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Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.
In the summer of 1884, there were a handful of Westerners exploring the Korean Peninsula ― one of them was John Baptiste Bernadou, a 24-year-old ensign in the United States Navy temporarily assigned to the legation in Seoul. Part of his responsibilities was to gather material for the Smithsonian Institute ― a task that he did admirably well as evidenced by the large collection that can still be found in the museum.
Wooden paths and steps provide easy access to the valley but there are a lot of steps. Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffEven within the bustling confines of Seoul, history and natural beauty are easily accessible to those who are willing to go off the beaten path. One such place is Suseongdong Valley ― to the west of Gyeongbok Palace. This region has long been a favorite hiking spot for foreign visitors to Seoul such as Arnold Henry Savage Landor, an English artist and writer who visited the valley in early 1891.Landor's accounts of Korea are interesting but at times suspicious. He wrote authoritatively about the country even though he only spent a couple of months on the peninsula and so it is only natural to wonder how he came by all his knowledge. He did not read or speak Korean, there were relatively few books about Korea written in English and the population of Westerners in Seoul was extremely small ― most of them having arrived within the previous five years.According to Landor, the general Korean population believed that the mountains and hills were haunted by
A Korean choheon in the late 19th century Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffSpring is in the air and the bike lanes along the Han River are filled with enthusiastic riders (many of them ― judging from their behavior ― are still learning to ride), wandering pedestrians who are more concerned with taking a selfie than staying in their designated lanes and electric scooters whose daredevil drivers seem to have watched too many action movies. Bicycle riding in Korea is an enjoyable adventure with a long history. In April 1884, George Woods, a naval surgeon, wandered the busy streets of Seoul observing the officials and noblemen passing by. Most of them were mounted on “sleek, fat, white ponies with long tails and braided manes” ― each led by a groom, while others rode in chairs borne by two or four bearers. However, the “most curiously mounted” of these nobles was one man who rode in a “choheon.” In his journal, Woods wrote:“[The noble] had an ordinary chair arranged on a frame supported by springs, and this mounted six feet in the
A street view in the early 1900s Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffIn the past (late 19th and early 20th centuries), Western visitors often described the homes of average Korean citizens as dingy, rough and unappealing. They were devoid of gardens, decorations and even paint. Isabella Bird Bishop, an Englishwoman who traveled extensively throughout the peninsula in the 1890s, wrote about the homes she passed while traveling along the streams and ditches of Seoul:“[They] are generally hovels with deep eaves and thatched roofs, presenting nothing to the street but a mud wall, with occasionally a small paper window, just under the roof, indicating the men's quarters, and invariably, at a height varying from 2 to 3 feet above the ditch, a blackened smoke-hole, the vent for the smoke and heated air, which have done their duty in warming the floor of the house ... Even the superior houses, which have curved and tiled roofs, present nothing better to the street than this debased appearance.”Two boys peer in from the street in Seoul, 1954. Robert Neff Co
The Yongsan ferry landing in the 1890s, seen in a Yongsan History Museum exhibit Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffIt is no secret that Seoul is filled with coffee shops; they are everywhere and often right next to one another. They are so common that one barely notices them. Surprisingly, Seoul also has a large number of museums, which ― like the coffee shop ― are often passed by unnoticed.I have a great affinity for coffee shops and museums ― especially those with a past and that breathe history. Recently, while searching for a place to get a good cup of coffee, I encountered the Yongsan History Museum.I was quite surprised with this museum. I was the only visitor (it was early on a Wednesday morning) and so I was able to enjoy my step back into the past in solitude. It is a past that deserves to be remembered ― especially by a foreigner ― because Yongsan has a long history with Americans and Japanese.The flooded streets of Yongsan in 1925, seen in a Yongsan History Museum exhibit Robert Neff CollectionThe museum is housed in the former Yongsan Railroad Ho
The Han River and its newest bridge in the late fall of 2021 Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffThe Han River is the soul of Seoul. Its majestically divides the city into two parts ― the north side of the city, grittier but rich with history; and the south side, flashier, newer and wealthier. It was the highway through which goods ― rice and fuel ― were supplied to the city, and a line of defense during times of war.But times have changed and it no longer serves those purposes. Now the river is a sanctuary for residents of the city: a place to ride bicycles, picnic, watch the sunset, water ski, kayak, windsurf or just hold hands with that special someone while enjoying each other's company. Yet, even sanctuaries have their dangers ― at least they allegedly did in the past.The tigers are gone but occasionally one still finds a wolf lurking about the river. This one was seen in Yeouido in the summer of 2021. Robert Neff CollectionWolves and tigers roamed the banks of the river ― hunting not only wild boars, deer and small mammals but also the occasional human.
Two accused criminals appear before a magistrate in Jemulpo in the early 1900s. Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffWinter arrived early in 1891. Perhaps the temperature did not drop as low as it had in other years but this time it was colder than usual. The threatening weather caused the Korean boats that usually plied the Han River to be stored earlier than normal, which had an immense impact on trade between the port of Jemulpo (modern Incheon) and the capital. Usually in the winter, when the river froze over, oxen were used to transport goods ― especially firewood and coal ― but an epidemic of rinderpest the summer before had decimated the cattle population on the peninsula. Coolies (porters) were the only option for moving goods but with their increased demand came increased prices. Adding to the woes of a large part of the foreign community in Seoul was the flu ― its rapid spread through the community was likely helped by the cold weather and the lack of heating fuel.One resident in Seoul remarked, “The number of those who will breathe freer when the river ope
There were many English travelers to Korea in the late 19th century. Most of them were well-mannered and were able to travel throughout the peninsula as this man did in the 1880s. Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffOn July 7, 1898, James Stewart O'Neil, the constable at the English legation Seoul, went on trial for the death of Lee Gyeong-pil ― a Korean employee of the same legation. It was alleged that O'Neil became infuriated with Lee's lackadaisical performance of his duties and beat the young man so severely that he died a few days later. O'Neil denied ever striking the man and, after a trial lasting some 11 hours, a jury of his English peers found him innocent. While the foreign community was happy with the verdict, another English man (with an impossibly long name), Alfred Frederick Augustus William Busby, reignited the fire when he let his temper get the best of him.On July 8, at about 6:30 p.m., a violent incident took place at Gorshalki Store in the Jeong-dong area of Seoul. This store catered to the foreign community and enjoyed a degree of fame for its Western good
The British legation in 1905 from A.G. Hyde Lay's book “Four Generations in China, Japan and Korea (1952). A very interesting read of diplomatic life in the 19th and early 20th centuries.By Robert NeffIn the late 19th century, many Koreans sought employment with foreign business firms, missionaries or various legations. Not only were the salaries better than those offered by Korean employers, but there were also a number of fringe benefits such as medical care, the opportunity to learn foreign languages and cultures, and, at times, elevated social status ― which could often be monopolized legally or illegally.Lee Gyeong-pil was no different. He was a young Korean coolie (porter or day laborer) who applied for a job at the English Legation in Seoul in the spring of 1898. With the exception of a strong back, it isn't clear what qualifications he possessed ― in fact, we know very little about his life, except that it was short.It is, of course, an assumption that Lee was happy to be hired on May 2 and began work immediately as an outside man ― a menial who ran errands and maintain
Manan Bridge and its stele house in February 2023 Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffIn the late 19th century, there were not that many permanent bridges outside of Seoul and its immediate vicinity. Most of the larger rivers and streams were either crossed by small ferries or by temporary bridges ― the smaller bridges were made from pine branches and earth while the larger bridges were made from timber, trunks and branches from trees.During the rainy seasons, residents in the area would often dismantle the bridges to prevent them from being swept away by floods. James S. Gale, a missionary from Canada, explained that during “the 6th moon (of the lunar year) the (temporary bridges were) pulled up by official order, and (were) only replaced at about the beginning of the 9th moon.”Once the bridges were pulled up, travel in the interior became much more difficult as the travelers and their ponies were forced to wade through the water, which often resulted in an unwanted bath due to a misplaced step or slippery rock. Pedestrians and bicyclists share the single lan