A Few Boys w Gunz
The Koreans were the last of the 3 Eastern Asian countries, behind China and Japan, to adapt gunpowder technology and the following developments of the musket. It affected warfare greatly…
Insadong Stroll
Somewhere in #인사동 w mother. . This historic neighborhood became a place for antique trading for those affected by the Japanese occupation (1910-1945). However, it saw a change after the Korean War,…
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring
‘Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring’ is an internationally acclaimed film by Kim Ki-Duk that tells the principals of Buddhism using seasons to portray stages of life. It is perhaps one…
The River that Splits the City
Han-gaang (한강) then and Han-gaang now. Gaang means ‘river’ in Korean and Han is derived from a pure Korean word ‘Han-garam’. ‘Han-garam’ means big and full (like yo mama, I…
A Merchant of Seoul
A picture of a merchant in Seoul (circa 1903). This young man seems to be hustling ‘yak-gwa’ (약과: sugar/honey cookies), ‘dduk’ (떡: rice cakes), and dried fruits (looks like prunes).…
Empire under Japan
The Korean Empire (1897-1910) unlike its grandiose name, was a puppet state established under Japanese influence. Building a Japanese embassy, that definitely looked like it costed a pretty penny or…
The Kardashians of Seoul
Upper class women on a stroll with her servants looking to flex and get some clout. .
Children scaling the city walls of Seoul
During this period circa 1903, an American by the name of Angus Hamilton said of Seoul, “The streets of Seoul are magnificent, spacious, clean, admirably made and well-drained. The narrow,…
