Chosun Hotel turns 50
By John C. Stickler
Even before annexing Korea in 1910, the Japanese began constructing a railway line from Busan to Seoul and Pyongyang and on to the Chinese border to link up with the Trans-Siberian Railway.
To accommodate travelers, the Japan Railway Bureau constructed five-star hotels along their routes, two of which were the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the Chosun Hotel in Seoul. The five-story Chosun, designed by a German architect, was an oasis of European elegance in the Hermit Kingdom.
Opened in 1914, it featured a grand staircase of imported marble, Tiffany-era stained glass, sterling silver flatware from Germany and fine Irish linens. The entire staff was Japanese, from housekeepers to the general manager. No Korean was spoken; Koreans were not welcome.
My first visit to the landmark property was early in 1963. As a U.S. Army draftee I'd recently arrived at 8th Army HQ on the Yongsan compound. A new friend escorted me into the imposing red brick structure. It had seen better days. All I remember now is the glassed-in terrace facing the Temple of Heaven. Known as the Palm Court it was deserted: a cold tile floor, no staff, no guests. My friend spoke in a whisper, as if we were alone in a church.
Returning to my barracks I had no way of knowing that within two years I would have a room there, on my wedding night, after a matrimonial ceremony in the Princess Room and a reception at the old Seoul Club. Nor that less than three years after that the entire building would be demolished to make way for Korea's rebirth into the 20th century.
Somehow by the end of 1963 I had qualified for an Army R&R "New Year's Eve cruise" from Busan to Hong Kong and back on a U.S. Navy troop ship. Our arrival was highlighted by a flyover of two low-flying British Royal Air Force fighter jets screaming a most impressive welcome to Hong Kong. Stepping into one of the then-modern hotels on the Kowloon side I was immediately struck by the lobby ― not the decor, but the cosmopolitan aura of the space, the international vibes, the palpable energy of the room. This is where things happen, I thought. Why doesn't Korea have anything like this?
Lo, in the summer of 1970, 50 years ago, American Airlines' new Chosun Hotel opened and instantly became the social and economic hub of South Korea. Granted, international tourism was still at "square one." The ban against Japanese tourists had been lifted, they could visit but only in groups. My international advertising agency, specializing in tourism and export promotion, was among the first offices opened in the new hotel which became my largest account. President Park's five-year plans were gaining traction and businessmen were now arriving from around the world to make deals. They stayed in the Chosun Hotel ― where the "Miracle on the Han" was unfolding.
John Stickler was the CBS radio correspondent in Seoul from 1967-76. He and his wife Soma Han have produced an audiobook of their prize-winning Korean fairy tale Maya and the Turtle. Reach them at johnandsoma@Ymail.com