This study extracted the records related to the maps in the literature from the Age of Three States to Goryeo dynasty, deduced the history of creating and accepting the maps and examined the recognition on the world contained in the maps and the change of recognition. For identifying the imagination permeated in the map preparation and recognition, the literary works as well as the descriptive records in the history literature were used as the main texts. Before entering into the main body, I summarized the records in the old books written in Chinese, which were the basis for the recognition on the map. The conclusions through the discussion are as follows. First, the map recognition in the old books in Chinese was mainly related to the political or military purposes, but the religious or mythological aspects were not significant. Those features had substantial influence on our recognition on the map since then. Second, the map history of Korea goes back to the time when the country was established. It means that the map was used as a means of ruling. Third, the map creation and the recognition in the Goryeo dynasty were closely related to the international relation and the political activity in each period. The map recognition was very aggressive and independent in the early Goryeo dynasty when the state was powerful in the international relation and during the reign of the King Gongmin when the reform against the Yuan Dynasty was progressed. Fourth, I examined the poem of Choi Chiwon, Yi Gyubo and Jeong Mongju as the cases recognizing the map on the basis of the literary imagination. Their poem recognized the world depending on their own interest without being limited to the real map or demonstrated the subjective recognition on the world. Their poem also induced the response from the descendants. A series of processes such as expression and responses enabled to identify the change of recognition on the history or historical flow of Korean spirits.