The Korea Times

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

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

Opinion

Rolling through time: A history of bowling in Korea

“From time immemorial the sport of bowling has held a place in the pastimes of mankind, not as prominently in past centuries as in the present, but sufficiently to warrant notice in the chronicles of the ancients,” declared the Spalding Athletic Library in an 1892 issue dedicated to bowling. To support this claim, the magazine somewhat irrelevantly noted that Romans hurled stones “upon the heads or breasts of their foes.”

Nov 17, 2024By Robert Neff

Rolling through time: A history of bowling in Korea

Opinion

Wonsan - A stamp of disapproval: Part 2

In the summer of 1900, Francis Arthur Coleridge, a 30-year-old Englishman with the Indian Civil Service, made a brief visit to Wonsan aboard the Japanese steamship Tarien Maru. Coleridge had a keen eye for detail and a deft pen in describing the port — its charms and vexations. There were things that he found intriguing and quaint, while others struck him as frustrating, yet amusing — the Korean post office being one of the latter.

Nov 9, 2024By Robert Neff

Opinion

Wonsan: A stamp of disapproval: Part 1

In the early years of the twentieth century, Wonsan was, for the most part, merely a brief stopover for steamships traveling between Shanghai, Vladivostok and Japanese ports. It was one of those places that travelers occasionally mentioned in their travelogues but rarely devoted much ink to describing. Fortunately for us, Francis Arthur Coleridge was an exception.

Nov 2, 2024By Robert Neff

Opinion

Secrets within the walls

Every neighborhood has its secrets. Behind the facades of clean storefronts, tastefully decorated interiors and the busy sounds of pedestrians going to and from work or school, some buildings have dark histories. If only the walls could talk — some eventually do.

Oct 27, 2024By Robert Neff

Opinion

British consulate in Jemulpo: Bar with a view (2)

In September 1884, the Royal Oak Saloon arrived in pieces and was laboriously carried up the hill to the consulate site. However, details of its reconstruction are agonizingly absent. The port was undergoing a building spree, and manpower was scarce. The American consulate had a team of builders from Nagasaki; did the British also have a team, or did they rely upon local labor?

Oct 13, 2024By Robert Neff

British consulate in Jemulpo: Bar with a view (2)

Opinion

British consulate in Jemulpo: Bar with a view (1)

When Sir Harry Parkes visited Jemulpo (modern-day Incheon) in the spring of 1883, he had almost nothing positive to say. The port, he observed, was nothing more than a collection of “wretchedly-built huts,” and there were no signs of trade or industry. He noted, “the surrounding country yields barely sufficient rice for the consumption of its small population.”

Oct 12, 2024By Robert Neff

British consulate in Jemulpo: Bar with a view (1)

Opinion

The curse of the ginkgo

Once again, it is ginkgo season in Korea, and there are various websites touting the best places in Seoul – and across the country – to see this iconic tree in the beauty of its stunning autumn colors. Considering there are more than 102,700 ginkgo trees in Seoul, it should not be that difficult to find the perfect one for an Instagram picture.

Oct 5, 2024By Robert Neff

Robert Neff

Read more

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

Rolling through time: A history of bowling in Korea

Wonsan - A stamp of disapproval: Part 2

Wonsan: A stamp of disapproval: Part 1

Secrets within the walls

British consulate in Jemulpo: Bar with a view (2)

British consulate in Jemulpo: Bar with a view (1)

The curse of the ginkgo

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