If you really want to learn about early Korean-Western relations, you have got to start by looking at Nagasaki, Japan....
In 1882, three courageous American officers became the first Westerners to step foot in Busan. When the intrepid elderly British adventurer Isabella Bird Bishop visited Fusan (modern Busan) in January 1894, she declared, “It is not Korea but Japan which meets one on anchoring.” She was, of course, referring to the large population of Japanese that literally dominated the foreign settlement of that port, and, for the most part, the surrounding Korean community.
Sailors, adventurers, diplomats, and businessmen made up the initial foreign community in Chemulpo, known today as Incheon.
The children of Joseon period Korea may not have had a holiday dedicated to them, but they still had to shoulder heavy domestic and scholastic responsibilities like their counterparts today.
Words by Robert NeffPhotos from the collection of Robert Neff Joseon Korea was generally perceived by foreign visitors as a...
Words by Vaughan Wallis, Illustrations by Pat Volz You may have heard of the Korean Wave, the spread of Korean culture through movies, dramas, pop music, and more. But did you know that leading the wave—at least in terms of cash—are video games? The Korean video game industry generates more...
From unwieldy pipes to black-market cigarettes, tobacco has been an important part of Korean society for over four hundred years....
We all know that students have it rough in Korea. They go to school early in the morning and then...
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”),...
During the late Joseon era, Koreans were well-known for their fondness for children—not only their own, but foreign children as...