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Tue, August 9, 2022 | 16:22

Grave crimes: Ransoming the dead

Ernest Jacob Oppert, a German merchant in Shanghai, is perhaps one of the most infamous Westerners in Joseon history. He and his co-conspirator, Stanislas Feron (a French priest who allegedly came up with the idea), planned to dig up the tomb of the Korean regent's father and hold his bones hostage until the regent (Heungseon Daewongun) agreed to open his kingdom to the West.

2020-10-24 11:12

Whispers of the past: Jeongdong from the air in 1960

In the fall, the Jeongdong area of Seoul is one of the most beautiful places in the downtown area for a quick afternoon stroll. The whispers of the past follow you as you walk along the cobblestone roads, framed by the gingko trees in their brilliant fall colors.

2020-10-18 09:12

Color, crowds and bustle: Market day in Joseon

Once again Gimjang (the season for making kimchi) is upon us and the markets are bustling with people trying to buy the cabbages and other ingredients needed. Mounds of cabbages, carrots, potatoes and other vegetables are prominently displayed but there are stalls selling beef and pork (a surprisingly large amount of it is imported), old-fashioned deep-fried whole chickens, n...

2020-10-17 10:24

Tales from the palace: Cheoljong the beggar king (Part Two)

King Cheoljong is not remembered as much for his reign as he is for the politics surrounding his appointment and his death. His ascension to the throne was a repackaging of the past. The names of his parents and relatives - once marred with disgrace for being on the wrong side of politics - were honored.

2020-10-11 16:25

Tales from the Palace: Cheoljong, the beggar king (Part one)

Tales from the Palace: Cheoljong, the beggar king (Part one)

The rulers of the peninsula's great dynasties and kingdoms were hatched from eggs, or were golden frogs, or betrayed their own sovereigns, leading to the fields of battle where the victors were proclaimed righteous and won the right to provide the narration for their acts. But not all Korean monarchs had privileged or heroic pasts; some had rather humble beginnings.

2020-10-10 09:20

Tales from the palace: Cheoljong the beggar king (Part Two)

Foraging for myths and legends

While riding bicycles along the Han River, it is not uncommon - especially in the region near Goyang - to see elderly men and women, armed with pocket knives and garden tools, foraging in the underbrush along the lanes. Despite the signs warning about poisonous snakes (and further evidenced by dead snakes on the bike lanes) these daring foragers wade through the tall grass an...

2020-10-04 13:21

The ups and downs of seesawing in Joseon Korea

During the holidays of the past, Korean girls often gathered together in their courtyards - dressed in their finest - and took turns on the seesaw. Not the Western-type of seesawing where children sit on opposite ends of the board and passively lift one another into the air but the dynamic Korean-style known as neoltttwigi.

2020-10-03 10:09

The misadventures of the HMS Grafton

Following the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95, the British government increased its naval strength in the Far East. In early summer of 1896, one of the British navy's newest ships, the HMS Grafton, departed England for the China Station.

2020-09-28 09:00

The Narcissus

In the late 19th century, life aboard a British warship (especially along the Korean peninsula) was often monotonous with gunnery and deck drills and never-ending ship's maintenance. The only excitement came when the ships anchored at Jemulpo (modern Incheon) and the crews were occasionally granted shore leave at which time they would fill the handful of hotels and bars and b...

2020-09-27 15:04

The Un'yo Incident of 1875: The attack on Yeongjong Island (part two)

In the late hours of September 20, 1875, the Japanese warship Un'yo anchored off Yeongjong Island (where the Incheon International Airport is located). It was upon the “castle” (Yeongjong fort) that Captain Inoue intended to exact revenge for the “perfectly unprovoked assault” upon his crew by the Koreans the previous day.

2020-09-20 08:58

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