Funeral of Lady Eom: consort's send-off fit for queen

The funeral procession headed towards the East Gate / Courtesy of The Illustrated London News

In the early hours of Aug. 2, 1911, much of the population of Seoul gathered in the streets to pay their final respects to Lady Eom, the consort of ex-Emperor Gojong. Addie Lea Jordan had traveled from Jemulpo (part of modern-day Incheon) by train and rickshaw to witness the funeral of a woman she knew nothing about. In fact, few non-Koreans knew much about her at all.

Some accounts claimed she was "born of a family of a class lower than that of the yangban order" in either Seoul or Chungcheong Province. As a young girl she served in the palace and, because of her beauty, quickly caught the attention of the Korean monarch who favored her, allowing her to rise steadily through the ranks of palace women. Of course, she also caught the attention of Queen Min who, in a jealous rage, had her chased from the capital and forced to take refuge in a temple in Chungcheong Province.

Some newspapers in the United States claimed she started out as a slave but eventually became a power in the court ― "a palace politician of great skill."

At least one newspaper in Japan suggested she was a sorceress who subsequently became the hairdresser to Queen Min but was later dismissed due to the queen's jealousy. According to another authority, Lady Eom began her career as a washerwoman and seller of strong drinks. She was, according to the same authority, "a woman of wonderful intellect."

Almost all accounts agree that following the murder/assassination of Queen Min, Lady Eom returned to Seoul and joined the Korean monarch during his year-long stay in the Russian legation. In 1897, she gave birth to Prince Yi Eun.

Some American newspapers ― including the Washington Post ― resurrected the story (despite it being disproven many years earlier) that Lady Eom was actually Emily Brown ― an American missionary who, after marrying the Korean emperor, "received the name of [Eom], which, in the Korean language, means 'Dawn of the Morning' or 'As beautiful as the Rising Sun.'" The articles went on to add that she "was the Emperor's favorite wife, and her son was made the heir apparent, and, but for the annexation of Korea by Japan, he would have become Emperor on the death of his father."

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 5, 1911 / Courtesy of Newspapers.com

The Washington Herald suggested: that Lady Eom (Emily Brown) “was anxious to be crowned Empress at the ceremony which made the King an Emperor, but this programme aroused so much opposition it was deferred. For many years she evaded one of the two most powerful factions dominating Korean politics, scoring many victories over the opposition.”

There were ― over the years ― allegations printed in the newspapers that Lady Eom (Emily Brown) had survived a number of assassination attempts. Of course, these reported attempts were false, because there was no Emily Brown!

Not only was Lady Eom's past uncertain, so too were the circumstances of her death. Over the previous year, American and British newspapers reported that Lady Eom and other members of the royal family were “to all intents and purposes, prisoners in small portions of their palaces.” The Seoul correspondent of the Asahi claimed “Japanese physicians were strictly forbidden to approach the lady during her illness.”

The crown prince (Lady Eom's son) at the funeral / Courtesy of The Illustrated London News

At first it was reported that she died from “heart failure” ― some suggest it was from the shock of seeing her son ― who had been sent to school in Japan ― in a Japanese uniform and eating Japanese food. The true cause seems to have been from typhoid.

Adding to the confusion surrounding Lady Eom is the speed in which her funeral was held. The reasons behind this may have been the contagiousness of the disease and the summer's heat.

The funeral began at 5 a.m. and, judging from Addie Lea's account, she was quite impressed with its size and the people's apparent devotion to the deceased imperial consort.

“On both sides of this highway, from the city to the tomb, were people in the best clothes, native dress. I never saw so many people in all my life, yet there was no jostling, soldiers every twenty feet, the whole five miles, who kept the comers on one side of the street and the goers on the other. We saw everything, even the mourners with their tear-stained faces, and the eatables that were put into the grave, twenty carts full. The floral designs were mostly made of feathers and silver and gold.”

It is a shame she did not describe the actual start of the procession from the palace and its progress through the streets, so we have to depend on other sources to fill in her blanks.

As the procession departed, “it was witnessed by the young Korean prince [her son], who was greatly affected, and hundreds of Court ladies who were weeping bitterly.” The procession was led “by a number of Buddhist priests playing dirges” which were followed by six large horses (made from paper) which were “provided for the spirit of the deceased to ride on; three are saddled and three left bare.” Then came the hearse, carried by 120 men (another account claims it was 280) wearing sackcloth who marched slowly and repeated a doleful chant, upon which stood a man with a bell who acted as the master of ceremonies. This was followed by 2,000 men ― Korean and Japanese officials and other important personages.

The funeral procession arrived at the tomb site at about 10 a.m. Addie Lea wrote:

“The palanquin in which were the remains was lifted to the high elevation where the tomb was by 300 coolies, dressed in sack-cloth. It was marvelous how it was managed, so much rhythm that you would have supposed it was on wheels.”

The funeral procession nearing the tomb site / Courtesy of The Illustrated London News

She noted that there were tents, awnings and booths everywhere and she was invited for refreshments with the Japanese “Governor and his suite.” She was especially pleased when she was allowed to go up and greet the crown prince.

“He is only 14 and has been kept away in Japan at school ever since Corea was annexed. He was given special permission to come to his mother's funeral. He was in his native dress, all in white, mourning, and his sedan chair was also white, and he was borne about by twenty soldiers in uniform. Those who greeted him only bowed and he returned the bow. It was very pathetic and I know the Coreans felt as if this was almost the final act of the old regime, and they hate the Japanese with an intensity that is almost akin to the insanity.”

This brief expression of empathy for the Korean situation is quickly erased when she described it as “a gay and festive occasion” and “a spectacular affair for an American” ― she was convinced that she and her party were the only Americans present. “We felt very conspicuous,” she wrote, “for every man was in native dress or in a black frock coat with crepe on his arm and on his high silk hat.”

Apparently, the American party's lack of proper clothing was the least of their faults.

“The wonder is why they even let us inside the gates, so near, for we even touched the priests who were blessing the fruits and eatables and sacred wine, also some of the court ladies with their peculiar headdress, watermelon colored divided skirts, looked like balloons.”

After the funeral, Addie Lea returned to Jemulpo. She explained to her friends back home that she had hoped to get a newspaper account but there was only one published in English in Korea (for some reason she referred to the peninsula as an island) and that it was “under rigid censorship, so had very little to say, for political reasons.”

The Jordans and Mrs. Henderson remained in Jemulpo until Sept. 5 when they boarded a steamship and returned to Louisiana. One can imagine the tales of adventure they must have told and the pictures they shared with their friends when they arrived home. Unfortunately for us, these have disappeared with the passage of time.

Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books including, Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.