The Korea Times

Swan hunt at Yongsan gone afoul: Part 2

In mid-February 1889, two Presbyterian missionaries — 31-year-old John W. Heron, who served as physician for the foreign community as well as the palace, and 28-year-old Daniel L. Gifford — decided to take a short excursion to the Han River to relax. Heron was especially in need of a respite; he spent long hours in the government hospital and was on constant call for medical concerns in the palace and, to make matters worse, his wife was confined to her bed.

Feb 23, 2025By Robert Neff

Opinion

Swan hunt at Yongsan gone afoul: Part 1

Central Seoul’s busy Yongsan District, was one of the busiest ports on the Han River, back in the late 1880s when it was south of the capital. A large bluff dominated the scene, “mantled to the very top” with the village’s crude homes and the “red brick Catholic Seminary.” At the foot of the village lay the steamship landing, where one or two diminutive riverboats, their engines belching black smoke, plied their trade to and from the seaport of Jemulpo (modern-day Incheon). For much of the year, the port bustled with activity, ruled by farmers, merchants and sailors. However, in winter, when the river froze solid, the Korean fishing boats, ferries and transports were beached and the steamships stayed in Jemulpo seeking dubious sanctuary from the elements. That’s when the region became the domain of Korean fishermen and Western hunters.

Feb 22, 2025By Robert Neff

Opinion

Cheating to Succeed

In early 1882, an overheard conversation between two Korean students staying at a hotel in Tokyo was recorded in an English-language newspaper. One student, fluent in Japanese, told his companion that he intended to study English so that he could “learn the real value of Western civilization through the reading of English books.” His friend was horrified. He explained that while they were permitted “to learn Japanese, as the Japanese were less barbarous than Western nations,” it was imperative not to study Western languages for fear of becoming like them — barbarians.

Feb 17, 2025By Robert Neff

Opinion

Wonsan: Where modern skiing began in Korea

While winter is often associated with cold blustery winds, traffic delays and treacherous ice, it is also one of the most breathtaking seasons — especially when the drabness of the urban landscape is covered under a pristine blanket of brilliant white snow. For many, the snow awakens the nostalgia of our childhood — the urge to build snowmen, make snow angels and have snowball fights with our friends and family. For the more adventurous, the snow-covered mountain slopes beckon, ready to be conquered by sleds, snowboards and skis.

Feb 15, 2025By Robert Neff

Wonsan: Where modern skiing began in Korea

Opinion

Bigamy and trial marriages

In the past, more so than today, small hometown newspapers were often filled with gossip, the more scandalous the better, alongside unsubstantiated accusations. Depending upon public interest, these tantalizing tidbits often graced the pages for an issue or two before they faded away into obscurity, leaving the issues unresolved.

Feb 9, 2025By Robert Neff

Opinion

Seoul in the early 1900s: Fighting and gambling

When Count Peter Vay, a Hungarian diplomat and writer, visited Seoul in late November 1902, he was somewhat amused by the almost endless quarrels and scuffles around him. Some involved merchants and coolies locked in heated disputes — perhaps over prices or the jostling of the crowd — while nearby, two young boys tussled next to a police sentry box. When the smaller boy began to cry, blood dripping from a cut on his forehead, the sentry remained unmoved. According to the count, the sentry’s expression seemed “rather to approve than condemn.”

Feb 9, 2025By Robert Neff

Seoul in the early 1900s: Fighting and gambling

Opinion

Letters from the Past: Fred Dustin's snapshot of Jeju Island in 1975

Old letters are treasured windows into the past. They lack the brutal honesty and starkness of diary entries, instead offering a sanitized portrayal of daily life, written to entertain and inform friends and family. Fred Dustin’s letters from Jeju Island, penned some 50 years ago, are no exception.

Jan 11, 2025By Robert Neff

Letters from the Past: Fred Dustin's snapshot of Jeju Island in 1975

Opinion

Hulbert’s gift to Korea

Homer Hulbert arrived in Jemulpo (now part of modern-day Incheon) on July 4, 1886. He was one of three American teachers hired by the Korean government to teach at the Royal College in Seoul. Their trip to Seoul and their subsequent adventures in Korea are interesting stories, but those will have to wait for another time. Since today is Christmas, however, it seems appropriate to recount the Christmas party of 1887, held at the home of Horace Underwood — an American missionary.

Dec 25, 2024By Robert Neff

Opinion

Italian prospector sails into Korea's tempest of 1885

On Nov. 25, 1885, Signor Luigi sailed into Jemulpo (modern Incheon) harbor aboard his small blue schooner, the Prospector, with the Italian flag proudly fluttering from its mast. Although the Prospector was the first Italian merchant vessel to visit a Korean port, it was not the first to sail into Korean waters. That dubious honor belonged to the 666-ton Italian barque Bianca Pertica, which wrecked off the coast of Jeju Island during a powerful typhoon in 1878, shortly after departing Nagasaki. Only one crew member survived, and he provided an account of his ordeal at sea and subsequent rescue by the islanders — an account both fascinating and, at times, almost unbelievable.

Dec 15, 2024By Robert Neff

Italian prospector sails into Korea's tempest of 1885

Opinion

John Andrew Clinton: A knife's legacy in 19th century Korea

The keys that unlock the past are often humble items — overlooked by historians and writers but prized by enthusiasts and collectors. These include stamps, postcards, matchbooks and, in this case, a knife.

Dec 9, 2024By Robert Neff

Robert Neff

Read more

Swan hunt at Yongsan gone afoul: Part 2

Swan hunt at Yongsan gone afoul: Part 1

Cheating to Succeed

Wonsan: Where modern skiing began in Korea

Bigamy and trial marriages

Seoul in the early 1900s: Fighting and gambling

Letters from the Past: Fred Dustin's snapshot of Jeju Island in 1975

Hulbert’s gift to Korea

Italian prospector sails into Korea's tempest of 1885

John Andrew Clinton: A knife's legacy in 19th century Korea

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