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Fri, April 27, 2018 | 15:26

Opinion > Blogs > About the past >

Koryo Mine Part 2: Appeasing the Mountain God

Mining is inherently a dangerous occupation, so it is little wonder that many miners are religious - if not superstitious. The Korean miners at the Koryo Mines were no exception. The “Mountain God” was believed to be responsible for the success or failure of a gold mine; depending on whether it was sufficiently appeased determined whether gold would be found.

About the past | 2018-04-15 10:24

Gold mining in South Korea: Koryo Mines (part 1)

Gold mining in South Korea: Koryo Mines (part 1)

Gold mining on the Korean Peninsula is often associated with North Korea but in the 1960s the Korean Consolidated Mining Company (KCMC) operated several mines in South Korea.

About the past | 2018-04-14 10:55

Koryo Mine Part 2: Appeasing the Mountain God

'Honey wagons' of the past: 'night soil' and its disease sting

Somewhere in Korea in 1952, an American soldier passed a small caravan of wagons laden with large barrels of foul-smelling sludge. While he was repulsed by the smell, he was equally attracted by the image and quickly snapped a picture. He had encountered a “honey wagon” and its precious cargo of “night soil.”

About the past | 2018-04-08 09:47

April 1948: An American pilot and strife-torn Jeju

For the American forces stationed in Korea following its liberation, the life of a pilot must have seemed enviable. Pilots had better living conditions, more benefits and flew all over the country.

About the past | 2018-04-07 10:10

The PX (Post Exchange)

George Lampman, a young American marine attached to the American embassy, remembers that when he arrived in Korea on January 9, 1949, the American PX (Post Exchange) was in the Wha Shin Department Store. But it didn't remain there for long. The American military presence in Korea was being reduced and a large PX was no longer needed or feasible. The solution was to move the P...

About the past | 2018-04-01 10:34

A visit to Seoul in July 1952

In the summer of 1952, Fred Dustin and Bob Shrieber were granted a short pass from their unit to go to Seoul and relax. It also provided them with the opportunity of visiting their houseboy, Cha Sang-kyu, and his family in Wangsimni. Getting to Seoul wasn't as difficult as one would imagine. Army trucks returning from ferrying supplies to front-line units were frequently enco...

About the past | 2018-03-31 10:59

Independence Gate: haunted past

The Independence Gate and its park enjoy a reputation as the site of Joseon's Independence Movement but they also have a dark past. The region was once infested with man-eating tigers that preyed on lone merchants, and those who escaped the claws and fangs of the great beasts sometimes found themselves at the mercy of thieves and highwaymen.

About the past | 2018-03-25 09:20

Independence Gate: A new beginning

In the spring of 1895, following China's defeat by the Japanese during the 1894-95 Sino-Japanese War, Yeongeunmun (the Welcoming Gate of Obligation), where emissaries from China were met, was torn down to reinforce Joseon's complete independence. Only two pillars of the gate were left standing as a testimony to the past.

About the past | 2018-03-24 11:04

Big birds of the past and present

The skies over Seoul were once filled with great birds - some were hunters and others were prey. During the winter of 1883-84, Percival Lowell, an American temporarily residing in Seoul, described the large black vultures flying over the city as “the scavengers of the town” and that they shared this “disagreeable duty with the dogs.” He further wrote:

About the past | 2018-03-18 10:34

The great birds of Joseon

“You often read about the falcon hunts of the days before the invention of sporting guns and smokeless powder, but these hunts must have been tame compared to a modern Korean wolf hunt with trained eagles.” Thus began a newspaper article published in the United States in 1922.

About the past | 2018-03-17 10:00

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