By Chung Ah-young
The Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) remained virtually closed and mysterious in the eyes of outsiders until the second half of the 19th century. More interest developed toward China and Japan rather than Korea due to difficult access.
A few Czechs came to Korea soil around that time. Among them traveler and explorer Enrique Stanko Vraz (1860-1932) was the first Czech to visit Korea and left historical evidence such as writings and photographs from his visit in 1901.
Vraz first came to Korea after visiting India and China 110 years ago. He arrived at Jemulpo Port in Incheon and then made his way to Seoul.
He took some 80 photographs and released them along with his short travel essay about Korea in his book titled “Cina: Cestopisne crty” (China: A Traveler’s Sketch) which was read by many Europeans at that time. His photos and records about Joseon were the rare window for Europeans into the small country of the Far East with his vivid descriptions.
The Seoul Museum of History is holding a special exhibition to display his photographs in conjunction with the Naprstkovo Muzeum as part of the PragueNational Museum through June 12.
It presents not only Vraz’s photos but also other historical material concerning relations between the Czech Republic and Korea.
A total of 53 photos on display capture scenes of the streets, royal palaces, ordinary houses and famous sites taken by Vraz in April and May, 1901. The images introduce historical monuments such as Donuimun and Gyeongbok Palace and stores near Sungnyemun.
Among them, the clock tower with Western designs in Gyeongbok Palace and the garden of Nakseonjae in Changdeok Palace are rare images that show the then landscape of the palaces which do not exist today.
The exhibition is divided into three parts — the beginning of Korea-Czech historical relations; Czech traveler Vraz; and Seoul through the eye of Vraz in 1901.
The first part shows that not only Vraz but also other Czech travelers contributed to relations between the two nations through their essays, novels and illustrations.
Czech travelers and writers such as Josef Korensky, Karel Hloucha, Jiri Viktor Danes, Barbora Marketa Eliasova and Bohumil Pospisil all featured Korea in their writings published in their native country and other publications related to the Joseon Kingdom are presented in the exhibition.
Korensky visited the ports of Busan and Wonsan in 1901 and published a travel journal in his native country. He was the first Czech to visit Korea along with Vraz.
Hloucha was the first Czech author who themed Korea in his novel “Pozar na vychode” (The Fire of the East) in 1906 and featured Korean characters in his work and introduced them in Czech literature.
Danes came to Korea in 1923 and portrayed Korea in his travel journal “Tri leta pri Tichem oceane” (Three Years around the Pacific Ocean) in 1926.
Eliasova was the first Czech woman to step on Korean soil in 1933. She wrote a short story “Namsuk, mlady Korejec” (Namsuk, Korean Man) in 1934, which deals with a young Korean independence fighter and released the novel “Sunae a Ketai” (Sunae and Ketai) in 1941 which portrays the conflicts between a pro-Japanese brother and a patriotic sister.
Pospisil, a traveler and writer, held a lecture in Korea on Feb. 19 in 1928 and contributed an article about Korea in the January and February editions of the magazine “Sirym Svetem” in 1934.
The second gives an in-depth look at Vraz who explored North Africa, Latin America, archipelagos around the Pacific Ocean, China and India. A model of the Kodak stereo camera Vraz used and two gelatin dry plates are shown along with a miniature of a 19th-century ship to help understand transportation at that time.
The last section focuses on Vraz’s old images of Seoul such as the streets, palaces, ordinary people and foreigners’ activities. In particular the Jongno streets seen from Dongdaemun are in stark contrast with the current landscape.
For more information visit www.museum.seoul.kr.