This article examines the Korean plant common names recorded in Joseon singmul hyangmyeongjip, the first botanical book based on modern botanical science, published in 1937. The principles and standards of de- termining Korean plant common names were explained in the “Determina- tion Principles” at the beginning of Joseon singmul hyangmyeongjip. This ar- ticle also studies “The Review of Joseon’s Common Names on the Plants of Joseon” written in 1937, which briefly discussed the origin of Korean plant common name focusing on the Asteraceae plant distributed in the Korean peninsula before the publication of Joseon singmul hyangmyeongjip. While the scientific name, an internationally recognized universal term, is a world- wide communication tool through which plants and species are identified, the Korean plant common name would be a summarized expression, reflect- ing the relationship between the Korean people and the plants distributed throughout the Korean peninsula, from the perspective of general public. Although both names are based on science, they are based on different principles. According to our research, the authors of Joseon singmul hyang- myeongjip focused on the plant names most commonly used among the Korean people, supplementing those terms with historic names recorded in the literature.