Kim Bu-gwi, the tallest monk at Hwaeom Temple

The Gakhwang-jeon Hall of Hwaeom Temple in Gurye, South Jeolla Province, October 2005 / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

Hwaeom Temple, located in Gurye, South Jeolla Province, is arguably one of the most beautiful temples in Korea. The temple was first established in 544 and enjoys a long history filled with destruction, reconstruction and renovations. It is filled with officially designated Treasures and National Treasures and it is unsurprisingly one of Dale Quarrington’s favorite temples. According to him, “It’s not every day that you’re in awe of a building or even a stone structure, but it’s not every day that you visit Hwaeom Temple."

However, history is not just old buildings and relics — it is also the tales of the small politically unimportant people who step briefly into the limelight and then disappear. Kim Bu-gwi, a monk, was one of these people, but he was not a small man — he was a giant among his peers.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Korea was awash with strife and uncertainty due partially to the 1904-05 Russo-Japanese War and the political instability of the Korean government. Events that were once viewed with curiosity were now regarded as suspicious and dealt with severely.

The Four Lion Three-Story Stone Pagoda of Hwaeom Temple, October 2005 / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

In September 1904, The Korea Daily News (a newspaper published in Seoul) reported:

“On [Sept. 11], one tall man came into this city through the East Gate, his stature is the same height as the Electric car and the loin sure to be 10 armful round even the Europeans were surprised to look so big man, there were many hundred spectators around him for they never saw such tall and big man, as the people asked him where he comes from, he said he comes from Eastern hills, (Gangwon Province) it is suspicious whether he is Chief of Tong Haks or leader of righteous army.”

His stature and his ambiguous answers were his undoing. A few days later the newspaper reported that the tall stranger was arrested by the police — what became of him is unknown as the Korea Daily News failed to write about him again.

Another strange event occurred in 1905 in Geochang, South Gyeongsang Province — the birth of Kim Bu-gwi. It is surprising how little we know about Kim. As a child he was probably tormented by his peers; he towered above them. At some point, he became a monk at Hwaeom Temple but he did not go unnoticed — not even in this tranquil place. According to various sources, whenever he left the temple for an afternoon walk, he was mocked by the population who called him a goblin and laughed at the size of his feet and hands. His tormentors were lucky that Kim was a gentle giant — he stood just under 220 cm tall and would have been a formidable opponent.

It was in the early 1930s when Kim began to enjoy a more favorable reception by the general public. Korean newspapers reported his arrival at various locations and seemed to enjoy juxtaposing him smiling while standing next to a somewhat nervous man of average height.

A screenshot from a video of Kim Bu-gwi in Tokyo circa 1937 / Courtesy of YouTube – “The TallestManVideos”

In 1937, Kim caught the attention of the world when he announced he was going to embark on a tour around the world. Many of the American newspapers — which appear to have depended upon the Japanese newspapers for their information — described him as a “Japanese giant” — the “tallest man in Japan” — and then, in the same article, claimed he was a “Korean priest” (but used the Japanese form of his name).

According to the American newspapers, one of the reasons Kim was traveling to the United States was “to challenge [the] American giants to an eating contest.” The papers hyped up this giant eating contest with exaggerations — claiming Kim stood 236 cm tall and weighed 137 kilograms and that the Americans’ contender, Robert Wadlow, stood 282 cm tall (he was actually 272 cm).

When asked if he was worried about the competition, Kim acknowledged Wadlow was taller but was confident he would win because he could “eat five times as much rice as a Japanese soldier.”

Somewhat surprisingly, 19-year-old Wadlow was unaware he was competing in the “grand old table sport — eating.” When asked about it, he modestly declined. Wadlow’s father explained that his son was not a big eater.

His appetite may not have been big, but his head was full of pride. According to a local paper, Wadlow “swallowed hard at the thought that the Korean giant might dispute his claim to championship heights” and retorted: “If that guy thinks he’s taller than I am, just let him come down here to Alton (Illinois) and we’ll measure up.”

Roof Tiles at Hwaeom Temple, October 2005 /Courtesy of Dale Quarrington

It doesn’t appear they ever met as their lives were tragically short. Wadlow died in 1940 at the age of 22 and Kim died in 1943 at the age of 38.

For those interested, here is a video of Kim’s visit to Japan and at the end a few seconds of Wadlow in the United States.

My appreciation to Diane Nars for her assistance as well as to Dale Quarrington for providing his images of Hwaeom Temple.

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