Jemulpo in the 1900s: An 'unattractive entrance to a great adventure'

Jemulpo in the early 1900s. The Japanese Settlement is on the left side of the street (the large building is the Daibutsu Hotel) and the Chinese Settlement is on the right side. Note the Lung Kee tailor shop. Robert Neff Collection

By Robert Neff

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Jemulpo (modern Incheon) was described as an "unattractive entrance to a great adventure." Many visitors bemoaned the lack of trees on surrounding hills, the vast expanse of mudflats which were exposed during the low tide and the haphazardly developed port consisting of four parts or settlements: the Japanese, Chinese, Korean and "General Foreign." There was, however, a certain degree of charm to Jemulpo. It was said to be one of the more hygienic open ports among those in China, Japan and Korea and the more affluent foreign residents of Seoul often moved to Jemulpo in the summer to escape the oppressive heat of the capital city.

In 1901, the port had a permanent population of about 20,000 people. Of course, Koreans, Chinese and Japanese made up the greater portion of the population but there were also a number of Germans, French, Americans, English, Russians, Greeks, Portuguese and even a Spanish ballet dancer.

Each of the settlements had their own individual character. The Japanese settlement was arguably the most prominent; its buildings were well-made and several can still be found today. George Heber Jones, an American missionary, described the First National Bank as possessing "one of the finest buildings in all Korea." The settlement had a population of about 4,500 people ― mainly Japanese ― and had its own police force, hospital, a number of inns and hotels (perhaps the best known to Westerners was the Daibutsu Hotel), two theaters, a number of bathhouses and a couple of temples.

A color postcard of Jemulpo circa 1900 Robert Neff Collection

The Chinese settlement had a population of about 500 Chinese. According to Jones:

"There are a great many Chinese gardeners living at the port who have small gardens in the adjacent fields. Most of these are Shantung farmers who come over in the spring, work their holdings, and return for the winter to their native land, thus causing a constant fluctuation in the number of Chinese residents at the port."

Perhaps the best-known Chinese-owned enterprise was E.D. Steward Co., which Jones described as having "an American name and a thoroughly progressive spirit." This firm operated the Steward Hotel (the rival of Daibutsu) as well as a general store and a forwarding company. Jones claimed that without this company, it would have been hard for most Westerners to live comfortably in Korea.

Other than E.D. Steward, there were also tailor shops, laundries, smaller general stores (catering to Chinese and Korean customers), vegetable stands, restaurants and butcher shops. There were also a number of illegal opium dens; for the most part, their existence was tolerated so long as they did not draw too much attention upon themselves. According to some accounts, most of the customers were Chinese and Koreans, but it does not challenge the imagination to assume there were at least a handful of Westerners who also patronized these underground establishments.

The General Foreign Settlement was probably the most cosmopolitan of the three foreign settlements and is where the majority of the Westerners lived. It was well laid out with streets, drains and sewers. It had its own city council whose officers were consuls of the treaty powers, elected landowners and a Korean representative and they met frequently in the settlement's townhouse to sort out the numerous petty claims made by one landowner against the other or to address the frequent complaints against the allegedly draconian acts of the council.

Jemulpo harbor at low tide circa 1910s Courtesy of Diane Nars Collection

The settlement also had its own police force and a jail. According to Jones, the jail is "where we imprison our carts and jiggies, for we seldom have criminals to occupy it." His statement was less than truthful. Like most ports, Jemulpo had its fair share of crime, including murder. In 1898, an American named George Lake ― who truly had a checkered past ― was found murdered in his home. A former American gold miner was accused and convicted of the murder and sentenced to life imprisonment (Horace N. Allen, the American minister, wanted to execute him but was disheartened to learn he did not have the authority to do so); he was later retried and declared innocent.

Jones seems to have been determined to present the General Foreign Settlement in a positive light. He claimed that there was "not a saloon, strictly speaking, in the town," but he was clearly being less than truthful. There were several saloons in Jemulpo ― several owned by Americans ― but they were generally located in rented buildings in the Chinese and Korean settlements. There were also a number of houses of ill repute in the Korean settlement operated by Japanese, Chinese and Koreans. These establishments catered to the transient population of sailors, gold miners, traders and respectable members of the Western communities in the port and Seoul (during the investigation of Lake's murder in 1898, a very popular female employee of one of these establishments readily ― and somewhat boastfully ― gave a list of men and their entertainment preferences along with how much they were willing to pay for their pleasure.)

In upcoming articles we will examine Jemulpo ― not through the rose-tinted glasses of missionaries but from the grittier accounts of sailors, merchants and diplomats. Jemulpo was truly the entrance to great adventures in Korea in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

My appreciation to Diane Nars for her invaluable assistance.

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