Masonic lodge holds charity concert

Members of Lodge Han Yang pay a recent visit to Haesimwon Orphanage Seoul. / Courtesy of Lodge Han Yang

By Jon Dunbar

Not many people here know the Freemasons have a lodge in Seoul. And that may be just how a secret society wants it. However, Lodge Han Yang, opened exactly 110 years ago today, doesn't shy away from the greater community when it comes to making a difference.

Lodge Han Yang is planning a charity concert in support of Haesimwon Orphanage Seoul this Friday at View 33 Itaewon. Performers include Jay and Yoomi, The Jazzda Brothers, Krishnapelli & Friends, JangJak Groove and DJ Big Easy.

On May 29, 1909, that same lodge was opened and consecrated somewhere in Jeong-dong, an area in central Seoul known for its foreign legations. It has seen a lot of turbulence throughout its history.

Not much is known about its early years. What is remembered was published in 1953 in the Grand Lodge of Scotland Yearbook, and further updates were prepared in 1995 and 2005.

We know it started small, with membership of around 30 for the first few years, composed mostly of foreign merchants, missionaries and miners. The imperial Japanese government forbid all its subjects, including Koreans, from joining secret societies. However, it's likely Koreans became Freemasons in other countries beyond the reach of Japan.

A fire damaged the lodge's original meeting place, destroying records and the original charter.

The Japanese authorities posed an ever-present threat to meetings and lodge property throughout the occupation, and the lodge closed sometime between 1940 and the expulsion of foreigners from Allied nations shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

After liberation, Freemasons among the U.S. occupying forces started their own Han Yang Masonic Club, and as earlier members returned, plans were made to reopen Lodge Han Yang. It opened its doors a third time in June 1946 with the permission of the U.S. military government, returning to its original venue which had been used by the military.

The lodge once again closed with the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War. Masonic clubs opened around Korea in locations including Busan, Daegu and at Gimpo Airport. Members supported Korea's war-ravaged civilian population, sponsoring a hospital for children and an orphanage and arranging shipments of powdered milk.

Following the Armistice when civilian Freemasons returned to Seoul, they found military personnel had held active Mason events. Lodge Han Yang reopened on June 30, 1954, with a new copy of the charter sent from the Grand Lodge of Scotland. This meeting was held in a Quonset hut with 146 in attendance. They moved back to their original meeting place in early 1955 after the U.S. Army relinquished it.

On April 24, 1957, the lodge awarded the Degree of Master Mason to its first Korean national. More followed, and it also claims Prince Yi Gu (1931-2005) as a member, initiated in 1966. In the 1980s the lodge worked toward increasing Korean involvement, hoping meetings could one day be held in the local language.

"Brothers hailing from Australia, Canada, France, the U.S., Finland, the U.K., Spain, Bulgaria, Germany, the Philippines, Nigeria and of course Korea, added their own unique flair, interpretation and pronunciation to the mix, providing a wonderful environment where harmony truly ruled," an affiliate member wrote in July 2007 in a document titled "One Hundred Years of Freemasonry in Korea."

Today, Lodge Han Yang remains closely tied to the community. Its oldest living member joined in 1960, and its oldest in-country member has been around since 1973. It has seen about 700 members over the past 60 years.

Members have supported various other charities, including helping an orphanage in Vietnam, building a school playground in Tibet and supporting various local Scouting projects.

The charity event for Haesimwon Orphanage starts at 8:30 p.m. and entrance costs 10,000 won. Visit lodgehanyang.org or contact lodgehanyang@gmail.com for more information.

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