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Opinion

Blogs

Fri, October 18, 2019 | 18:56

Trapping tigers

In 1910, Korean tiger stories were very popular in American newspapers. One newspaper reported, “It appears that since the Japanese occupation of Korea, [Koreans] have been forbidden to carry firearms, and as a consequence, tigers have multiplied to an extraordinary extent.

2019-10-13 10:01

Murder at the palace: Queen assassinated

In the early hours of October 8, 1895, the Western community in Seoul was woken by the sound of gunfire at the palace. “This was in time of peace, and such sounds we knew must be portents of evil,” wrote Lillias Underwood, an American missionary.

2019-10-06 09:41

Dining with the Queen: foreigners help celebrate Joseon Dynasty foundation

September 4, 1895, was an important occasion - the anniversary of the foundation of the Joseon Dynasty. To celebrate it, the king and queen of Korea invited the leading members of the foreign community to a dinner at the palace. Naturally, the foreign community was thrilled - especially the women who rarely got to attend these events - but many wondered how successful the eve...

2019-10-05 10:43

Cannibalism and kindness: When Joseon crops fail

To the Joseon farmer, the first moon of the year was a tool of divination. One can imagine in 1902 that they looked to the sky in trepidation. If the moon appeared red, it was an indication there would be a drought - as had been the previous year. If it was dark, there would be a famine. If the moon was pale and white, it symbolized too much rain and flooding. But, if the moo...

2019-09-29 09:30

The humble jori: sifting evil from fortune

Not many years ago, rice sieves (jori) were a humble but essential part of every household. They were used to wash the rice before it was cooked and, in some ways, indicated status and wealth.

2019-09-28 10:01

Terror reigns as moon disappears and French warships sail into Seoul

On the night of September 24, 1866, the moon disappeared. Some of the superstitious believed the bulgae, or fire dogs, had devoured the moon but the educated - especially those in the Korean court - knew that it was merely a total lunar eclipse.

2019-09-23 09:47

French efforts sink; more Christians lose their heads

The Korean-French conflict ended in mid-November 1866 when the French, after looting and burning Ganghwa City, returned to China. Although the French had been forced to withdraw, they had done so with a fair amount of treasure and were thus able to claim some degree of victory. The Koreans were able to claim that, unlike other Asian countries - including China - they had defe...

2019-09-21 09:08

The Storming of Ganghwa City in 1866

On October 16, 1866, a large French military expedition attacked Ganghwa city. The attack was relatively unchallenged - only a few shots fired resulting in the deaths of a handful of Korean defenders.

2019-09-15 13:45

The first European woman on Ganghwa (part 3)

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the history of Westerners in Korea focused on men. Women were rarely mentioned and, if they were, almost never by name. Curtis, however, did write about his wife's experiences on Ganghwa Island and seemed quite proud of her - unfortunately, he only addressed her as “Mrs. Curtis.”

2019-09-14 11:43

War sinks Korea's navy plans (Part 2)

Throughout May, Curtis instructed his naval cadets and was very pleased with their progress. Some days he taught them marksmanship and the use of a cutlass, other days they were taught navigation using a compass and, almost every day, they were taught drill and ceremony. All of this was done in English.

2019-09-08 09:35

The first European woman on Ganghwa (part 3)

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