Drifting refers to a ship being unexpectedly pushed far into the ocean and floating aimlessly on the water. While drifting is a fearful prospect for those relying on sea travel, it sometimes results in the accidental discovery of new places and exposure to different cultures. Experiences of drifting were documented in various records, revealing that the sea could be a pathway to anywhere.

"The Record of Drifting Across the Sea by Choi Bu" is a personal account of drifting written by a scholar named Choi Bu. While assigned to the capture of a runaway criminal on Jeju Island, Choi Bu faced the death of a family member in 1487. Consequently, en route to his hometown in Naju by boat, he encountered a storm that set him adrift for 17 days. After numerous hardships, he eventually arrived on the coast of Yungpa in Zhejiang Province, China. His record vividly details his experiences during his time adrift, the coastal guards of Yungpa misidentifying him as a pirate, his journey to Beijing to meet the Emperor, and his return to Joseon, all covering about six months. "The Record of Drifting Across the Sea by Choi Bu" also provides insights into the 15th-century Ming Dynasty and records dialogues between Choi Bu and Ming intellectuals, shedding light on the cultural exchanges between the two countries in the early Joseon period.

"Account of the Shipwreck of a Dutch Vessel" is a unique record detailing the experiences of Westerners, Hendrik Hamel and his crew, who unexpectedly drifted to Korea. Hamel, a crew member of a ship belonging to the Dutch East India Company, was en route to Nagasaki, Japan when the ship was wrecked on Jeju Island. Hamel and his crew were detained in Joseon for 13 years before making a harrowing escape to Japan. Two years later, back in the Netherlands, Hamel documented his arduous journey in a report to claim unpaid wages. Publishers, intrigued by the report, adapted the original content into a book focusing on its most interesting parts, which became the "Account of the Shipwreck of a Dutch Vessel."