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Sat, May 30, 2020 | 08:47

Treasures along the river - evil lurks within

Treasures along the river - evil lurks within

In the summer of 1928, evil lurked within the Han River and it was taking its toll on the crowds that flocked to its banks to escape the heat. In July, the DongA Ilbo reported: “[The] Han River in the summer is the only place where the citizens of Seoul can avoid the scorching heat. Riding in their boats or swimming, it seems as if the Han River is their only paradise. Howeve...

2020-05-24 09:50

Walking in the footsteps of the past: Bukhansan in 1884 - part three

Walking in the footsteps of the past: Bukhansan in 1884 - part three

In September 1884, Ensign George C. Foulk, a naval officer attached to the American Legation in Seoul, traveled to the Bukhan Mountain Fortress. He was somewhat impressed with the fortification (although he seems to have been more impressed with himself, being the first foreigner to visit the site) and described it in some detail in a report to the State Department and in a l...

2020-05-23 09:51

Walking in the footsteps of the past: Bukhansan in 1884 - part two

Walking in the footsteps of the past: Bukhansan in 1884 - part two

“Passing through the gate,” wrote Foulk, “I was amazed at the view before me. This was a great mountain walled ravine with abrupt perpendicular sides, a full thousand feet deep. The whole ravine seemed [to be] encircled by the mountain ring of 2,000 feet high on which ran the heavy wall through which I had passed; at points on the lofty wall in front which would have to be br...

2020-05-17 09:18

Walking in the footsteps of the past: Bukhansan in 1884 - part one

Walking in the footsteps of the past: Bukhansan in 1884 - part one

On September 22, 1884, George C. Foulk, an American Navy ensign temporarily assigned to the American legation in Seoul, set out to visit Songdo (modern Gaeseong in North Korea). He was also invited to visit the mountain fortification of Bukhan - just outside of Seoul - that, according to Foulk, no foreigner had ever been permitted to visit.

2020-05-16 10:25

Beholding Queen Min

Beholding Queen Min

The great Moby Dick of Korean photographs is, undoubtedly, a picture of Queen Min (Empress Myeongseong). Over the years, there have been many alleged photographs presented by various experts and collectors but all have been dismissed.

2020-05-10 10:22

Korea's first shutterbugs: Camera shy in the 1880s

Korea's first shutterbugs: Camera shy in the 1880s

Kim Yong-won had a vision. Apparently, during his travels to Japan in 1876, he became infatuated with cameras. This eventually led him to establish the first Korean photography studio in Seoul in late 1883. He was assisted by two Japanese photographers: Honda Shunosuke and possibly Kameya Teijiro.

2020-05-09 13:48

Beer and fried chicken: Fred Dustin and American chicks in Korea

Beer and fried chicken: Fred Dustin and American chicks in Korea

Arguably, chimaek - fried chicken and beer - is one of the most popular features of the weekend (and, for many, weekdays) in Korea. Crispy fried chicken washed down by an icy-cold beer are about as close to heaven as some of us (including me) will probably ever get. But the popularity of fried chicken is relatively new.

2020-05-03 09:33

Four-legged chickens and sticks of eggs

Four-legged chickens and sticks of eggs

In the summer of 1898, the streets of Seoul were filled with excited whispers of a strange oddity that had recently hatched - a chicken. According to the local papers, many citizens were concerned about the discovery of a chicken with four legs and sixteen feet. Some saw it as “an auspicious omen” while others saw it a possible “portent of a dark and stormy day.”

2020-05-02 11:01

Treasures along the Han River: Legends of the White Buddha

Treasures along the Han River: Legends of the White Buddha

As one would expect, the White Buddha is surrounded by legends of love and loss. Perhaps the most well known is that of Kim Su-dong (1457-1512). Kim was the envy of his peers. He was handsome, intelligent and held a high position in the Korean royal court. Anyone and everyone wanted to have a son just like him. But he had his faults. Though he had political power, he had litt...

2020-04-26 09:50

Treasures along the Han River: The White Buddha

Treasures along the Han River: The White Buddha

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, one of the most popular sites for foreigners to visit in the Seoul region was the White Buddha. During summers in the 1890s, the small Western community in Seoul would often enjoy picnics at its base - sheltered from the heat by its shadow and refreshed by dipping their feet into the cool stream. It was idyllic, except when the serva...

2020-04-25 09:20

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