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Opinion

Blogs

Fri, October 18, 2019 | 10:42

Cash and carry in Joseon

One of the biggest obstacles to doing business in Korea during the late 19th century was money - not a lack of it but rather due to the large and cumbersome amount. Korean coins - commonly referred to as “cash” - had small square holes in the center and were carried in strings of 1,000 coins that were, unsurprisingly, quite heavy.

2018-10-20 10:52

Rolling tobacco in Joseon

Men were not the only ones to smoke in Joseon Korea. Women, of all classes, enjoyed their pipes as much as their male counterparts and some, including the queen, were quick to take up the newest smoking craze - cigarettes.

2018-10-14 10:21

Smoking with class in Joseon

In late 19th century Korea, almost everyone smoked. According to George W. Gilmore, an American teaching in Seoul in the late 19th century: “The use of tobacco is universal, even boys and women are using the weed. A part of the dress of a Korean is his tobacco-pouch, his flint, steel and tinder or his matches. Without it he never goes abroad…”

2018-10-13 09:55

The Pearl and the gingko

In 1885, Captain C. F. Anderson sailed to Korea in search of pearls - his small schooner was, appropriately enough, named The Pearl. His quest was a financial failure but he did return to San Francisco with one valuable item - a chair.

2018-10-07 09:22

Pearls and politics

Shortly after Lucius Foote, the first American Minister to Korea, arrived in Seoul on May 12, 1883, he declared that his sole purpose in coming was to extend the influence of the United States and to open new fields for commerce. What he didn't mention was the role he would play behind the scenes for his own benefit.

2018-10-06 13:43

The Golden Coffin - a cautionary tale

Life aboard a British warship in the 19th century was often filled with danger, backbreaking work and, during the few hours of relaxation, monotony. One way sailors passed their time was by reading the ship's newspaper - a paper published by and for themselves.

2018-09-30 09:58

The British occupation of Joseon Korea

Concerned about Russia's growing influence in Korea, three British warships sailed into Geomun-do (a small group of islands off the southern coast of Korea) on April 15, 1885, and began a two-year “preventive occupation” in which a garrison was established and named Port Hamilton.

2018-09-29 10:13

Korean mail carriers of the 19th century

In July 1895, after a hiatus of more than a decade, Korea began a domestic postal service between Seoul and Chemulpo (modern Incheon). It quickly became a success and soon mail routes were opened throughout the country.

2018-09-23 09:34

Korean and Japanese postcards of the past - the palanquin

One of the chief modes of luxury transport in 19th century Korea was “the sedan chair” or palanquin. Early American missionaries leaving in Seoul quickly realized that they were not only a means of transport, but also a status symbol and purchased the best they could afford. Apparently the American legation did not.

2018-09-22 09:11

Korean and Japanese postcards of the past - Children

In her article “Staging 'Koreana' for the Tourist Gaze: Imperials Nostalgia and the Circulation of Picture Postcards”, Hyung Il Pai wrote: “It was common practice for travel photographers to post street children next to monuments. As native markers, sympathetic portraits of street children are current motifs of the 'conquered other' in views of the capital of Keijo [Seoul].”

2018-09-16 09:23

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