Samcheok

Samch'ŏk lies on Korea's eastern coast, where valleys descend from the Taebaek Mountains to the sea. Known as Ch'ŏkchu under Koryŏ, it was a local centre with a walled town. During the Joseon period its magistrate Hŏ Mok compiled the Ch'ŏkchuji in 1662, recording the district's history, geography and administration. The work preserves a portrait of a coastal community and the country around it.