Joseon's first encounter with a 'wheel'

A Korean officer on his own 'wheel' in the late 19th century / Robert Neff Collection

By Robert Neff

The wheel has been described as one of the greatest inventions of humanity and has been around for millennia. Who invented the wheel and when are not known, but the first known encounter Koreans had with a Yankee-style bicycle "wheel" occurred in the winter of 1884-85.

On Dec. 27, 1884, U.S. Minister to Korea Lucius Foote left Jemulpo (now part of modern Incheon) for Seoul. He was accompanied by Captain McGlensey (of the American warship the U.S.S. Ossipee) and five of his crew, including 26-year-old Lieutenant Philip V. Lansdale.

Upon arriving in Seoul, they were presented to the king, who ― according to a contemporary naval magazine ― "spoke of the United States in the highest terms, and thanked the party for the visit. They were also presented to his royal highness, the Prince (12 years of age), who has a miniature court of his own."

The naval party remained in Seoul for a couple of weeks, providing protection for the American minister and his staff, before returning to their ship at Jemulpo. For the most part, their visit was uneventful except for Lansdale's bicycle "of the hold high wheel type."

A group of bicyclists in the 1920s / Courtesy of Diane Nars Collection

According to Lansdale: "[I] have ridden my machine in nearly all countries between this [Korea] and Norfolk, Va. It created the greatest sensation in Seoul, the capital of [Korea], of all places in which I have been."

His bicycle was, he declared, the first ever seen or ridden on the peninsula. The journey from Jemulpo to Seoul by bike was not easy. Even though it was "a fair road" he had "to dismount every mile or two, on account of small streams which cross the road, draining rice-fields above its level."

However, once he reached Seoul, he "found it necessary to ride fast inside the walls of the city, on account of the dense mass of people who would collect as soon as I paused for any purpose. The sight of a man on a bicycle impressed the city people as being something extremely ludicrous."

Horace N. Allen accompanied Lansdale on his rides through the streets and later wrote about it:

"We went through the crowded main street, [Lansdale] on his wheel and I on a horse. As this appalling looking object came in sight, the throngs of people rushed to the middle of the street for a good view, and as it came nearer, they fell back in unfeigned astonishment, amounting to open-mouth alarm, as the strangest thing they had ever seen glided through the narrow passage left for it. As the high wheel and its rider passed and was seen to be harmless and simply another of the strange freaks of the newly arrived foreigner, they actually fell into each other's arms with laughter, following the relief to their first surprised alarm."

Later accounts (after Lansdale's death in 1899) claimed that even King Gojong was amazed at the prospect of a bicycle whizzing through his capital, and summoned the young naval officer to the palace.

Crossing a river in Korea in 1899 / Robert Neff Collection

Lansdale complied promptly, and the Korean monarch (according to numerous newspaper articles) was "astonished at the sight of the officer astride the bicycle" as there was nothing holding him up. "Lansdale explained the art of riding, and under him, the King took lessons with such good progress that he sent an order to America for a score of bicycles." One account even claimed the monarch "ordered a royal collection of wheels and he and Lansdale took many rides together. They grew to be excellent friends, and the young officer was always a welcome guest at court. The friendship endured to the end of the life of the officer."

This royal encounter probably never happened ― merely a manufactured heroic yarn ― but we do know, from Lansdale's own accounts, that there was interest in his bicycle.

An unidentified Korean official reportedly traveled to Jemulpo to ask the Japanese consul to explain how the bicycle worked. Another official ― perhaps the same one ― approached Foote and asked him to procure 600 bicycles from the United States. "He then inquired the price of one, and immediately concluded that he did not want any."

In his letter, Lansdale declared: "The [Korean] government and people are miserably poor, so this country will never be a market for either bicycles or tricycles."

He was wrong.

By the mid-1890s, bicycles were the ultimate luxury item and many young Koreans of the upper class sought to obtain one by whatever means possible. Bicycle theft was a profitable but dangerous enterprise ― especially if you stole from the wrong person. One Korean military official had his bicycle stolen before he even got a chance to see it, and it is unclear if he ever recovered it.

How can I not include a picture of my own bicycle? Ganghwa Island in May 2020. / Robert Neff Collection

Over time, even the history of bicycles in Korea has been stolen.

"When talking about bicycles, one can not fail to mention Yun Chi-ho," claims The City History Compilation Committee of Seoul, which continues: "It is said that he was the first person to ride a bicycle in Korea. It was quite a sight to see at the time. His bicycle riding became the talk of the capital city, and all sorts of rumors circulated. There were rumors that he used a magical means of contracting space, and in the end, these spread as a supernatural myth that he flew over Myungdong Cathedral."

Over the last two decades, the transformation of Korea's bicycling culture has been almost magical (though not as magical as Yun Chi-ho's ride). Well-maintained bicycle lanes now crisscross the country and businesses catering to bicyclists can be found everywhere. To all of my fellow bicyclists: stay safe and try to avoid the temptation of "contracting space" in the bike lanes.

Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books including, Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.