Researcher Bio
WooJin Shim has a doctorate in Geography, specializing in using GIS to carry out his research. His skills and expertise mean he can use data to visualize the profiles of each region in Asia. Between April and November 2017 he developed an algorithm for GIS software that modelled terrestrial routes of cultural exchange between Turkey and Gyeongju, South Korea. This work used features of the natural environment to reconstruct and compare past terrestrial exchange routes that were not described in historical texts. Presentation of this research at The 3rd Annual International Conference of International Association for Silk Road Studies received positive evaluations for its use of GIS technology to link the past and present.
In addition, he participates in the project “Consolidating Asian Identity and Interchange – Developing a Consolidation Index for East Asia”, collecting and analyzing multiple types of data from Korea, China, and Japan. Through this work he has a quantitative understanding of current conditions within the region and has experience developing a consolidation index covering these three nations. This experience allows him to explore the differences and commonalties of regions within Asia and Mega-Asia through quantitative indicators and indexes, thus shedding light on these issues within a data-telling agenda. Within this process, numerous recognized international agencies and governments are providing information related to multiple regions, but organizations and agencies that combine and arrange this data to offer one meaningful outcome are lacking. The Mega-Asia Research Group’s Data-Telling Cluster is working to solve this problem and outline a plan of action by building a platform for regional information in Asia.
His paper published in October 2018, entitled “A Method for Predicting Soil Types in North Korea: Importance of North Korea Soil Properties and Prediction Soil Types”, was awarded the 29th Prize for Excellence in Science and Technology (on 4th July, 2019). In addition, his doctoral thesis was awarded Seoul National University’s 2020 Prize for Outstanding Dissertation within the Social Sciences.
Key Publications
2025. “Digital Restoration of the Heritage Landscape through a GIS-Based Approach: Case Study of the Gochang Dolmen Site in South Korea”, The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences Vol. XLVIII-M-9-2025
2025. “Temporal and Spatial Changes in Land Use and Spatial Structure in South Korea through Cultural Heritage Data”, Journal of the Korean Geographic Society 60(2)
2025. “Spatial Distribution of Soil Particle Size and Classification of Sandy Soil Based on IPCC Guidelines in the Inland Wetlands of the Hangang River Region”, Journal of the Korean Geomorphological Association 32(1)
2025. “Spatial Imbalance in the Monitoring Project on Agri-Environment Quality and Improvements in Survey Design Based on Hierarchical Sampling Strategies”, The Korean Association of Professional Geographers 59(1)
2024. “Exploring the Historical Foundations of Korea’s Connections with South Asia Using the Framework of “Mega-Asia””, Journal of the Humanities 80(3)
2024. “Assessment of Forest Soil Carbon Stocks Using Digital Soil Mapping in a Gneiss Area”, Journal of the Korean Geomorphological Association 31(3)
2024. “Effective Sampling Design for Assessing Forest Soil Carbon Stocks and Environmental Correlations”, Journal of the Korean Geographic Society 59(4)
2024. “A Study on Digital Soil Mapping of Forest Soil pH Based on Machine Learning”, The Korean Association of Professional Geographers 58(1)
2024. “Channel Avulsion and Patterns of Settlement Distribution in Uiseong”, The Korean Association of Regional Geographers 30(1)
2023. “Multiplicity and Path Dependency in the Modeling of Historical Routes: A Case Study of the Wonju Basin in the Central Region of the Korean Peninsula”, Professional Geographer 76(3)
2023. “High-Resolution Digital Soil Maps of Forest Soil Nitrogen across South Korea Using Three Machine Learning Algorithms”, Forests
2022. “Availability Evaluation of Least Cost Path and Probabilistic LCP for Ancient Route Research: A Comparison with the Bonghwa-ro of Joseon Dynasty Main Roads”, The Korean Association of Professional Geographers 56(4)
2022. “Spatial Heterogeneity of Soil Properties according to Hillslope Position in the Wetland Ecosystem: a Case Study of Ungok Wetland”, Journal of The Korean Association of Regional Geographers 28(4)
2022. “‘Benefit Maximizing Routes’: Development and Evaluation Using the Historical Roads of Korea’s Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910)”, Journal of Computer Applications in Archaeology 5(1)
2021. “Necessity and Possibilities of a Data-driven Regional Research Methodology for Exploring Mega Asia: Implications from KCI Indexed Regional Study Articles with Quantitative Research Methods”, Asia Review, 55(2)
2021. “An Evaluation of the Applicability of Hillslope Position Classification on Slope Management: The Case for Comparing Landslide and Forest Land-use Conversion Points”, The Korean Association of Professional Geographers,
2020. Development and Evaluation of Hillslope Position Classification using Catena Concept, Journal of the Korean Geographical Society, 55(3); 231-251
2019. 「Multi-decadal Shoreline Change Interpreted from Aerial Photographs in Ilgwang Beach, South Korea」『Journal of Coastal Research』 91; 316-320
2018. A Method for Predicting Soil Types in North Korea: Importance of North Korea Soil Properties and Prediction Soil Types, Journal of the Korean Geographical Society, 53(5); 649-668
2018. A Study on the Development of Topographical Variables and Algorithm for Mountain Classification, Journal of the Korean Geomorphological Association, 25(3); 1-18
2018. 「The Necessity of Coastal Management in Busan considering Human and Natural Conditions: The Case of the Barrier Islands in the Nakdong River Estuary」『Journal of Coastal Research』 85 1501-1505
Other Experience
Lecturer, Department of Geography, College of Social Sciences, Chonnam National University (2020.09 – Present)
Award for Outstanding Dissertation in the Social Sciences, Seoul National University (2020)
Best Paper Award, Korean Geomorphological Association (2025)