Contributor
Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.
In the annals of Joseon history, arguably the most interesting and hated women was Jang Ok-jeong (1659-1701), better known as Huibin Jang, King Sukjong’s royal consort. Her tale is like an episode from the popular drama “Game of Thrones” — complete with Machiavellian intrigue, seduction, witch trials, executions and, finally, ghostly hauntings.
According to a recent poll, Korean residents of Seoul view the Han River as a symbolic place representing the city. In the city's survey, about two-thirds of respondents said they like to spend their leisure hours by the riverside with their friends socializing. While the number of bicyclists and tents has increased over the past couple of decades, the number of fishers seems to have greatly decreased.
Korean is said to be one of the fastest-growing languages in the world. Undoubtedly, Korean movies, dramas and K-pop have influenced the popularity of the language. Not many years ago, speaking a few words of Korean garnished undeserved praise from elderly Korean shop keepers, but those days are gone. Korean-speaking foreigners are often encountered in the streets, seen on TV or on YouTube. The number of Korean language schools are constantly increasing, and for those who cannot physically attend a language school, there are many programs online.
On the rainy morning of May 1, 1886, the French warship Primauguet sailed into Jemulpo (modern Incheon) harbor. On board was Francois George Cogordan, the French plenipotentiary, and his staff, who had come to negotiate the French-Korean Treaty. Over the next couple of days, the harbor was filled with the booming of cannons as courtesy visits were made to the French warship by the captains of the other foreign warships.
Darkness once ruled the nights of Seoul. During the winter of 1883-84, Percival Lowell, a young American guest to the capital, was captivated by Seoul’s dark nights where women were allowed free rein on the streets and men (unless they were blind) were confined to their homes.
On February 24, 1893, the British warship, HMS Caroline, sailed along the coast of Korea near Geomundo Islands. On board was 32-year-old Sub-Lieutenant William Stanley Lambert – an officer who was definitely not happy. He had been temporarily assigned to this ship to replace a lieutenant who, “in an evil moment,” had become too ill to go to sea.
In early 1890, the Eastern Whaling Company was established in Yokohama, Japan. It was a foreign venture and began operations with a single small steamer named the Nautilus which was soon joined by a brand new steamer named the Narwhal. The company began with grand goals and a promising future but its reality was bad luck, financial ruin and death.
Narwhals have always been viewed with a sense of wonder tinged with supernatural mysticism. They were bearers of the great unicorn horns, and symbols of purity and good fortune. It was fortune that brought the "wooden narwhals" to Korea.
Spring has long been the season for contentious encounters between the Korean Coast Guard and Chinese fishing boats and this year is no exception. As the demand for fish increases and the supply dwindles, the number of violent incidents involving fishing boats will continue to increase. But this is not a new problem.