History isn’t without its foibles and quirks. If it’s not lack a of information about Shakespeare, then it’s the real...
Korea, in the summer of 1894, was a hotbed of intrigue and uncertainty. China and Japan were on the brink...
We have all been taught that aviation history was made on December 17, 1903, when the Wright brothers managed to go airborne for 12 seconds in a heavier-than-air vehicle that we now call an aircraft. But were they the first? Korea’s history is also sprinkled with accounts of flight. In...
You might be surprised to find out that today happens to be a day especially set apart for declarations of...
In 1885, Percival Lowell published a book entitled “Choson: The Land of the Morning Calm.” It was a huge success...
Words by Robert Neff Images from the Robert Neff Collection Up until the mid-1890s, Buddhist priests were banned from entering large cities, especially Seoul, and those who defied the ban paid for it with their lives. According to one early British visitor, George N. Curzon, who visited Korea in...
Words by Robert Neff Photos from the collection of Robert Neff One of the earliest modernizations to Seoul was the...
During the late Joseon era, Koreans were well-known for their fondness for children—not only their own, but foreign children as...
Living History: 20 Ways to See Korea as it Used to Be A guide to authentic history tourism in South Korea. Words by Matthew CrawfordShots by Matthew Crawford, Chad Geib, and Jared Zehm There used to be an alley in Gwanghwamun lined with gritty drinking joints. Named Pi-mat-gol (or “horse-dodging alley”),...
We all know that students have it rough in Korea. They go to school early in the morning and then...