Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.
The Un'yo Incident of 1875 (part one)
The interior of Chojijin on Ganghwa Island in May 2020/ Robert Neff Collection
On the cloudy morning of September 19, 1875, a strange vessel appeared in the sea near Ganghwa Island.
“Flying a yellow flag,” it had two masts ― covered with sails ― and a tall chimney in the center that belched out thick black smoke as it sailed to the southern tip of the island and anchored at the mouth of the narrow channel that separates the island from the mainland.
Soldiers in the nearby fortress (Chojijin) watched the ship lower two boats into the water ― their crews dressed in Western-style uniforms. These small boats then began taking soundings of the channel. The Korean soldiers within the fort were, understandably, alarmed as the island was one of the chief defenses for the Joseon capital and the sanctuary for the monarchy if the capital should be seized by the enemy.
Damage from earlier conflicts with the West can still be found in the walls of the fortress. The small white circle indicates the damage done by an artillery shell in this photo take in May 2020. Robert Neff Collection
This area had also experienced two foreign incursions ― one by the French in 1866 and the other by the Americans in 1871 ― and many of the island's fortresses during these battles had been recently rebuilt, so the sudden appearance of a strange vessel was viewed (rightly so) as a threat.
This ship, however, was not French or American, it was the Scottish-built Japanese warship Un'yo (Rising Cloud) and was one of three Japanese warships sent out to survey the Korean Peninsula's coastal waters.
The large gnarled tree on the right was damaged during one of the battles with the West in this photo taken in May 2020. Robert Neff Collection
According to Kawamura Kwanshu, an officer aboard the Un'yo, the ship did not have a very large supply of fuel and water so, after completing the soundings, the small boats “turned towards land to enquire whether coal could be had, to make arrangements for getting water, and to buy fowls or fish.”
As the boats approached shore, a Korean soldier fired his musket at the Japanese boats. The Japanese sailors returned fire and the subsequent “firing [by both sides] continued for some time, but none of the balls took effect.”
Looking north from Chojijin's ramparts in May 2020 / Robert Neff Collection
Suddenly, it began to pour rain and the Japanese boats no longer had to contend with just Korean musketry but also with Mother Nature. As they struggled to get back to the Un'yo, Chojijin's cannons began to fire on them. Fortunately, they were able to reach the safety of their ship.
“On the following day,” according to Kawamura Kwanshu, “the ship attempted to approach the shore but found it too shallow, so that they were obliged to open fire upon the fort from a long distance out at sea. Two shells went right into the middle of [it], and some of the Koreans must have been killed.” Yet, because of the distance, no “decisive victory” could be obtained, and the Un'yo sailed for nearby Yongjeong Island (where Incheon International Airport is located) and the military district's headquarters.
In the morning, Captain Inoue Yoshika, the 29-year-old commander of the Un'yo, was determined to exact revenge for the perceived outrage heaped on his crew and the Japanese flag.
The rocky expanse in front of Chojijin in May 2020 / Robert Neff Collection
From Chojijin's ramparts looking south, where the Un'yo was likely anchored in May 2020 / Robert Neff Collection
The entrance to Chojijin, May 2020 / Robert Neff Collection
A cannon replica at Chojijin in May 2020 /Robert Neff Collection
Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books including, Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.