In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, one of the most important events in village life was the five-day...
History isn’t without its foibles and quirks. If it’s not lack a of information about Shakespeare, then it’s the real...
If you have a lot of Korean friends you have probably been invited to go to a sauna or jjimjilbang with them. For many foreigners, their first time or two is usually rather an embarrassing affair. It is human nature to have some degree of curiosity of one’s fellow human...
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 Crawford Shots 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...
Modern transportation has made travel to most places in Korea, no matter how distant from Seoul, easy and comfortable. However,...
From unwieldy pipes to black-market cigarettes, tobacco has been an important part of Korean society for over four hundred years....
Words by Robert NeffPhotos from the collection of Robert Neff Joseon Korea was generally perceived by foreign visitors as a land of extreme poverty. Even the Joseon government declared itself unable to establish trade agreements with the West because it had nothing to trade. But there were a lot of...
Words by Robert Neff Photos from the collection of Robert Neff In the 1890s there was a gold rush in...