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| Kamanaki Earthquake in June 1896 / Courtesy of Robert Neff Collection |
By Robert Neff
Aug. 24, 1886, was hot -- oppressively hot -- causing even greater torment for the uneasy residents of Seoul. Over the past month, cholera had wreaked havoc upon the population and claimed thousands of lives. The green hills surrounding Seoul were transformed into "vile and disgusting" masses of red earth, the greenery of summer stripped away in the construction of countless graves. Rumors circulated that Chinese troops had entered the city disguised as merchants and whispers of war were heard wherever people dared to congregate. Even Mother Earth was unsettled.
At 2:19 p.m., Horace Allen (an American missionary doctor) noticed his cabinet slightly rocking back and forth causing his glassware and clock to rattle. Thinking it was a weasel that had somehow managed to make its way into his house and behind his furniture, he summoned his Korean servant and, armed with a fireplace poker, they moved the heavy piece of furniture to discover nothing was there.
It is strange to note that Gertrude Denny, an elderly American woman living near Allen, never mentioned the event in her diary but perhaps she was too occupied in packing up her things in preparation of fleeing Seoul due to the unrest.
Allen concluded in his own diary that he had experienced an earthquake which may have conflicted with the opinions of some of his fellow Westerners who believed earthquakes were "unknown" in Korea. But they were wrong.
Using Western accounts we know that on Sept. 18, 1892, a slight earthquake shook the capital at 8:30 in the evening. There were three earthquakes in 1898. On June 4, Jemulpo (Incheon) received a mild shaking in the afternoon, and just after Christmas the local newspaper reported that "Seoul experienced two considerable shocks of earthquakes." Considerable is a matter of opinion as Mary Greathouse, an elderly American resident who had lived in Japan for some time, described them in her diary merely as "slight."
On Feb. 24, 1901, Horace Allen wrote, "This morning we were scared out of bed by the severest earthquake we have ever felt. I thought the house was coming down…" Before he realized it was an earthquake he feared it was a dynamite explosion at his neighbor's. It wasn't the last time he feared his house was going to collapse. On Jan. 5, 1903, Allen recorded: "We had a rattling old earthquake at dawn this morning. It felt as though the old house was going to tumble, but did not last long." The earthquake, according to another observer, was distinctly felt and lasted for 10 to 14 seconds. Perhaps out of nervous bravado, Allen added he supposed the Koreans were "awfully scared" and they would go and pray to their gods in an effort to end the mischief.
On Feb. 11, 1905, the entire peninsula was shaken around 10 p.m. Other than scaring the population, it did no damage.
One American resident in Seoul who should have been able to debunk the myth that earthquakes were unknown to Korea was Homer Hulbert. In his 1905 book "The History of Korea," he barely mentioned them and described the 1518 earthquake in Seoul as having caused much loss of life and property. Fortunately, his rival, Canadian missionary James Scarth Gale, did describe it in detail:
"Rumblings were heard like the roll of thunder and then the ground began to bounce up beneath the feet of the people. The roofs of the palace went heaving up and down, like a boat at sea that rose and fell on the waves. Men and beasts were so frightened that they lay down in terror on the ground. Walls fell and houses toppled over. It did not pass in a moment, but came on again and again. People rushed out into the courtyards, afraid lest they should be crushed in the general destruction. Little by little it decreased and when a month had passed it finally ceased altogether. The whole eight provinces were equally shaken."
In 1681, under the rule of 20-year-old King Sukjong, the Joseon government was confronted with an even more powerful series of earthquakes and aftershocks that plagued the peninsula for several months. According to Korean records, homes were damaged in Seoul and some people were killed when they were thrown from their startled horses. Avalanches were reported throughout the country and near the epicenter (Yangyang in Gangwon Province) the ocean withdrew 50 or 60 paces before violently returning. Eyewitnesses described it as sounding like boiling water.
Despite the massive destruction, King Sukjong aptly led his kingdom to recovery and his rule is characterized as being one of great prosperity.
Robert Neff is a historian and columnist for The Korea Times. He can be reached at robertneff103@gmail.com.
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