The Korea Times - Home

Site Map PDF Subscription Register LogIn
Site Map PDF Subscription Register LogIn

Thu, January 24, 2019 | 15:42

Opinion > Blogs > About the past >

Walking in the footsteps of the Past: Suwon 1884 (Part 2)

In the morning, George C. Foulk, dressed in his uniform, and called on the magistrate or governor of Suwon. His notes are rather sparse (unlike his notes of other locations) but he did describe the fortifications and the location of the yongmun - with which he seemed fairly pleased.

About the past | 2019-01-20 15:41

Walking in the footsteps of the past: Suwon 1884 (Part 1)

Twice, between early October and November 1884, George C. Foulk, an American naval ensign attached to the American legation in Seoul, traveled to Suwon. The first time was in an open chair carried by two Korean coolies - or servants - and the second was part of his larger exposition to explore the southern half of the Korean Peninsula.

About the past | 2019-01-19 09:43

Tales of Jeju: The legend of Snake Cave

Whenever I visited Fred Dustin at his home on Jeju Island, we would sit by the fire at night eating popcorn and drinking grape juice while he regaled me with tales from the past. Dustin's home was quite isolated and surrounded by trees. It could be pretty spooky there at night - especially when I had to stumble 30 to 40 meters out into the dark forest trying to find a signal ...

About the past | 2019-01-13 08:15

The Jeju dream house and the pecan tree

In 1952, Frederic H. Dustin, a young American soldier, arrived in Korea and served for 13 months. Despite the destruction and hardship he witnessed about him, he found a beauty that drew him in.

About the past | 2019-01-12 11:15

Walking in the footsteps of the past: Gongju in 1904

The impressions of the American naval officer, George Foulk, of Gongju during his visit in November 1884 seem almost tame to those of William McGill, an American missionary in March 1904. While traveling in the Gongju region, he and his assistant encountered a large group of boys gathered along the side of the road. Curious as to what the boys were doing, they moved closer to...

About the past | 2019-01-06 10:03

Walking in the footsteps of the past: Gongju in 1884

Walking in the footsteps of the past: Gongju in 1884

In the first week of November 1884, George Foulk, an American naval officer, traveled to Gongju and recorded his experiences in his diary or journal. These entries provide a rare view of Gongju and its fortress. Foulk arrived on the evening of November 4 and was housed in the government quarters. His mood seems to have been rather foul - perhaps due to the hard journey and hi...

About the past | 2019-01-05 09:23

Walking in the footsteps of the past: Gongju in 1904

Regrets and alcohol

For many people, drinking copious amounts of alcohol is an essential part of ringing in the New Year. Invariably, shots of whiskey, Jagermeister, tequila and soju, along with bottles of beer and wine, will all be readily partaken of and rued in the morning while praying to the porcelain deity or suffering from a pounding headache.

About the past | 2018-12-30 09:55

Hooked: Ice fishing in Seoul in the 19th century

In winters past, the Han River used to freeze solid and provided the residents of Seoul with fish for their dinners and ice for the summer. One of the earliest Western visitors to write about the Han River ice fishing was Percival Lowell, an American who spent the winter of 1883-84 in Seoul.

About the past | 2018-12-29 09:23

Christmas in Seoul in 1954

For a soldier, Christmas is one of the hardest seasons to be away from family and friends but the military does its best, not only for its service members but also for the local community, to provide holiday cheer. Through the lens of Corporal Marburger's camera, we get a glimpse of what Christmas was like for an engineer unit and a group of Korean children in Seoul in 1954. ...

About the past | 2018-12-23 09:28

A picture is worth a thousand words: Seoul in the late 1950s

There is an old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words and it was implied that the image spoke the truth. It may have been in the past but not so much in the present.

About the past | 2018-12-22 10:35

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Children deserve better