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Sun, December 10, 2023 | 23:58

Treasures along the River: Anyang's Manan Bridge

Treasures along the River: Anyang's Manan Bridge

In the late 19th century, there were not that many permanent bridges outside of Seoul and its immediate vicinity. Most of the larger rivers and streams were either crossed by small ferries or by temporary bridges - the smaller bridges were made from pine branches and earth while the larger bridges were made from timber, trunks and branches from fir trees.

2023-04-02 10:23

Treasures along the River: Guardian trees of Anyang

Treasures along the River: Guardian trees of Anyang

On July 8, 1977, Mother Nature unleashed her fury upon the Anyang region with more than 46 centimeters of rain within a short period of time - most of the rain fell in only five hours. The devastation was overwhelming as mudslides and floods destroyed villages, wiped away over a hundred bridges, and killed and injured hundreds of people.

2023-04-01 10:46

Unrest on the Island of World Peace in 1903

Unrest on the Island of World Peace in 1903

Over the last couple of decades, Jeju has often been called the Island of World Peace. But in the spring of 1903, it was anything but peaceful to the small Japanese community - at least according to the Japanese press.

2023-03-26 11:54

Horace N. Allen: Joseon's foreign royal physician

Horace N. Allen: Joseon's foreign royal physician

“The position of court physician [in the mid-1880s] was no sinecure,” especially if you were a foreigner, declared Horace N. Allen in one of his many publications of life in Korea.

2023-03-25 15:15

Horace N. Allen: Treating the masses

Horace N. Allen: Treating the masses

In the summer of 1884, Korea was not a place for casual tourists or globetrotters seeking to impress their peers. It was especially not for missionaries lacking conviction and courage. Commonly referred to as “The Hermit Kingdom,” the peninsula was in the vortex of change. Christianity was still barely tolerated; there was animosity and mistrust towards foreigners fueled by t...

2023-03-20 15:53

Moving back to Gyeongbok Palace

Moving back to Gyeongbok Palace

In the final days of February 1885, Seoul was awash with activity. The main city streets (especially the street running between Gyeongbok and Changdeok palaces), notorious for being cluttered with squatters' shacks, unauthorized booths and extensions to the shops of merchants, were cleared out and all the debris was removed.

2023-03-05 08:26

19th-century Seoul's all-too-familiar history with fires

19th-century Seoul's all-too-familiar history with fires

On the night of Feb. 23, 1885, Seoul was visited by one of its most dangerous adversaries - a fire! George C. Foulk, the American representative in Seoul, reported that a large “conflagration broke out” in a Korean government-owned lumberyard and warehouses just to the north of the American Legation. The buildings and a “quantity of valuable timber” were destroyed.

2023-03-04 10:22

Land of Morning Calm mourns: Part 2

Land of Morning Calm mourns: Part 2

In the 19th century, Korea was often referred to as the “Land of the Morning Calm” but it was far from accurate - especially at night when it became a realm of loud mourning.

2023-02-28 20:35

Land of Morning Calm mourns: Part 1

Land of Morning Calm mourns: Part 1

Land of Morning Calm mourns: Part 1

In the 19th century, Korea was often referred to as the “Land of the Morning Calm” but it was far from accurate - especially at night, when it became a realm of loud mourning.

2023-02-26 14:45

Land of Morning Calm mourns: Part 2

Life in 1880s Russian Legation

Life in 1880s Russian Legation

History often confines itself to narrating only the events surrounding key protagonists and antagonists, their exploits and faults and their eventual fates. But in my opinion, it is often the people surrounding these key figures who are the most interesting - the ways in which they interact with our heroes and villains, the subtle (and, sometimes, not so subtle) influence the...

2023-02-18 11:06

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