Pioneering traveler Kim Chan-sam's legacy to be preserved in museum

Kim Chan-sam, often called 'The World's Wanderer,' was a trailblazing figure in South Korean travel, embarking on 21 extensive world tours between 1958 and 1999. During a time when international travel was a distant dream for most Koreans, his vivid accounts of distant lands offered a vital window to the outside world. His first travelogue, "A Journey Around the World Without Money," published in 1962, achieved remarkable success, selling through three printings in just 15 days. His 10-volume series, "Kim Chan-sam's World Travels," released in 1981, sold over a million sets, cementing his status as a national icon.

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My father was a civilian diplomat who introduced the world to an unknown Korea.

His daughter, Kim Seo-ra, now heads the Kim Chan-sam World Culture Travel Association and is leading a committee to establish a museum dedicated to his work. She recalls her father's passion, noting how he would meticulously document his experiences, even keeping detailed travel logs and sending photos to people he met abroad. Kim Chan-sam's journeys were not just about sightseeing; he actively sought to introduce Korea to the world, often visiting local news outlets and government offices to share information about his home country and present the South Korean flag.

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I remember my father saying, 'When I went to a certain country, iguanas were so pretty.' He described lizards as cute.

Kim Seo-ra accompanied her father on two of his world tours in 1987 and 1989, gaining a deeper understanding of his dedication. She remembers his early starts, often leaving before breakfast to maximize his time exploring. His meticulous nature extended to his personal life, as he kept detailed expense records and took multiple photos of the same location at different times of day to capture varying landscapes. His daughter continues to use a similar system for tracking expenses, a testament to his enduring influence.

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I never got to eat the breakfast provided at our lodging. We would leave at 5 or 6 in the morning, so we couldn't eat.

Beyond his personal records, Kim Chan-sam's writings were enriched by his academic background in geography from Seoul National University. This expertise, combined with his adventurous spirit, swimming in the Amazon and Ganges River, and forging deep connections with people from diverse cultures, made his travelogues uniquely compelling. His legacy continues to inspire, with many, including renowned mountaineer Park Young-seok and traveler Han Bi-ya, citing his books as a catalyst for their own global adventures.

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No matter how difficult it was, he would always organize what he saw and heard that day and write in his diary.