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Fri, April 3, 2020 | 11:08

The Yangban: the ignoble noble

The Yangban: the ignoble noble

The Korean yangban (aristocrat) was a popular subject to write about for Westerners living in Korea in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Often these accounts were filled with humorous anecdotes pointing out how stubborn or idle the noblemen were - some even painted the nobles as effeminate and weak.

2020-03-29 09:53

The Yangban: a nuisance in the streets

The Yangban: a nuisance in the streets

In the late 19th century, traveling the streets of Seoul was an adventure. The streets were filled with savage Korean ponies biting and kicking at any who drew too close, oxen rambling about with loads of timber and brush, brash young boys peddling street food and coolies (laborers) with their huge loads of goods and water carriers sloshed water upon people as they pushed the...

2020-03-28 09:11

Royal deaths, power struggles: Empress Gi and the forgotten memorial of Haengju

Royal deaths, power struggles: Empress Gi and the forgotten memorial of Haengju

The park surrounding Haengju Mountain Fortress is basically a monument to General Kwon Yul and his decisive victory over the Japanese forces in 1593. But there is also a smaller and relatively unknown monument that deserves some recognition.

2020-03-22 09:43

Imjin War: General leads big defeat of Japanese in 'river of hell' battle

Imjin War: General leads big defeat of Japanese in 'river of hell' battle

One of the most important battles during the Imjin War (1592-1598) took place just outside Seoul at Haengju Mountain Fortress near Goyang City. In the early hours of March 14, 1593, a Japanese army of 30,000 men marched from Seoul and arrived at the foot of the stronghold just before dawn.

2020-03-21 09:48

Chicken gizzards, tiger bones and boiled doggy-do: Welcome to the Joseon drug store

Chicken gizzards, tiger bones and boiled doggy-do: Welcome to the Joseon drug store

In early 1884, American naval surgeon George W. Woods, while wandering the streets of Seoul, visited a Korean pharmacy. In his diary he wrote: “The spectacled apothecary sat on his heels in a little closet opening on the passage-way leading to the courtyard of the house, and interviewed us through a window, which represented the whole front of the shop, on the sill of one sid...

2020-03-15 09:52

West meets East: The clash of medicine

West meets East: The clash of medicine

These days, the news is dominated by the corona virus. Everyone - including doctors - has an opinion that often conflicts with, or contradicts, the opinions of others. Sometimes these differences can become quite heated with denunciations of “quackery” between the two parties. The present is no different from the past.

2020-03-14 09:52

Italian count's tall tales and true from a legendary past (Part5)

Italian count's tall tales and true from a legendary past (Part5)

Aquila's tale of dangerous adventure, salacious gossip and tragic love is, unfortunately, just that - a tale. Paolo dall' Aquila was a fictitious character based on his creator's (Count Daniele Pecorini-Manzoni) own life, mixed in with a healthy dose of self-aggrandizement and facetious libel of his peers.

2020-03-08 09:20

Love, separation, sadness: Fujisan driven to suicide (Part4)

Love, separation, sadness: Fujisan driven to suicide (Part4)

On September 5, 1905, the Russo-Japanese War ended. Celebrations were held at the Japanese consulate in Fusan (Busan) and cheerful crowds perambulated the streets. Everywhere there was joy except at Paolo dall' Aquila's home. With the ending of the war and the realization that Korea would become a Japanese protectorate, Aquila's position with the Korean Customs department wou...

2020-03-07 10:11

The Unlikely Witness (Part 3): The Battle of Tsushima

The Unlikely Witness (Part 3): The Battle of Tsushima

On the morning of May 28, 1905, Paolo dall Aquila was in the East Sea aboard the Norwegian whaling boat Halcyon. As part of his duties as vice-commissioner of Fusan (Busan), he often had to travel to the other ports and verify customs were being paid.

2020-03-01 12:30

Paolo dall' Aquila: An unlikely witness (Part 2)

Paolo dall' Aquila: An unlikely witness (Part 2)

In the early 1900s, life at Fusan (Busan) was fairly quiet for its handful of Western residents. Paolo dall' Aquila, the dashing Italian vice-commissioner of Korean Customs, and his best friend, Tseredine (the Russian shipping agent), mainly spent their time playing cards, drinking and hunting. But there was one activity that they did not share - the pursuit of female compani...

2020-02-29 09:26

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