specific sites throughout the city.

Verso Content

Three maps are printed on the verso. The first (on the top left) details the Yeungdeungpo neighborhood of Seoul. This neighborhood includes the Seoul Airport and nearly a dozen American military installations. The second focuses on downtown Seoul, naming important locations, including the American Embassy and the Police Bureau (both highlighted in blue ink by the previous owner). Other identified locations include the YMCA, the Red Cross Hospital, and numerous Korean government buildings. On the lower right is a list of military installations and public buildings, along with each location's grid coordinates.

Yongsan Garrison

The final map, in the lower left, depicts Yongsan Garrison, a massive U.S. military installation in the center of Seoul. The garrison was originally set up by the Japanese in 1910 during the occupation of Korea. After World War II (1939 - 1945), the American military took over the base. The Americans remained at Yongsan (which covers 630 acres) until 2023, when the move to Camp Humphreys (even larger than the Yongsan Garrison) was finally complete. The Yongsan Garrison will be returned to the South Korean government, which has not yet decided what will replace the garrison. The National Museum of Korea moved onto returned land and opened in 2005.

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by the Army Map Service, Far East in May 1959. We note 4 examples cataloged in OCLC, which are part of the collections at the Library of Congress, the University of Texas, the University of California Berkeley, and the University of Cambridge.