By Robert Neff
A Korean gentleman in the early 1900s / Robert Neff CollectionJoseon officials in the late 19th century were often described by Westerners (and probably a lot of Koreans) as corrupt, ill-mannered and cruel. There was a great deal of tension between these officials ― often due to politics, but money was also a cause for contention ― and it wasn t uncommon for them to use Machiavellian-maneuvers to advance their own positions and do away with their competitors.
One such incident took place in Pyongyang in the spring of 1898 and was featured prominently (for at least one day) in The Independent ― an English-language newspaper published in Seoul in the latter part of the 1890s.