Darkness once ruled the nights of Seoul. During the winter of 1883/84, Percival Lowell, a young American guest to the capital, was captivated by Seoul’s dark nights where women were allowed free reign of the streets and men (unless they were blind) were confined to their homes. Read MoreCurfew allows nighttime to belong to the blind
In the summer of 1971, Jeju Island was anything but a tropical paradise. Frederic H. Dustin, an American who had recently married, was trying to complete his house so that he could bring his bride, Marie-Louise, to live with him on the island. The worst drought in 37 years gripped the island and many fervently wished for a storm to come and bring relief. Dustin was one of those praying, despite not being very religious (although he married a missionary’s daughter), for rain as he feared for his crop of watermelons and cantaloupes. He should have heeded the old saying, “be careful of what you wish for, lest it come true.” His wish did come true, and a powerful typhoon struck the island in early August.
It is no secret that winters in Korea are cold but, judging from the various diaries and correspondences of Westerners residing in Seoul, the winters of the present aren t as cold as the winters of the past.
Recently, General Richard S. Whitcomb was posthumously awarded the Mugunghwa Medal - Korea s highest Order of Civil Merit - in honor of his philanthropic efforts on the peninsula. .
The Korean Consolidated Mining Company (KCMC) operated mines throughout the peninsula - most of them were at very isolated and inaccessible sites. The most important of these camps.