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Mon, January 30, 2023 | 10:35

America's first encounter with Joseon happened by chance

America's first encounter with Joseon happened by chance

On January 28, 1853, the residents of Busan were alarmed by the appearance of “a big foreign ship” - nearly 40 meters long with two decks and three masts. Hanging from one of the masts was a strange red, white and blue flag - it was one that had never been seen before by the Koreans.

2021-02-06 11:56

Pine tree prophecy and the burning of Deoksu Palace

Pine tree prophecy and the burning of Deoksu Palace

On a cold morning in early January 1904 - just as the sun began to rise - a small crowd had gathered in a market in Seoul, their attention fixed not upon the wares that were being offered that day, but upon a poster that had been nailed up. A policeman, probably drawn by the crowd's animated whispering, approached and the crowd yielded diffidently as he made a path to the dis...

2021-01-31 10:55

Anna Jacobsen: The Norwegian nurse buried in Korea

Anna Jacobsen: The Norwegian nurse buried in Korea

One of the first Norwegians in Korea, and possibly the earliest to be buried here, was Anna P. Jacobsen, a young nurse whose past is relatively unknown and only remembered with a small plain stone in the Yanghwajin Foreigners' Cemetery. Anna's life was one of hardships and sacrifices brought upon her by her extreme religious devotion.

2021-01-30 10:02

'Hair today, gone tomorrow!' Inventive Russian thrives in Jemulpo

'Hair today, gone tomorrow!' Inventive Russian thrives in Jemulpo

In the 1880s, Lillias Underwood, an early American missionary in Korea, wrote: “No matter how old one is, without a top-knot [a Korean] is never considered a man, addressed with high endings, or treated with respect. After assuming the top-knot, no matter how young, he is invested with the dignities and duties of a man of the family, takes his share in making the offerings an...

2021-01-24 09:06

New Year brings despair

New Year brings despair

On January 22, 1904, a palanquin stopped in front of the gates of Deoksu Palace and a young woman got out and approached the guards. She declared that she was “the daughter of Heaven” and had come to advise Emperor Gojong as to what steps to take in the coming year. She was promptly arrested and taken away. What became of her is unclear but there were some - including Homer H...

2021-01-23 09:15

Traditional New Year gifts in Joseon

Traditional New Year gifts in Joseon

In the past, it was customary to present small gifts for the New Year - usually merchants presented their valued customers with calendars as they were useful gifts that also served as a form of advertisement. Foreign merchants in Joseon Korea were no exception.

2021-01-10 10:58

Exploring a Seoul winter in the 1880s

Exploring a Seoul winter in the 1880s

One of the first Americans to live in Korea was Percival Lowell who spent the winter of 1883/84 in Seoul as a guest of the Korean government. Probably best known for his work in astronomy, Lowell was also an excellent writer and his book - “Chosen, the Land of the Morning Calm” - provides a wonderful insight of his experience of Seoul during his stay.

2021-01-09 09:38

Bulls, butchers and death: Plenty to beef about in Joseon Korea

Bulls, butchers and death: Plenty to beef about in Joseon Korea

Cattle were a very important part of Joseon society and were often a subject for Westerners in their correspondences home or in the books and articles they published about Korea in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

2021-01-05 09:36

Noisy, staggering start to 1891 New Year in Jemulpo

Noisy, staggering start to 1891 New Year in Jemulpo

At the end of December 1890, 25-year-old Arnold Henry Savage Landor - an English painter and writer - arrived in Jemulpo (modern Incheon) with the intention of getting a feel for the Land of the Morning Calm. He would soon discover the kingdom - especially at this time - was anything but calm and quiet.

2021-01-02 09:50

Rose Foote: The Iron Woman in the American Legation: Part 4

Rose Foote: The Iron Woman in the American Legation: Part 4

According to her biography, when Rose and Lucius Foote left the American Legation for the last time on January 12, 1885, “the servants followed them for five miles moaning and crying at the loss of their beloved mistress.” Ensign George C. Foulk had mixed feelings. He viewed Minister Foote's departure as “a hasty scamper” to get out of Korea because he was afraid to live ther...

2020-12-27 09:05

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