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Thu, June 1, 2023 | 11:22
Bernadou's travels in Korea in 1884 Part 4 - Gaeseong's passive defiance
In the late 19th century, the people of Gaeseong were somewhat unlike the residents of other parts of the peninsula. When John Baptiste Bernadou, a 24-year-old ensign in the United States Navy temporarily assigned to the legation in Seoul, visited the city in early July 1884, he noted that the people of Gaeseong dressed somewhat differently from the people in Seoul.
About the past | 2023-05-27 15:52
Bernadou's travels in Korea in 1884 Part 3: Gaeseong, the old capital
John Baptiste Bernadou, a 24-year-old ensign in the United States Navy temporarily assigned to the legation in Seoul, may have been one of the earliest Western pathfinders between Seoul and two former Korean capitals (Gaeseong and Pyongyang) but his narrative was often lacking. This is extremely frustrating as he was so meticulous with his annotations of material collected wh...
About the past | 2023-05-21 09:15
Bernadou's travels in Korea in 1884 Part 2: Goyang and Beyond
Seoul, in the summer of 1884, was filled with rivalries among the small handful of young Western men. Each of these men (naval officers, diplomats and anthropological collectors) sought to be the “first” to visit or witness various locations and events on the Korean Peninsula. John Baptiste Bernadou, a 24-year-old ensign in the United States Navy temporarily assigned to the l...
About the past | 2023-05-20 12:21
Bernadou's travels in Korea in 1884 Part 1: Collecting
In the summer of 1884, there were a handful of Westerners exploring the Korean peninsula - one of them was John Baptiste Bernadou, a 24-year-old ensign in the United States Navy temporarily assigned to the legation in Seoul.
About the past | 2023-05-13 10:15
Walking in the footsteps of the past: Tooth and stone
Even within the bustling confines of Seoul, history and natural beauty are easily accessible to those who are willing to go off the beaten path. One such place is Suseongdong Valley - to the west of Gyeongbok Palace. This region has long been a favorite hiking spot for foreign visitors to Seoul such as Arnold Henry Savage Landor, an English artist and writer who visited the v...
About the past | 2023-04-30 09:59
Choheon - The Wheel of Class
Spring is in the air and the bike lanes along the Han River are filled with enthusiastic riders (many of them - judging from their behavior - are still learning to ride), wandering pedestrians who are more concerned with taking a selfie than staying in their designated lanes and electric scooters whose daredevil drivers seem to have watched too many action movies. Bicycle rid...
About the past | 2023-04-29 13:20
The writing on the wall
In the past (late 19th and early 20th centuries), Western visitors often described the homes of average Korean citizens as dingy, rough and unappealing. They were devoid of gardens, decorations and even paint.
About the past | 2023-04-23 15:23
Yongsan History Museum - A Window into the Past
It is no secret that Seoul is filled with coffee shops; they are everywhere and often right next to one another. They are so common that one barely notices them. Surprisingly, Seoul also has a large number of museums, which - like the coffee shop - are often passed by unnoticed.
About the past | 2023-04-22 10:00
Dark denizens of the river
The Han River is the soul of Seoul. Its majestically divides the city into two parts - the north side of the city, grittier but rich with history; and the south side, flashier, newer and wealthier. It was the highway through which goods - rice and fuel - were supplied to the city, and a line of defense during times of war.
About the past | 2023-04-16 10:36
Rogues of the Han River
Winter arrived early in 1891. Perhaps the temperature did not drop as low as it had in other years but this time it was colder than usual. The threatening weather caused the Korean boats that usually plied the Han River to be stored earlier than normal, which had an immense impact on trade between the port of Jemulpo (modern Incheon) and the capital.
About the past | 2023-04-15 13:09
Memorial Day 2023
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