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Tue, July 16, 2019 | 08:06

Giuseppe Santori: An Italian castaway on Jeju (part 2)

Morning came but it did not bring relief. The men had managed to survive the night and, for the most part, the swamped ship had been pumped out. The storm, however, continued to rage.

2019-07-14 03:45

Giuseppe Santori: An Italian castaway on Jeju (Part 1)

On the morning of September 18, 1878, the 666-ton Italian barque Bianca Pertica, filled with coal, left Nagasaki bound for Hong Kong. The weather seemed ideal for sailing - a light breeze from the east filled the ship's sails and conveyed it through the calm waters at a lively pace.

2019-07-13 07:43

Showing the flag in 1888

In the 19th century, American warships often visited Jemulpo [modern Incheon]. Usually their presence was benign - training and resupplying - but other times the ships visited with the intent on showing the flag to bolster the morale of the small American population and to signify the American government's willingness to protect its citizens.

2019-07-08 11:40

American Independence Day in Seoul in 1895

On July 4, 1896, the American legation compound was the center of attention in Seoul. The Sino-Japanese War had recently ended and John Sill, the American Minister to Korea, and his wife, Sally, were determined to host the largest Fourth of July celebration ever held in Korea.

2019-07-07 14:33

A life of hate and conflict: The mysterious Bilbroughs (part 4)

Gertrude Bilbrough hated Americans and missionaries, which was unfortunate for her as they made up most of the Western population in Wonsan when she first arrived. But her hatred wasn't confined just to Westerners.

2019-06-30 09:27

Grumpy Gertrude: The mysterious Bilbroughs (part 3)

When Gertrude Bilbrough arrived in Wonsan in the summer of 1899, excitement undoubtedly swept through the handful of Western women in that port. Gertrude was an elderly woman - she just turned 60 - and contrasted greatly with the American and Canadian missionary women. She was British and proper - a lady of social status and means - whereas the young missionaries came from hu...

2019-06-29 09:17

A life of hate and conflict: The mysterious Bilbroughs (part 4)

The mysterious Bilbroughs (part 2)

In a small community, the arrival of a stranger usually generates speculative gossip, and the Bilbroughs were no exceptions. It was customary throughout the Far East for new Western arrivals to pay complimentary visits to announce their presence, but Charles and his mother shunned any contact with Koreans or foreigners. The Japanese, who made up the largest part of the foreig...

2019-06-23 09:52

The mysterious Bilbroughs (part 1)

Fascinating and mysterious characters often passed through Korea in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For the most part, little is known about them save their names and the rumors and insinuations surrounding them. This was the case of the Bilbroughs.

2019-06-22 10:13

Big trouble in the camp: Seoul's foreign community in 1889 (part 2 - The American legation)

In the summer of 1889, there was confusion in the American legation. Hugh Andrew Dinsmore, the American Minister and Consul-General to Korea, spent much of his time in Jemulpo (modern Incheon) away from his official post in Seoul. This wasn't really that unusual.

2019-06-16 09:31

Rumors, orgies and voyeurism: Seoul's foreign community of 1889 (Part 1)

In 1889, Korea was anything but “The Land of the Morning Calm” especially amongst the members of the small Western community. Vicious rumors were spread amongst the American missionary women that the German consul-general, Ferdinand Krien, had been engaged in wild orgies in the German consulate. He became a pariah of the community and, out of desperation and anger, lodged a c...

2019-06-15 07:08

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