The American and British legations in Seoul on the finish of the nineteenth century / Courtesy of Diane Nars Assortment
By Robert Neff
Following the institution of the Imperial Korean Customs in 1883, worldwide smuggling has been an issue in Korea. Chinese language and Japanese junks ceaselessly tried to keep away from inspections, passengers aboard the handful of steamships hid items amongst their baggage, and maybe even extra egregious have been international representatives who used their diplomatic immunity for their very own features.
Typically the smuggled gadgets have been comparatively small and perceived to be cheap — akin to stamps. Nonetheless, Korea’s turbulent politics quickly remodeled these stamps into uncommon and precious gadgets coveted by collectors world wide.
On the night of Dec. 4, 1884, a banquet was held on the newly established publish workplace in Seoul to have fun the profitable inauguration of Korea’s postal system. It was as this banquet when the unsuccessful, however very bloody, Gapsin Coup started. The ensuing destruction proved helpful to Ensign George C. Foulk, an American naval officer hooked up to the American Legation in Seoul, and stamp collectors world wide.
After the coup, Foulk acquired a number of stamps and despatched them to his household in order that they may promote them. He defined to his dad and mom that Korean publish workplace “had solely been in existence a couple of days when [the coup attempt] broke out in Seoul.” The postmaster, Hong Yong-sik, was murdered, the publish workplace gutted and the Korean authorities declared the fledgling service formally abolished. “The stamps definitely must be very precious to the ‘pals,’ and you could not allow them to go for any sacrifice.” He optimistically prompt the stamps would fetch $30 or extra every. He was improper.
A postcard of a Korean postman within the early twentieth century / Robert Neff Assortment
In early 1885, he purchased 15,000 stamps “from a wretch who might give no account of how he obtained them.” He paid solely $3 for the complete lot. Foulk justified his act by claiming he initially supposed to return them to the Korean authorities as soon as it reestablished its postal service. Nonetheless, he quickly discovered the federal government would fee a wholly new collection of stamps and the stamps Foulk had in his possession can be voided “because the handiwork of the conspirators.”
He despatched 6,000 stamps to Yokohama the place a fifth of them have been bought for a few hundred {dollars}. Though it isn’t clear if his possession and sale of the stamps violated any legal guidelines, Foulk prudently warned his dad and mom to not “say something to anyone in regards to the matter.”
Stamps weren’t the one issues Foulk was sending residence. In early 1885, he purchased the “very most interesting” pearl he might discover in Seoul for $10 and despatched it to his buddy, George F. Kunz, a gem skilled, for appraisal. As with the stamps, Foulk urged his dad and mom to not speak about his buy so as “to keep away from something which could furnish meals for discuss that I used to be speculating in pearls, whereas an officer of the navy. There isn’t any hurt in doing so truly, however the discuss can be disastrous.”
The 5 mun stamp from the primary collection of postage stamps in 1884 / Robert Neff Assortment
At first, Foulk was satisfied the pearl was “price ten instances” what he paid, however later adjusted the estimate to at the least $400 and probably as excessive as $1,000. He excitedly knowledgeable his dad and mom that if the pearl “is effective, I’ll put all my free turn into use by shopping for pearls, quite a few which I can pay money for.”
In 1893, Horace N. Allen, secretary of the American Legation in Seoul, was additionally concerned in a smuggling incident. He gave a package deal of jade to a Korean diplomat certain for the USA. The diplomat was to make use of his diplomatic immunity to smuggle the jade to Augustine Heard, the previous American minister to Korea, in order that the latter man might promote it for a “good-looking revenue” to assist alleviate his monetary troubles.
This wasn’t the primary diplomatic smuggling involving Allen and Korean diplomats. In 1888, Allen served because the secretary of the Korean Legation in the USA and accompanied the Korean diplomats as they handed by customs. The Koreans had extra baggage than appeared crucial, which aroused the customs brokers’ suspicion. Allen assured them the trunks contained “Korean articles desired by natives when overseas” and gently reminded them the Koreans had diplomatic immunity.
The ten mun stamp from the primary collection of postage stamps in 1884 / Robert Neff Assortment
About six months after their arrival, the New York Herald reported that the Korean Embassy had smuggled in three instances of Manila cigars and — by a Korean scholar — bought them in Philadelphia secretly for a tidy revenue.
Mortified, Allen confronted Park Jeong-yang, the Korean minister, and demanded a proof. Park, “in probably the most abject groveling distress” confessed and warranted Allen it will by no means occur once more. In an effort to keep away from a diplomatic scandal, a Korean servant was ordered to take the blame and Allen, with some problem, managed to easy issues over with the customs brokers.
But, regardless of Park’s assurances, the smuggling continued. In the midst of the night time, three instances of cigars have been marked as clothes to be washed and despatched again to Korea. Disgusted, Allen wrote:
“I’ve talked and written, addressed conferences and stuffed reporters, until I’ve labored up a good spirit towards the Koreans and silenced the grunts of the Chinese language. This I gladly do however to must perjure myself to cowl the contemptible dishonesty of the King’s consultant, who has so little regard for his nation as to jeopardize her pursuits simply when peace is obtained is simply too imply.”
Allen, disgusted with himself for having to lie for the Korean diplomat, described the cigar incident as “a circus.” In fact, he made no point out of his personal involvement within the jade incident half a decade later — a typical instance of his hypocrisy.
The Korean diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C. Courtesy of Diane Nars Assortment
The American and Korean legations weren’t the one ones concerned in smuggling — both brazenly or tacitly. The Chinese language Legation in Seoul had its personal scandals. In January 1886, a riot broke out in Jemulpo (modern-day Incheon) when Chinese language retailers have been found smuggling pink ginseng aboard a Chinese language warship. When confronted, a violent altercation happened, ensuing within the Korean Imperial Customs workplace being ransacked and a few customs brokers being severely injured.
Protests have been made by the international diplomats in Seoul and Yuan Shih-kai, the Chinese language consultant, ultimately the accused smugglers have been tried and located responsible. They have been subsequently fined after which deported. Nonetheless, many have been satisfied that solely probably the most expendable retailers have been persecuted whereas the actual ringleaders have been protected by the Chinese language Legation.
Crimson ginseng was one of the vital in style and worthwhile gadgets to be smuggled out of Korea — maybe except gold mud — and was one of many deadliest. Korean ginseng smugglers have been typically summarily executed.
William Franklin Sands, a member of the American Legation in Seoul and later an adviser for the Korean authorities, smokes a pipe within the early 1900s. From his e book, “Undiplomatic Recollections.”
Whereas most gadgets have been smuggled in secret, different gadgets have been creatively disguised. In 1909, an American supervisor of one of many gold mining concessions in northern Korea bought a automotive and had it shipped to Korea. There was a “prohibitive import obligation” on cars, however the mining firm, by the phrases of its concession, was permitted to import mining equipment freed from obligation.” Profiting from the clause, the crate wherein the automotive was despatched to Korea was wrapped so completely that even probably the most energetic and diligent customs inspector can be reluctant to look at it. As well as, the crate was marked “Mining Machines” in English, Japanese, Chinese language and Korean. The ruse labored, and shortly, a beast of an vehicle terrorized the streets of Seoul.
In 1892, The London and China Telegraph declared that “it will be no troublesome matter to smuggle opium into Korea if a requirement for the drug existed.” The paper was satisfied there was no important marketplace for opium because it was too costly for the typical Korean, nevertheless it was improper. By the top of the nineteenth century, Korea had an opium downside.
The precise strategies to smuggle opium into the nation are unclear, however, judging from the assorted newspaper accounts, the methods have been very profitable. Presumably, the drug was hidden in trunks and crates, hid by clothes or different items. Nonetheless, judging from the assorted letters and diaries from the expat group in Korea, the customs brokers have been pretty thorough with their inspections — at instances, too infuriatingly thorough. One other doable technique was to tie the opium package deal with a string and decrease it overboard into the water the place it remained hidden till the customs brokers accomplished their inspection.
Maybe the strangest smuggling technique concerned enamel and happened in San Francisco. In 1883, opium was ceaselessly found aboard the Metropolis of Tokyo, a steamship working between China and San Francisco. More often than not the opium was present in passengers’ baggage, confiscated after which later bought in auctions in San Francisco.
Nonetheless, in keeping with a Chinese language newspaper, “it [was] rumoured that a number of of the crew over the last journey had all their enamel excavated by Chinese language dentists in Hongkong, and that they’ve been smuggling in opium by the pound on this method.”
The editor naturally had his doubts as to how a lot opium could possibly be smuggled in a sailor’s enamel. Considerably sarcastically, he prompt that within the close to future, customs brokers must study everybody’s eyelids and the captain’s ears after which “name all palms on deck and open their mouth” in order that they could possibly be examined for traces of opium.
Medicine proceed to be smuggled into Korea. In 2021, customs brokers discovered medicine “hidden inside paper congratulatory playing cards after being unfold thinly and positioned between the pages. Others have been vacuum-packed and hid inside canned meals or hidden inside corrugated cardboard.”
Trendy smugglers are considerably ingenious however pale compared to the dedication of those that allegedly hollowed out their enamel to smuggle opium.
Robert Neff has authored and co-authored a number of books, together with Letters from Joseon, Korea By means of Western Eyes and Temporary Encounters.
