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Brother Anthony introduces 'eventful' year of 1866 in Korea

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By Jon Dunbar
  • Published KST
  • Updated KST
Henri Zuber's illustration of the 1866 French invasion of Ganghwa Island / Courtesy of Brother Anthony of Taize

Henri Zuber's illustration of the 1866 French invasion of Ganghwa Island / Courtesy of Brother Anthony of Taize

Brother Anthony, president emeritus of the Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea, will give a lecture Tuesday on the history of the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom, focusing on one eventful year: 1866.

RAS Korea President Emeritus Brother Anthony poses in front of the U.S. ambassador's residence in central Seoul at the RAS Korea Garden Party, June 1, 2019. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

RAS Korea President Emeritus Brother Anthony poses in front of the U.S. ambassador's residence in central Seoul at the RAS Korea Garden Party, June 1, 2019. Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar

"1866 did not start well for the expat community in Korea. At the time, it consisted of just 12 French missionaries. Within a few weeks, nine of them had been arrested and beheaded. In the spring, the teenaged king married a young lady from the Min family. In the autumn an ambassador from China brought the emperor’s recognition of her as queen of Joseon. Banquets were held." Brother Anthony, whose Korean name is An Son-jae, said in an online invitation.

"In August Ernst Oppert, a German businessman, sailed up the Han River, hoping to trade. He sailed away with a roughly drawn chart of the river and nothing else. Meanwhile, an American ship sailed up the Daedong River to Pyongyang, ran aground, and the crew so upset the population that they were all killed. Finally, the French fleet stationed in the region came to protest about the killing of the French missionaries. They too sailed up the Han River, then settled down on Ganghwa Island for a few weeks before sailing away, not having been able to protest to anyone."

These are some of the events to be covered in the lecture.

Brother Anthony, 82, is a British-born member of the Community of Taizé in France. He came to Korea in 1980 and was later naturalized as a Korean citizen. He is an emeritus professor of English literature at Sogang University, and has published many translations of modern Korean poetry and fiction. Recently he was awarded the 2024Manhae Literary Prize.

The lecture starts at 7:30 p.m. in the fifth-floor lounge of the FastFive building in Da-dong near Seoul City Hall. Entry costs 10,000 won or 5,000 won for students and is free for RAS Korea members. Attending online via Zoom is also possible. Visit raskb.com for more information.