In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, one of the most important events in village life was the five-day...
2,500 years after his death, Master Kong’s ideas continue to shape life on the Korean peninsula.
As we welcome in another New Year with copious amounts of food and alcohol in homes or at local pubs and clubs, let us pause for a moment and reflect on how the New Year was celebrated by Koreans a century ago. Although the solar New Year – December 31/January...
Words by Robert Neff In this humorous anecdote from the turn of the 20th century, an American diplomat and a mob...
Words BY Robert Neff Photos courtesy of the Robert Neff collection A skirmish between Japanese and Russian warships in February...
Modern transportation has made travel to most places in Korea, no matter how distant from Seoul, easy and comfortable. However, there are exceptions. One of these exceptions is Ulleung Island. Its distance from the mainland and the fickleness of the local weather often make any trip to the island one...
Photos courtesy of the Robert Neff collection The anti-Western sentiment pervasive in Pyongyang today has a long history, as historian...
Words by Robert Neff Photos from the collection of Robert Neff Prior to the marvels of the computer and its...
Words by Robert Neff, Photos from the collection of Robert Neff One of the most valued animals in Joseon Korea was the Korean bull, which was used for transportation, food and leather. Westerners described these bulls as “noble” and “splendid beasts” that were not only “remarkably handsome” but very “tractable.” Although...
Words by Robert Neff Photos from the collection of Robert Neff Joseon Korea was generally perceived by foreign visitors as...