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Korean Traditions

Wed, September 27, 2023 | 07:08

(74) Cleanliness is next to godliness

(74) Cleanliness is next to godliness

Western accounts of early Korean-foreign encounters are often peppered with disparaging descriptions of the perceived lack of Korean hygiene. A sailor in the 1860s scathingly wrote that Koreans “appear to regard filthiness as a virtue” and that “their appearance would testify that water was unknown to them.” Others asserted that Koreans seemed wary of soap and water and were ...

Do Je-hae | 2012-04-20 18:01

Art of miscommunication

Art of miscommunication

As any student can tell you, learning a foreign language is not easy. Communication between foreigners and Koreans during the late 19th and early 20th centuries often involved body language and a mixture of Chinese, Korean, French, Japanese, English and Russian. Naturally this method led to a lot of awkward but amusing situations.

2012-04-13 16:28

(72) Forbidden fruit

(72) Forbidden fruit

One of the greatest scrounges in Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) was cholera. Horace N. Allen, the first Western doctor to reside in Korea, declared that Seoul was “always ripe for cholera, and the only wonder (was) that the disease (was) not endemic.” But what made Seoul so susceptible to the disease?

2012-04-10 15:41

(71) In gilded cage

(71) In gilded cage

In the 19th century, very little was known about Korea other than it was a “Hermit Kingdom” and had a reputation (undeserved) for abusing shipwrecked survivors. In an effort to attract readers, Western newspapers often printed accounts of alleged travelers to Korea with little regard to their accuracy. One of these accounts concerns a Frenchman named Piry.

2012-03-30 16:57

(70) Italian heros at Incheon Foreigners‘ Cemetery

(70) Italian heros at Incheon Foreigners‘ Cemetery

On Sept. 9, 1904, the Italian cruiser Marco Polo sailed into Jemulpo harbor. It was one of the newest and most powerful Italian vessels in the Far East and while its arrival would have normally generated a buzz of excitement; the large number of warships associated with the Russo-Japanese in the harbor had jaded the Jemulpo community. Few, other than the merchants, paid much ...

2012-03-27 16:42

(69) Did you know that... The death of angel

(69) Did you know that... The death of angel

Perhaps the greatest fear of a parent is that their child will die before them. For many Westerners residing in Joseon Korea that fear was too often realized. Often these deaths came quickly and without warning. One tragic case was that of Edward T. McCarthy, the manager of the British-owned Gwendoline Gold Mines in present North Korea.

2012-03-23 17:06

(68) When tigers smoked

(68) When tigers smoked

It is hard to say with any degree when cigarettes were first introduced into Korea. Early encounters with the crews of Western ships may have led to the exchange of cigarettes as gifts but more than likely the introduction of cigarettes began after the Treaty of Ganghwa (The Japan-Korea Treaty of Amity) in 1876.

2012-03-20 19:13

(67) Tale of three geese

(67) Tale of three geese

Hunting for many Westerners living in Korea during the late 19th and early 20th centuries was not just to put food on the table; it was also considered manly entertainment. While large animals, such as deer, bears, wild boar and, for some of the braver individuals, tigers were often the prey, for the most part wild fowl was the game of choice.

2012-03-16 19:27

(66) French voyeur incident

(66) French voyeur incident

People living in the close and cramped quarters of large cities are often deprived of privacy and residents of Seoul in the late Joseon period were no exception. Laws were enacted to protect against these intrusions and to maintain social order. One such law was the prohibition of climbing on roofs in an effort to protect the sanctity of the courtyard.

2012-03-13 19:18

(65) Early Joseon bar room brawls

(65) Early Joseon bar room brawls

In the late 19th century, Jemulpo (modern Incheon), the main port of Korea, was an international city filled with merchants, traders, sailors from warships and steamers and various indigent riffraff looking for “a situation” (employment).

2012-03-09 18:08

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