PHOTOS Old Korean man glugs Coca-Cola in 1940s

Recently revealed slides that a Korean historian bought from an American auction site show vivid scenes of Korea in 1946-47, a year after the nation became independent following Japanese colonial rule. / Yonhap

By Ko Dong-hwan

Slides containing rare images of Korea in 1946-47 ― a year after the nation reclaimed sovereignty following the Japanese colonial era ― have been released.

Some 35 color slides, in almost mint condition, feature individuals and groups of all ages in various landscapes. Among them, an old man in white traditional Korean dress, “hanbok,” drinks Coca-Cola and Piels beer; a woman walks along a street with a child on her back and her breasts exposed underneath her top; and a group of needy children wear Japanese soldiers’ uniforms with a cloth slung over the shoulder as a backpack.

The slides’ frames had “Dr. Robert M. Siegel” on them, hinting at the person who took the photos, according to Yonhap news agency.

Historian Kim Han-geun, from a modern history research center in Korea, acquired the slides from an American auction site. Kim has been collecting modern history items for the past 20 years.

An analysis showed the slides were taken from May to November 1946 and in February the next year. It revealed they were shot in the cities of Incheon, Seoul, Chuncheon and Gangneung.