Kim Chansam (1926–2003): “The Wanderer of the World”
How one Korean geography teacher inspired generations to dream beyond their borders
By Geun-mi Lee (adapted English version for international students)
Before South Koreans could freely travel abroad, one man made the world feel closer.
In 2026, Korea marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kim Chansam, widely remembered as “the Wanderer of the World.” Starting in 1958, when the country was still struggling to rebuild after the Korean War, Kim began traveling across the globe—often with little money, limited transportation, and real physical danger. Over 39 years, he completed 20 major journeys, including three around-the-world trips, visiting more than 160 countries and over 1,000 cities. Put another way, his travels amounted to the equivalent of 32 trips around the Earth—nearly 14 years spent on the road.
Today, South Korea’s passport is among the most powerful in the world, and millions travel overseas every year. But Kim’s era was different: international travel was rare, expensive, and heavily restricted. That is precisely why his journeys mattered. For many Koreans—especially those who grew up in the 1960s through the 1980s—Kim was more famous than many celebrities. He expanded a nation’s imagination.
A geography teacher who believed in “living knowledge”
Kim Chansam was not just a traveler. He was a geography teacher and later a professor who believed that knowledge should be alive—something you see, walk through, and experience, not only read in textbooks.
He studied geography education at the institution that later became Seoul National University’s College of Education, taught at Sookmyung Girls’ High School and Incheon High School, and later served as a professor at what is now Sejong University. His professional identity mattered: he traveled not for luxury, but to observe landscapes, people, and societies, and to share those observations through lectures, newspaper columns, broadcasts, exhibitions, and books.
A childhood shaped by hiking—and a dream inherited from his brother
Kim’s physical strength came from hiking with his father from an early age. But the deepest motivation came from his older brother, who died at age fourteen in a bicycle accident. Among his brother’s belongings, Kim found a diary line that stayed with him for life: one day, the brother wrote, he hoped to wander the Andes in South America and cross Africa.
Kim took that as a promise. He later recalled how he committed himself to fulfilling the dream his brother could not.
The first journey: courage, preparation, and a will
Kim left Korea for the first time in September 1958, at age 32, with a wife and five children. He prepared carefully—studying languages and practical skills, planning routes, and gathering contacts. Yet he also carried something striking: a will, written during his journey in case he did not survive.
At one point, he placed two copies of the will: one with a friend in Los Angeles, and another in his passport, with money for postage and instructions for anyone who might find it. In the will, he asked friends not to grieve if he died, to comfort his parents, and to help educate his children.
His first global journey lasted two years and ten months, spanning North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. When he returned to Korea in June 1961, the airport was filled with reporters. In an era when Koreans could not freely travel abroad, the story of a teacher who walked across 59 countries became national news.
Meeting Albert Schweitzer in Gabon
During his second major journey, Kim crossed Africa and reached Lambaréné, Gabon, where he met Dr. Albert Schweitzer on November 25, 1963. Kim had admired Schweitzer for years and wrote to him in advance. Schweitzer replied with a warning: travel in the region was difficult and dangerous—Kim should be careful.
Kim visited and stayed for about fifteen days, helping at the hospital. Schweitzer gave him a signed note and a pair of khaki pants, along with a phrase that became a guiding motto for Kim’s life:
“Dig one well—until water comes.”
Kim understood this as a lesson in dedication: choose a path and commit to it fully.
A photo of the two is displayed in the Schweitzer Museum in Gabon, and the same photo was kept in Kim’s study in Korea.
Hardships that became lessons
Kim described travel as both a discipline and a kind of self-imposed hardship. His journeys included hunger, illness, detention on suspicion of spying, visa crises at borders, and nights spent in extremely rough conditions—sometimes even in a police cell when he could not find lodging. Once, to build rapport in the Amazon, he ate food unfamiliar to him—including meat he would never have chosen in ordinary life.
Yet he insisted that he never “escaped” his route by turning back or avoiding difficult regions. He believed hardship was part of learning.
Six travel principles—and the power of record-keeping
Kim’s travel style was unusually systematic. He lived cheaply, chose the least expensive transportation, and relied heavily on local markets. He carried what he called his three companions: a backpack, a camera, and a map—and he believed that with a map, he could survive almost anywhere.
He also believed in record-keeping to an extreme degree. Scholars and companions noted that he logged daily routes, expenses, and observations meticulously—even the smallest purchases. This discipline enabled him to publish an enormous body of travel writing and geography-based documentation.
He summarized his approach in six principles:
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The purpose of travel is geographical research and human learning.
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Maintain health through walking and simple exercise.
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Spend as little as possible.
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Observe landforms, agricultural products, rocks, and soils as a geographer, and document them with a camera.
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Every night, record the day’s journey, finances, and route on a map.
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The more dangerous the situation, the more you must not lose your smile.
He even called “smile” a survival tool, saying that learning thousands of languages was impossible, but a sincere smile could open doors across cultures.
A national bestseller that opened Korea’s window to the world
Kim’s travel books were not just entertainment. They became a form of public education. His early book sold so quickly it went through multiple printings in a short time, and his later multi-volume series Kim Chansam’s World Travels reportedly sold over one million copies and remained popular through the late 1980s, often distributed through door-to-door book sales.
Many famous Korean adventurers and writers—mountaineer Park Young-seok, travel writer Han Bi-ya, and bicycle traveler Cha Baek-seong, among others—later said that reading Kim’s works as children helped shape their dreams.
A traveler who also acted like a public diplomat
Kim carried materials about Korea—photos and cultural slides—and introduced his country to people he met. He gave interviews to international newspapers, visited educational institutions, and even gifted a tape of the Korean folk song “Arirang” to a broadcaster abroad—later hearing it played unexpectedly in public and feeling deeply moved.
In that way, Kim’s travel was not only about seeing the world; it was also about connecting Korea to the world.
A museum that disappeared—but a legacy that remains
Late in life, Kim created a large collection of books, journals, photos, diaries, and cameras. In 2000, he opened a “World Travel Cultural Center” in Incheon to preserve and share his materials. He hoped to expand it into a full museum, youth hostel, and travel education camp.
After his death in 2003, the center eventually closed due to redevelopment. Many of his materials remain preserved by his family, and preparations are underway for commemorative events as the 2026 centennial approaches.
Why Kim Chansam matters today (for international students)
Kim’s story is not simply about adventure. It raises bigger questions that still matter today:
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How do we learn about the world—through screens, or through direct observation?
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How does geography help us understand culture, economy, environment, and politics?
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What does it mean to travel ethically and thoughtfully?
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How can young people document change in their own communities and share it globally?
Kim Chansam’s life suggests one answer: travel can be a form of education, a tool for empathy, and a way to connect places and generations.
(Source: Monthly Chosun, [인물연구] 탄생 100주년 앞둔 ‘세계의 나그네’ 김찬삼 : 월간조선)
