The Korea Times

Spies amongst us

Japanese troops near Namdaemun in 1904 / Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffThe traveler, dressed in Korean clothing, tried desperately to hide his nervousness, but with each passing minute, it became more and more obvious that the Russian patrol and their Korean interpreters were suspicious of him. First, they questioned him rapidly in Korean as to his identity and his business in this part of the country. Then they began to examine his baggage noting the amount of Japanese silver he had with him. When he was asked to take off his hat and the Russian officer began to examine his hair, he began to sweat profusely. Excitement and suspicions were in the air. The Korean traveler was visibly shaken when the officer commanded him to take off his footwear so that his feet could be examined. The examination lasted only a few minutes before the Russian officer declared the traveler a Japanese spy and summarily executed him with a bullet. The above could have taken place anywhere in northeastern Korea in 1904-05. Spies were an important part in the Russo-Japanese War: they reported the stren

Feb 12, 2023By Robert Neff

Opinion

William Franklin Sands' diplomatic and undiplomatic views of late Joseon

Sands and a friend smoke together in Seoul.   Courtesy of “Undiplomatic Memories” by William Franklin SandsBy Robert NeffCover of “William Franklin Sands in Late Choson Korea” by Wayne Patterson (Lexington Books, 2021)In 1896, at the tender age of 22, William Franklin Sands was appointed second secretary at the American Legation in Tokyo. The baby-faced Sands was a privileged youth; his father was an admiral who knew everyone ― including the president ― and was not above using his influence to open doors for his son. But even the privileged sometimes became victims of the vortex of politics in Washington D.C., and with a new president came changes ― Sands was replaced a little over a year after his arrival. Undaunted, he returned to the United States in August 1897. Once again, through his father's influence, as well as Senator Henry Cabot Lodge's assistance, he was able to secure another diplomatic post. One of his mentors advised him to accept a position in Korea:“Korea is the place. Nobody wants it; it is too insignificant ― but it is there

Feb 4, 2023By Robert Neff

William Franklin Sands' diplomatic and undiplomatic views of late Joseon

Opinion

Plum trees, pheasants and promises of old Korea

Hyehwamun (Northeast Gate) in the late 19th or early 20th centuries / Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffIn Korea, 1898 began with change and trepidation. December the last year had been brutally cold but the first week of January was pleasantly mild. There was the promise of prosperity. The rice prices, which had been extremely high due to the failure of the crops in the capital region the previous year, continued to fall as more shipments of rice arrived. There were probably some who believed that supernatural forces were responsible for this change of fate.In the vicinity of Beol-ri, a village that's now known as northeastern Seoul's Beon-dong, a hunter killed a white pheasant. He was convinced that it was an "omen of great prosperity for the nation” and so he took it to the palace so that it could be served to the royal family. The gift was accepted but it is not clear if the Korean monarch partook in any of the “omen(s).” Clearly, for those who believe in portents and omens, this was no coincidence. Beol-ri was so named because of the large number of plum tree

Jan 29, 2023By Robert Neff

Plum trees, pheasants and promises of old Korea

Opinion

1885: Year of the Monkey

An upper-class family in the late 19th or early 20th century    Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffKorea, in the early months of 1885, was in turmoil. A failed coup attempt in December 1884 resulted in large numbers of Japanese and Chinese soldiers being encamped in Seoul and the surrounding region ― a conflict between these two countries on Korean soil was a real possibility. Blood was being spilled in the streets by the Korean authorities. Rebels were executed and their bodies left as graphic warnings to the public. It doesn't challenge the imagination to assume that many Koreans hoped the Lunar New Year (Feb. 15 that year) would bring desperately needed change and peace. In his diary, Horace N. Allen, an American missionary and doctor, described the events surrounding the Lunar New Year holiday in 1885. Some of his observations were rather benign: “Just now the people are busy flying kites. Men and boys devote their time to this amusement and seem happy.” Some of his other remarks were more caustic: “[The] city has put on a holiday attire ― If a collec

Jan 22, 2023By Robert Neff

Opinion

White Whiskers and the Rabbit

Scenery of Gangwon Province in the first part of the 20th century / Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffLong ago, when tigers smoked pipes, there was a huge tiger known as White Whiskers who dwelt in the wild and sparsely populated region that is now Gangwon Province. Tigers were not uncommon in the province; in fact, tigers were fairly common throughout the peninsula ― the only exception being Jeju Island and a few small islands. However, White Whiskers was known as the proudest tiger on the peninsula.A tiger bares its teeth, published in The Korea Times Jan. 1, 1974.  Korea Times fileAccording to William Elliot Griffis, whose account this article is based upon:White Whiskers “had the most fiery eyes, the longest tail, the sharpest claws, and the widest stripes of any animal in the mountains. He could pull down a cow, fight all the dogs in any village, eat up a man, and was not afraid of a hunter, unless the man carried a gun. As for calves and pigs, he considered them mere tidbits. He could claw off the roof or break the bars of stables where cattle were kept, devour one

Jan 21, 2023By Robert Neff

Opinion

Tales around the stove

The stove in Dustin's house ― a great place to eat popcorn, drink grape juice and listen to tall tales and tantalizing tidbits of the past. As evidenced by the picture, he was not one for tidiness. December 2015.  Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffIt is no secret that winters in Korea are cold but, judging from the various diaries and correspondences of Westerners residing in Seoul, the winters of the present aren't as cold as the winters of the past.In the late 1890s, Horace N. Allen, the American Consul General, described the Korean ondol heating system in fairly glowing terms. He noted that the floors (covered with thick paper and rich brown in color due to the constant polishing they received by the stockings of the owners) were always warm.I suspect Allen did not spend much time sleeping on the floor or even going about his house in just his socks but he does seem to have been truly impressed with the Korean heating system in regard to Korean-style homes. However, for the American and Europeans living in Seoul, stoves were the only option “as the paper floors do not

Jan 15, 2023By Robert Neff

Opinion

The tale of the great bell of Jongno

The Jongno area in the first part of the 20th century   Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffBosingak, the bell tower at Jongno, the main street through downtown Seoul, is a popular spot for ringing in the New Year. One of my most vivid memories of this event was on Dec. 31, 1999, when thousands upon thousands of people crowded the streets around the bell in anticipation and fear of the impending new millennium (among those fears was the Y2K bug). The atmosphere was unbelievable and for blocks, it was impossible to move more than a few inches as the crowd surged back and forth as the New Year was hammered by the bell's tolling.In the late 19th century, this bell was one of the most popular sites for foreign tourists and was frequently described in letters home as well as newspaper and magazine articles. One such writer was Horace N. Allen. Allen first arrived in Korea in 1884 as an American doctor for the diplomatic and Korean Customs Department (he was actually a missionary doctor but kept his affiliation ― at least in the beginning ― somewhat downplayed) and later served a

Jan 7, 2023By Robert Neff

Opinion

Settling debts in the New Year in Joseon

The colorful streets of Seoul in the early 20th century   Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffIn the late 19th century, the beginning of a new year meant settling debts from the previous year. Sometimes debtors tried to avoid their obligations by secretly moving to a new location while others tried more drastic means such as trying to convince their creditors that they had moved on to the afterlife.According to an American newspaper in 1889:“So many persons annually disappear in Corea from the ravages of tigers that hopeless debtors and defaulters take advantage of the presumption thus created in case of a missing person to leave their torn garments at the border of some wood and privately decamp. 'Caught by a tiger' has come to be equivalent in Corea to our American phrase, 'escaped to Canada.'”For those debtors who were unable to move or fake their own demise, they waited in anticipation of their creditors. According to A. Henry Savage-Landor, who traveled to Seoul in the early 1890s:“Creditors go about the town in search of their debtors, and should the

Jan 1, 2023By Robert Neff

Settling debts in the New Year in Joseon

Opinion

Winter scenes of Seoul's past

Hwangwonjeong Pavilion and Geoncheonggung at Gyeongbok Palace in December 2012   Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffIn the late 19th century, Westerners often described Seoul during the winter in one of two ways: a dirty, crowded city choking under the haze of smoke from countless chimneys, or as a clean and quaint city with streets blanketed by snow and its inhabitants dressed in clean white clothing except during the holidays when they wore brightly colored festive outfits. I think, for the casual observer, the latter was a truer description ― at least in the mid-1880s.In the winter of 1883-84, Percival Lowell, an American guest of the royal palace, described the city's beauty ― especially that of the surrounding mountains:“On a clear day in winter ― and about half the days are clear ― the view from any of the broader city streets is most beautiful. The houses are so low and the mountains so high that in the main thoroughfares the peaks can be seen towering above the roofs on either hand, as you pass along the street. Even in the narrower alleys, they block the end

Dec 31, 2022By Robert Neff

Opinion

The “true Christmas spirit”

A postcard which could have served as a Christmas card in the 1930s   Robert Neff CollectionBy Robert NeffAs a boy, I often looked forward to wandering the snow-covered streets of my city to admire the Christmas decorations. Houses were lit up with countless lights ― some were obviously color-schemed while others were haphazard assortments of whatever colors could be found ― snowmen (when there was enough snow) stood silent guard in the front yards and sometimes Santa and his sleigh could be seen on the occasional rooftop. Many of the stores and businesses competed with one another to make the most beautiful Christmas display ― a smart way of advertising their goods. I especially liked the hobby and toy shops because model trains usually were a prominent feature of their displays.Churches had large nativity scenes ― some ornate while others were rather plain ― that attracted people's attention whether they were believers or not. It was the missionaries who introduced Christmas into Korea about 140 years ago. Of course, in the beginning, Christmas was rather a small and inti

Dec 25, 2022By Robert Neff

Robert Neff

Read more

Spies amongst us

William Franklin Sands' diplomatic and undiplomatic views of late Joseon

Plum trees, pheasants and promises of old Korea

1885: Year of the Monkey

White Whiskers and the Rabbit

Tales around the stove

The tale of the great bell of Jongno

Settling debts in the New Year in Joseon

Winter scenes of Seoul's past

The “true Christmas spirit”

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