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Mon, September 25, 2023 | 01:21

Beer arrives in 19th-century Joseon

Beer arrives in 19th-century Joseon

For many people, crispy fried chicken and ice-cold beer are just as much a part of the Korean summer as are the heat and humidity. Beer is extremely popular here - so popular that in 2022, the average Korean adult consumed 83 bottles of beer a year. Korea clearly has an affinity with beer, but it is a fairly recent one.

2023-07-29 17:08

Busan in 19th century: Sharks and mermaids

Busan in 19th century: Sharks and mermaids

For many people, summer means frolicking on the beach with friends and family. It is a time to enjoy the sun, the water and the beautiful views - but there are also discomforts associated with the beach: too much sun leads to sunburns, sand everywhere including in your swimsuit and the huge crowds and subsequent larger amount of litter. There is, of course, the unspoken dange...

2023-07-22 12:57

Croaking in Joseon

Croaking in Joseon

Fish markets are some of the most colorful and photogenic places in Seoul. They are a cornucopia of stimulation - the smell of fish; their vibrant colors, sizes and shapes; the yelling and chattering of potential sellers and buyers; the succulent taste of seafood in all varieties and styles of cooking (or raw); and, depending on what you touch, the ice, the slime, grit, oil a...

2023-07-16 18:55

The Korean wave to Hawaii part 2: From riches to rags to freedom

The Korean wave to Hawaii part 2: From riches to rags to freedom

Often we think of the early Korean immigrants in Hawaii as Christians and people from the lower social classes who left Korea in hopes of enriching their lives (financially and spiritually), but many of them were from the upper class (yangban) and financially well-off - they left Korea not so much for wealth, but for freedom from the social norms.

2023-07-09 09:13

The Korean wave to Hawaii part 3: Picture Brides

The Korean wave to Hawaii part 3: Picture Brides

Lee Chong-gun was born in the spring of 1881. According to him, he was enrolled in his local So Dang, or traditional school, but he was not one to study. His father was exasperated by the lack of ambition in his son and warned him that he had been provided with the opportunity to study and this his future failures would be his own responsibility.

2023-07-08 18:45

The Korean wave to Hawaii: part 1

The Korean wave to Hawaii: part 1

In early 1903, notices pasted or tacked to walls began to appear in markets and other busy places throughout Korea. These notices offered opportunities and hope - things many people desperately wanted and needed. For many, the Land of the Morning Calm was one of oppression caused by social classes and Mother Nature. To use the modern term, it was “Hell Joseon.”

2023-07-02 15:57

The Korean wave to Hawaii part 3: Picture Brides

The Korean wave to Hawaii part 2: From riches to rags to freedom

Waves of destruction hit Korea in 1890s

Waves of destruction hit Korea in 1890s

On the morning of Feb. 3, 1899, the residents of Seoul woke up to heavy snow. In her diary, one American woman wrote that it was “snowing like anything” and the snowflakes were perhaps the largest she had ever seen. For her, the snow was an inconvenience, but for others, it was deadly - especially when it melted suddenly.

2023-07-01 19:45

Warships on the Han River: Part 2

Warships on the Han River: Part 2

Following the French-Korean conflict known as “Byeonginyangyo” in 1866, Heungseon Daewongun, the Joseon regent, became painfully aware that it needed to strengthen and modernize its own navy in order to fend off foreign intrusions and maintain its self-imposed isolation. He needed his own “vessels moved by fire.”

2023-06-25 17:08

Warships on the Han River: Part 1

Warships on the Han River: Part 1

Throughout the 19th century, Western-style ships were occasionally sighted around the Korean Peninsula. Sometimes they passed peacefully, a mere curiosity to their bewildered witnesses, while at other times these strange vessels fell afoul of the weather or upon treacherous unmapped reefs and were cast upon the shore. It was these latter encounters that were extremely annoyin...

2023-06-24 12:18

Behind every man is…

Behind every man is…

There is an old saying - perhaps frowned upon in these enlightened times - that behind every great man is a great woman. A person's success is often due to the assistance of their partner - and this seems to be true, even in crime.

2023-06-19 10:35

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