Thai shipwreck surviors met with kindness

Gunsan in the early 1900s. Courtesy of Diane Nars Collection

By Robert Neff

One morning in early November 1880, the residents of Yeondo ― a small island off the coast of Gunsan ― were surprised to discover a large number of foreigners struggling ashore from a sinking ship. They were the survivors of the Kim Yuen Tae (or Kim Yuen Tye) ― a 329-ton Siamese (Thai) barque.

The ship, under the command of Captain Paul Julius Kofoed, had a crew of fourteen Thais, one Hawaiian and at least twelve Chinese sailors. In addition to the crew, there were Kofoed's Thai wife and their child, and the Danish boatswain's Thai wife.

Captain Kofoed, a son of a fisherman, was born in Bornholm. Denmark on July 6, 1828. At some point ― at least by 1861 ― he made his way to Siam (modern Thailand) where he served as captain on a number of ships. It would be safe to assume that Kofoed was a very experienced captain ― especially in the southern part of Asia.

On October 27, 1880, the Kim Yuen Tae sailed out of the Chinese northeastern port of Newchwang (modern Yingkou) bound for Hong Kong. Things went well for the first couple of days; the weather was good but cold, and the ship made slow but relatively good progress. However, things changed on November 1. The Kim Yuen Tae encountered "fearful weather" and sprung a leak. Kofoed deemed the situation dire enough that he set course for the coast of Korea ― the peninsula had the reputation as being unfriendly towards foreigners, including shipwrecked survivors ― hoping to make it before his ship sank beneath the waves.

Seoul in the late 19th century. Robert Neff Collection

On November 3, the Kim Yuen Tae arrived off the small island of Yeondo (known on the British charts as St. Helen's Island) and made "every endeavour" to repair the leak. One account claims that they struggled for two days but in all likelihood the ship sank in seven fathoms' of water shortly after its arrival in the early morning.

"The captain and [Danish boatswain] remained onboard till the crew and [the two Thai wives and child] had got into the boat, and then the poor [boatswain], who had exhausted himself in trying to stop the leak and in working the vessel, could not be persuaded to make any further effort. He went down with the ship."

Another crew member was also lost when the ship sank. The survivors "reached the shore in an absolutely destitute condition, and in deadly fear" of the reception they would receive from the Korean islanders, but ― much to their relief ― they were hospitably treated. According to one report: "The Coreans treated the survivors with the greatest kindness, provided them with rooms, heated k'ans, dry clothes, and good food."

For nearly a month the victims of the shipwreck remained with their Korean hosts. The Korean government offered to send them back to Newchwang, which was readily accepted. It isn't quite clear how this offer was communicated as the Thai sailors were allegedly "unable to understand Chinese, either written or spoken."

Pyongyang in the early 1900s. Courtesy of Diane Nars Collection

On November 30, the castaways ― accompanied by a Korean military escort ― began their long journey overland to the Korea city of Uiju, located on the Yalu River which formed the Korean-Chinese border. The men rode on Korean ponies and oxen while the women and the child were conveyed in chairs or palanquins.

The journey was not an easy one as the roads were very rough and it seems doubtful the survivors ― who were accustomed to much warmer weather ― were acclimatized to the coldness of Korea's winters. The governor of Gyeonggi Province seems to have taken an interest in their plight and provided them with as much comfort as possible.

On December 10, they arrived in the vicinity of Seoul. One person ― probably Kofoed ― described Seoul as "a city of mud huts situated on hills, near a wide and deep river." They were housed in an inn located in the suburbs of the city as they were not allowed to enter the capital. After resting for about twenty-four hours, they resumed their journey ― their next destination was to be "the prehistoric capital of Corea" ― Pyongyang.

It seems they arrived in Pyongyang on December 14 and stayed only long enough to regain some energy (they provided no descriptions of Pyongyang) before continuing on to Uiju ― arriving there on December 16 ― where they were handed over to Chinese officials who would escort them to Newchwang.

It was a miserable march through extreme cold and harsh conditions. The temperature ranged from minus 17 to minus 22 degrees Celsius and one Thai sailor perished from exhaustion and the elements. The survivors arrived in Newchwang on January 22, 1882 and several suffered from severe frostbite including one man who had to have both feet amputated. Despite his age and the extreme hardships endured, Captain Kofoed was among the survivors and seems to have fared better than most.

Uiju in the early 1900s. Robert Neff Collection

An English language newspaper in China praised the survivors for the utmost care they took in safeguarding the two women and the small child. It claimed that "even under the most distressing conditions" the women and child "appear to have been well cared for." Oddly enough, the newspaper then stated, "such unselfish conduct in favour of the weaker sex makes the community the more ready to welcome the poor shipwrecked people."

According to a memorial presented to the Chinese government, the Thais and Hawaiian were to be examined by the military authorities and would then be sent home. Whether this happened or not is unknown. As had been "the invariable custom" of the Chinese court, the Korean officials who escorted the survivors were issued a small sum of money.

In closing its article, the newspaper somewhat backhandedly noted that "we must not forget to remark upon the humanity evinced by the Coreans, who, in that respect, approach to the kindly nature of the Japanese."

For several years Korea would remain a land wrongly maligned as being unusually cruel to those unfortunate enough to be cast upon its shore.

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.

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