Hallyu star Kim Rocks !

There are plenty of running away involved in the story of “Catch Me If You Can,” the musical based on the 2002 detective-chase film by Steven Spielberg of Leonardo Di Caprio and opening today in Seoul as the first licensed show outside the United States.

As one of the men who does most of the running and dancing during the performance, Kim Jeong-hoon sounded genuinely impressed by his character’s lifestyle, especially the panache his character, con artist Frank Abagnale Jr., displays in full glory when dodging the police by assuming several fake identities.





Kim, a former singer with the group U.N. and an actor with a flourishing career in korea and abroad, even sounded envious at times, though he denied it.“He’s a crook, definitely,” he said in an interview , after the rehearsal. “But from a man’s perspective, he is a cool cat. His life didn’t have a single dull moment. To live that dangerously, you need guts and talent.”

The 32-year-old found those two qualities to make his musical theater debut. He alternates the role of Frank Jr. with musical theater veteran Um Ki-joon, actor Park Kwang-hyun and K-pop idols Kyuhyun of Super Junior and Key of SHINee.

Lee Gun-myung and Kim Beom-rae, seasoned actors with extensive musical theater credits, play the detective. The role of Frank’s love interest Brenda has gone to girl-group members Sunny (Girls’ Generation) and Dana (The Grace) as well as up-and-coming actress Choi Woo-ri.

“Musical theater was never in my cards,” he said, adding that the production team had approached him first months ago. “The rehearsals are long, and I had many other projects running parallel to them.”

Since the end of his two-year obligatory military service early last year, he has worked non-stop, releasing an album and starring in a TV series in Japan. He is also signed up for drama productions both in China and Korea this year.

Because of the overlap in schedules, Kim joined the “Catch” rehearsals around two weeks later than the rest of the cast.

“There were times I wanted to run away by myself,” he said half-jokingly, “because I was under so much pressure to do well.”

He likened the level of desperation after the first run-through to “a student with 15 different tests in a week.” Most of this stress, however, seemed self-imposed.

Even with the creative team’s compliments, he was not satisfied, he said. He had to do better.

“When I was doing military service, I had so much I wanted to pursue. I’m doing that now,” he said, eyes on fire. “I don’t even have the desire to date these days.”

Other wishes and aspirations will come back once he achieves his goals, he claimed.

“I remember a line from a Japanese film,” without citing its title, “that said, ‘You can succeed with luck but you cannot fail because of it.’ ”

And the 32-year-old is betting his fortune on his career wholeheartedly. Like Frank Jr. on stage, Kim sounded as if he did not have a split second to waste, though looking conspicuously — pitifully — tired. There did not seem to be one minute reserved for some rest or even reflection.

The interview ended with him recalling such a moment, once again back on an army base, where time was aplenty. He did not seem 100-percent sure of the meaning, but he recounted the experience with child-like candor.

“I’m not much of a literary person,” he said, having instead shown exceptional talent in mathematics and science during his years in school and had been enrolled at Seoul National University before his career in entertainment.

The jolt of inspiration struck one day when he was stationed in Cheorlwon in Gangwon Province, observing a full moon.

“The sun gives its all at all times and will explode in a few billion years, but the moon just reflects that light without having to force it. It’s a really smart way of living, isn’t it?

“I know it sounds corny now, but at that moment it felt like science and philosophy were meeting at one point.”

The musical “Catch Me If You Can” opens today at the Blue Square Samsung Card Hall in Itaewon, central Seoul. It will run through June 10. Visit www.catchmeifyoucan.co.kr for more information.
(Original DVD available at a discount on Buy.com.)

Cultural events during the Seoul 2012 Nuclear Security Summit

Various cultural events is going to take place throughout the duration of the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit (photo: Yonhap News).

By taking place under the theme ”Beyond Security Towards Peace,” the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit has organized cultural events to raise awareness of Korean culture for heads of state and members of international organizations who are participating in the summit. With the participation of 53 heads of state and four international organizations, the summit would serve an important role to expose Korean culture all over the world in an effective way.

[Dinner gala & cultural event]
On March 27 directly after the summit, the leaders of participating nations and their spouses as well as heads of international organizations will be invited to a special dinner and cultural event. The Korean spring-themed dinner will be served with the traditional specialties of eight provinces of Korea.

After dinner, the ambassador of the summit, singer Park Jung-hyun, will get on stage to sing ”Peace Song” specially written for this global summit. Some traditional songs and performances such as Sujecheon, an ancient Korean musical composition accompanied by a royal court dance, salpuri (an exorcism), and hanryangmu (dance) will also follow.

“The event was intended to incorporate the opinions of Korean artists who love peace and also the quintessence of Korean traditional arts” said the Preparatory Secretariat for the Nuclear Security Summit.



The media center in COEX provides a space for cultural experiences.

[Culture & Tourism Booth]
The media center inside COEX, where the summit takes place, is outfitted with a culture and tourism promotional booth where summit participants will take part in a culture experience program. The corners of the booth will be covered with traditional Korean artifacts and craftworks. The booth also provides spaces for experience programs such as trying on Hanbok, receiving acupuncture treatments, drinking herbal tea, and watching K-pop music videos.

[Exhibition: Art Project - Communion]
Korean and Japanese artists gathered to share their views and express their ideas over a variety of art forms at the media center. The Art Project 2012: Communion exhibition brings together diverse artistic interpretations of nuclear issues while also highlighting the specific artistic methods that can be utilized to advance the aims of international peace and safe use of nuclear power. The project has been on display since March 25 and will continue to March 27 exclusively for summit participants, remaining open to the public for one extra day on March 28. For more information, visit www.moca.go.kr




The Art Project 'Communion' is on display (Photo courtesy of National Museum of Contemporary Art).

Also, there is a cyber museum and a culture technology experience room where visitors can create their own avatar and play a cyber game to.

[Traditional performances]
Outside the summit venue, old palaces have arranged cultural events to increase the participation of the general public. On March 26, the king and the queen of the Joseon Dynasty were reimagined taking a stroll around Gyeongbokgung (Gyeongbok Palace) and 20 Korean artists registered as Intangible Cultural Assets gave traditional performances at Deoksugung.





A modern reinterpretation of royal banquets will be performed at Gyeongbokgung from March 28 for three days.

For those of who missed the chance to get involved in any of the cultural events, from March 28 to 30 Gyeonghoeru Pavilion in Gyeongbokgung will be staging nightly performances of the Gyeonghoeru Yeonhyang, a modern reinterpretation of the special royal banquets that were held for court officials and foreign envoys. Since debuting last year, the Gyeonghoeru Yeonhyang has been praised for its alluring blend of traditional music, architectural splendor, and a one-of-a-kind nightscape.

Visitors to Changdeokgung (Changdeok Palace) on March 27 will have the opportunity to enjoy a moonlight walk through the UNESCO-designated world heritage site for a taste of history, culture, and various pictoresque views.




The National Gugak Center will stage performances of the 500-year-old ensemble piece ”Yeongsanhoesang” from March 27 to 28.

[Gugak Performances]
At the National Gugak Center, meanwhile, the center's court music orchestra will be performing the 500-year-old ensemble piece "Yeongsanhoesang" from March 27 to 28. Based on traditional Buddhist vocal music, "Yeongsanhoesang" is a definitive work in the traditional music repertoire that will provide audiences with a thorough introduction to traditional Korean music.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that the special events taking place throughout the duration of the global summit would help summit participants and visitors gain a broader perspective of Korea as well as a deeper understanding of Korean culture by engaging themselves in the experience programs.

Source: Korea.net
http://korea.net/NewsFocus/Culture/view?articleId=99653

Korea: how they evolve

I have taken out this article from the Korea Times (rediscovering Korean history section) as this articles will give insight to the viewers and students of Korean language as well as area studies students.More resources on Korean history can be found in the books section, on sale at Amazon.


This is the first of a 10-part series on Korean history from its mythological, ancient beginning until the present day. This project is sponsored by several companies and public agencies including Merck Korea, eBay Korea, Daewoo Securities and Korea Post according to The Korea Times.

(Dr. Kevin N. Cawley is currently the Deputy Director of the Irish Institute of Korean Studies at University College Cork (UCC), Ireland — the only institute in Ireland dedicated to promoting Korean studies — funded by the Academy of Korean Studies, South Korea. He was previously a Gyujanngak Fellow at Seoul National University).


So let's begin from "Dangun" ― The Legendary founder of Korea

The Lord of Heaven had a son called Hwanung, who wanted to live on Earth. His father allowed him to leave Heaven, and sent with him some 3,000 followers including “ministers” taking charge of the wind, clouds and rain.

At that time, a tiger and a bear prayed to Hwanung to make them human. Hwanung set them a task: to live in a cave, away from the sunlight, for 100 days, and to eat just garlic and mugwort.

Before long the impatient and hungry tiger gave up and left the cave, but the bear stayed, and after 21 days turned into a woman. Soon she married Hwanung and later gave a birth to a boy named Dangun, who became the first ruler of Korea.

King Dangun founded Korea’s first kingdom called Gojoseon and governed the country, which controlled areas in today’s far-east China, north of the Korean Peninsula for around 1,500 years. The legend states that Dangun, the grandson of Heaven, became a guardian spirit of a mountain at the age of 1,908.

It may be hard to believe that these things really happened, but many historians think that the Dangun myth contains clues to understanding the earliest society on the Korean Peninsula.

In other words, the Dangun story tells us that the earliest Koreans were religious and worshipped all aspects of nature. One tribe worshipped the sky or Heaven, while other tribes worshipped the tiger and the bear. Eventually the Heaven tribe, which must have been very powerful and smart, united with the bear tribe and drove away the tiger tribe. Dangun is regarded as the official title of their leader, who also had a religious role in his community.

Some go even further ― there are a small group of Koreans who admire Dangun as a god and follow a religion founded in 1909 just before Korea was colonized by Japan. It remains a very minor belief compared to other mainstream religions in Korea such as Christianity and Buddhism.

Historically speaking, the Dangun myth has helped unite Koreans and highlights their unique origins. It also shows that their history and identity is very different from that of neighbors China and Japan, who throughout history invaded the country.

Whether or not people believe in Dangun, his traces are everywhere. For one, October 3 is a national holiday in Korea, as Dangun is thought to have founded the country on the date in 2,333 B.C. In addition, the story of Dangun has even influenced the world-renowned Korean martial art Taekwondo.

The second pattern in the ITF (International Taekwondo Federation) form is named Dangun, and is composed of a series of high-section punches at eye level. This represents the connection between Dangun, Heaven and the mountain where became a mountain spirit.



The first kingdom: Gojoseon

While there are many controversies about Dangun’s real identity, there are no doubts that Gojoseon was Korea’s first kingdom and that it extended into much of Manchuria and the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. The oldest historical records have come up with somewhat different accounts for the date of the foundation of the country, but 2,333 B.C. is officially accepted.



This period corresponds with the transition period between the Bronze and Iron ages. Hence, Koreans take pride in the fact that their country’s origin dates back almost 4,500 years. Until the early 1960s, South Korea officially used the Dangun Era calendar on its coins and postage stamps.

Along with Gojoseon, there existed some other states but they were annexed by Gojoseon to make it a powerful country, which could withstand its rivals from mainland China and even expanded its territory well into Manchuria. In the early 2nd century B.C., Gojoseon took refugees from the Yan state in eastern China but they returned evil for good by rebelling and taking the throne. Debates are still underway as to whether the leader of the refugees was an ethnic Korean or not.

In any case, the new Gojoseon ruled by Yan refugees failed to last a century as it fell in 108 B.C. after wars with China. Gojoseon took an early victory against the enemy’s two-pronged strategy, one by land and one by sea, but eventually it collapsed.

In line with the Dangun legacy, the people of Gojoseon worshipped Heaven, held sacred rites and practiced customs that were shared by other Northern states established by ethnic Koreans. Their traditions and culture were passed down to successor states.

Gojoseon had a very strict legal system which consisted of eight clauses. For instance, murderers were to be killed while thieves were to become slaves, and anyone who hurt another was to offer grain to be forgiven.

Southern states

South of the Han River, there existed scores of small city states, which formed three main unions around 2,300 years ago. They survived and thrived there for quite a long time thanks to the natural defenses provided by this great river at the heart of the Korean Peninsula. They were no match for Gojoseon, but flourished enough to trade with various Chinese states.



Just as the northern states, including Gojoseon that worshipped Heaven, the southern countries also held religious rituals conducted by shamans at sacred places such as mountains. Some areas were marked by tall wooden totem poles to show the belief that nature was controlled by spirits.

We also know that ancient Koreans had special rituals for those who died considering the large number of large stone Dolmen tombs ― in fact there are more such in Korea than anywhere else.

With the weakening of Gojoseon, and with the development of strong states south of the Han River, the Korean Peninsula and Manchuria saw three strong states rise to form a three-way rivalry for several hundred years.

Nuclear Summit : discuss about substantial amount of nukes

A large amount of highly-enriched uranium (HEU) and separated plutonium that is enough to produce “thousands of nuclear weapons” will be eliminated following the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, officials said Monday.

A target amount of weapons-usable uranium to be removed and how to reach the goal will be stipulated in the Nuclear Security Summit’s Seoul Communique, they said. President Lee Myung-bak will announce the communique at the end of the summit today.

“The Seoul summit will contribute to reducing a great amount of nuclear material that is enough to make thousands of nuclear weapons,” a ranking South Korean diplomat said. “The outcome document will tell everything from the volume to a target for each state.” The diplomat refused to elaborate on the matter since he was not authorized to do so.

The draft of the outcome document was made to meet the goal of a “four-year lockdown” plan, an idea suggested by U.S. President Barack Obama at the first nuclear security summit in Washington in 2010 in a bid to secure all vulnerable nuclear materials by 2014.

The draft was virtually finalized at the Sherpa’s last meeting in Seoul last week and is now waiting for endorsement of leaders attending the Seoul summit.

President Lee hosted a working dinner, during which Lee and other leaders reviewed the progress of the lockdown plan.

“All leaders present at the dinner concluded that the past two years were successful in reducing nuclear materials and promised to work harder to give the Seoul summit a successful ending,” summit spokesman Han Chung-hee told reporters.

Officials said the Seoul Communique will contain political pledges by participating leaders to make the world free of nuclear terrorism, and 11 action plans.

The action plans will include putting into force the 2005 Amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, strengthening education and training through the establishment of Centers of Excellence, and the conversion of nuclear reactors from running on HEU to low-enriched uranium.

The Seoul meeting has paid particular attention to the vulnerability of radioactive materials stored at civilian facilities.

A sense of urgency to reinforce security of civilian facilities with fissile materials has been felt in recent years as the number of attempts to steal weapons-use nuclear material has increased.

“There is recognition by many countries, agencies and individuals that they are insufficiently prepared to face such a threat,” said Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble.

Experts estimate the amount of HEU and plutonium stored as of mid 2011 at civilian facilities worldwide is enough for more than 5,000 and 30,000 nuclear weapons, respectively.

In 2009 alone, there were 215 attempts to steal material reserved for power generation, medical or other commercial purposes, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The 2010 Washington Nuclear Security Summit has driven many countries, including nuclear-armed states such the United States and Russia, to voluntarily dispose of tons of HEU and plutonium.

The U.S. and Russia eliminated seven tons and 48 tons of HEU following the Washington summit. Ten other countries, including Argentina, Australia and the Czech Republic, have joined the reduction plan, each getting rid of roughly 400 kilograms of HEU over the last two years.

Did you know that: The death of angel

Perhaps the greatest fear of a parent is that their child will die before them. For many Westerners residing in Joseon Korea that fear was too often realized. Often these deaths came quickly and without warning. One tragic case was that of Edward T. McCarthy, the manager of the British-owned Gwendoline Gold Mines in present North Korea.

McCarthy recalled that on the morning of Jan. 19, 1901, his daughter suddenly “preferred to nestle in mine or her mother’s arms — so unlike her — but otherwise she





The grave of Justin Barry McCarthy
/ Courtesy of Robert Neff
did not seem ill, for she laughed and talked much as usual.” But by the following morning the little one was deathly ill with diphtheria. Alarmed at the rapid progress of her disease, McCarthy telegraphed Pyongyang asking for medicine to be sent as quickly as possible by the fastest courier. To facilitate its quick arrival he sent out six runners to act as a relay for the courier.

But time was running out. “All that night we watched her closely, for we, both my wife and self saw that she was passing away from us.” Their only hope was the promised serum but unbeknownst to them, the final runner had become disoriented in his race back to the camp and had gotten lost. McCarthy recalled:

“As the first rays of the sun came penetrating her room the little spirit fled from its earthly tenement and only the little clay mould of what she had been lay in my arms.”

Thirty minutes later, the serum that could have saved her life arrived.

Because of the infectious nature of the disease, the Japanese doctor at the mines insisted that the body be cremated but the McCarthy’s refused. They had witnessed the cremation of the doctor’s wife only a few months earlier and were alarmed that as the flames began to burn the coffin the lid suddenly “burst open and the little body rose up and sank back again. It was a ghastly sight.” They were determined that their daughter would be buried in a foreigners’ cemetery.

The nearest foreigners’ cemetery was in Jemulpo but because of the intense cold there was no means to transport the body to that port. Thus, with heavy hearts, they elected to place her body in a sealed cave to await the thaw.

The McCarthy’s were touched by the kindness they received by their Korean hosts who, despite having different religious beliefs, did their best to support the grieving parents. Their small funeral procession was greeted by the Korean villagers “dressed in clean white gala garments, and all so silent; there was no whispering or talking as there would have been amongst an English crowd. They might have been statuette-angels as we passed through that strangely still and silent crowd, a clear pathway having been left for us to go through them.”

When they arrived at the cave they were surprised to see that the Korean villagers — Confucians — had erected three crosses created from beautifully entwined evergreen boughs: tokens of sympathy for the mourning parents.

The Chinese miners also requested to pay their last respects. It was heart-rending for the McCarthy’s “to see these poor coolie-class people making obeisances to the last that remained of our loved little one.”

For nearly two months the parents made daily pilgrimages to the body of their daughter before it was finally carried to Jemulpo Foreigners’ Cemetery by an entourage of volunteers — eight Korean villagers, three Japanese gendarmes and the Korean chief of police.

Her grave, marked with a tombstone that her bereaved mother designed, still stands in a tranquil meadow steeped in history and surrounded by the symbols of progress of a country she lived in and loved — although briefly: Korea.

Human touch: key for ASEAN-Korea's future

ASEAN­Korea Centre’s new secretary general sees human relationships as the linchpin that will carry the partnership between Korea and the association of 10 Southeast Asian nations into the 21st century.

Career diplomat Chung Hae-moon, who started working as the center’s new secretary general on March 13, said he is focused on consolidating the center’s initial three years of expansion by increasing person-to-person exchanges and building awareness here of just how important Southeast Asia has become for Korea’s future prosperity.

“If you look at the flow of people-to-people exchanges between Korea and ASEAN, people got to understand gradually how important Southeast Asia is to Korea and the Korean people,” Chung said in a one-on-one interview with The Korea Times, Thursday.

“I hope I can build on the tremendous achievements made between ASEAN and Korea by exploring new areas of cooperation, creative and innovative areas of cooperation.”

The relationship between Korea and the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has become vital since the end of the Cold War. Since 1990, ASEAN-Korea trade saw a 12-fold rise. Southeast Asia is Korea’s second largest trading partner with some $125 billion in two-way trade. China is Korea’s largest trading partner.

Though attention here is often directed toward the United States and Japan, Chung pointed out that Korean-ASEAN bilateral trade has “surpassed the trade between Korea and Japan, Korea and the U.S. and Korea and the E.U.”

Enormous people-to-people exchanges between ASEAN and Korea ― some 4.5 million people, too, indicate deep bilateral ties. ASEAN-Korea relations were lifted to a "strategic partnership" and the Korean government recently with the “New Asia Diplomatic Initiative.”

The center was established in 2009 on the 20th anniversary since Korea and the association began meeting to forge closer ties. The center is focused on facilitating closer ties and understanding in four areas of the bilateral relationship: to enhance trade, investment, tourism and cultural exchanges otherwise.

Chung said the center was focused on expanding its operations and staff through its initial three years, saying that it is now time to turn to consolidating those gains.

Chung pointed out that, for Korea, ASEAN now stands as a hugely important investment destination.

For example, the center will dispatch an investment mission to Cambodia and Myanmar to take part in an investment seminar today and tomorrow in Cambodia and in another this Thursday and Friday in Myanmar.

“ASEAN is also the second most important area for overseas investment for Korean construction companies,” he said. The No. 1 area for Korean construction is the Middle East.

Chung said he sees the broader picture of his role as secretary general of the center.

“It is extremely important for us to be mindful of the broad philosophical basis of that guides the center,” he said, asking the question: “Why has ASEAN become close to our heart, why is building this partnership in the interest of Korea and ASEAN?”

He said that these fundamental questions will lead the way in the steady and faithful implementation of the many projects and activities that the center manages.

“Raising the awareness of ASEAN here will contribute to this,” he said.

“And people-to-people exchanges will be fundamental to the future of the partnership in the ASEAN-Korean relationship.”

“I can be innovative in terms of injecting something useful in the partnership between ASEAN and Korea,” he added.

He said helping to connect universities between Korea and ASEAN member countries can be one in area in which “the center can play a certain bridge making role,” including increasing student exchanges, academic cooperation, expanding Southeast Asian language programs.

“You cannot achieve anything you want with limited resources, funding and man power. I think this center can connect various organizations between Korea and ASEAN to increase joint efforts.”

Incheon : Foreigners' cemetery offers glimpse into history

Despite being the oldest foreigner cemetery in Korea, Incheon Foreigners Cemetery is rarely visited. The cemetery, hidden by apartments and modern buildings, is filled with the graves of early business pioneers, missionaries, sailors, soldiers, diplomats and even a Spanish dancer who captured the heart of a Chinese diplomat. They are but for the most part forgotten except by the Korean grounds keepers.

During his visit to the cemetery, Jaroslav Olsa Jr., Czech ambassador to Korea, confessed that he “was surprised by the great ambience of the place” and then added that it was “a silent nice meadow with so much history in it.”

A stroll through its grassy rows reveals just how much history.

The first foreigner to be buried in the cemetery was George B. Mott, an American ship captain who suffered tremendous bad luck. After a series of accidents resulting in the losses of his ships, Mott decided to change careers and become the first Western merchant in Korea. In late June 1883, he sailed to Jemulpo where he tried to set up a small merchant shop but within two weeks he was dead. Not only was he the first Western merchant to die in Korea, he was also the first Westerner to die in Korea following its opening to the West.

Another early merchant buried in the cemetery is Captain Charles H. Cooper. Like Mott, Cooper came to Korea after suffering a terrible loss ― part of his family was killed by Chinese bandits in the Russian Maritime Provinces. Cooper and a group of hand-picked men went on a revenge spree and were said to have killed hundreds of Chinese before being forced to leave Russia. After leaving Russia he came to Korea and set up a very successful merchant business before dying in 1889.



Undoubtedly the most well-known and perhaps most important early Western businessman was Walter Townsend. He was one of the leading figures in the Jemulpo community for nearly 34 years and his company sold everything from watches to gatling guns. Surprisingly, his grave was graced with long-dead flowers ― evidence of an earlier visitor.

Friedrich A. Kalitzky, an early Polish merchant can also be found in this cemetery. His tombstone is one of the most prominent and seems to imply that he was either a merchant marine or a former naval man. During his 38 years in Korea he worked as a general merchant, auctioneer, constable and even exported Korean grass seed to the United States.

Sailors and soldiers have also found their final rest in this quiet place. Disease claimed many of these young men. Francis Shearman, a young sailor aboard the U.S.S Enterprise, died in December 1883. His tombstone bears the inscription: “There’s a sweet little cherub that sits up aloft to keep watch o’er the fate of poor Jack. Sleep well.”

He was soon joined by others. Charles Gray, a corporal aboard the U.S.S. Juniata, died in August 1888. Michael Moynahan, a seaman aboard the H.M.S. Undaunted was only 20 years old when he died in 1898. His shipmates had his stone inscribed with: “Gone from us but not forgotten: Never shall thy memory fade.” And yet, judging from the condition of the grave, the memory has faded.

Other sailors died in accidents. George Warren and James Martyn were amongst the 48 British sailors and marines who drowned after their pinnace capsized in Jemulpo harbor during a storm. A monument to remember their deaths was erected in the months immediately following the accident but, due to neglect, was thrown into the harbor in 1929 leaving these two graves as the only testament of that horrible disaster.



Three crewmembers of the Italian warship Marco Polo are also buried here. On Sept. 9, 1904, as the Marco Polo dropped anchor in Jemulpo harbor smoke was discovered coming from the powder room. Immediate action was taken to contain the fire and while it saved the ship, it could not save the lives of three sailors. Unlike many of the other graves in the cemetery, theirs are remembered every year by the Italian ambassador and his staff ― even going so far as to have the tombstone repaired.

Early members of the Korean Customs Service can also be found here. Amandus Ladage, a German, died in the great cholera epidemic of August 1886. Thomas Hollinsworth came to Jemulpo in 1886 to run an inn but after only a year or two, probably due to financial concerns, went to work for the customs where he remained until his death in 1899. Canadian Frederick Richmond also died 1899 but unlike the others ― he was murdered.

British gold miner Lancelot I. Pelly’s ornate gravestone reads that “he fell asleep 23 March 1906” and that “He (the Lord) giveth his beloved sleep.” Australian gold miner A. R. Wiegall was buried here in 1931 ― his wife, Francoise, joined him 30 years later.

Doctors and missionaries also call this cemetery their final resting ground. The tomb of Jean and Joseph Maraval ― French Missionaire Apostoliques ― dominates one side of the cemetery while the grave of Eli Barr Landis ― an early English missionary-doctor ― offers a more humble tribute to his life and death.

Not all of the occupants are adults. Justin Barry McCarthy, the three-year-old daughter of an English gold miner, died at Gwendoline Mines in present North Korea during the winter of 1902. It wasn’t until two months later that her body was carried from the mines to Jemulpo where she was buried ― her grave marked with a tombstone that her mother designed. Time and the elements have taken its toll and the inscriptions are no longer easy to read but at least the grave is identifiable ― unlike the small German child buried nearby whose name has been lost forever.

Part of the reason the cemetery is unvisited is because of its out-of-the-way location. But, according to Lee Jae-bok, the official responsible for the cemetery, that will be remedied in 2014 when the graves are disinterred and moved to a nearby general cemetery.

Lee explained that not only will the move make the graves more accessible to the public but will also make it easier to maintain them.

While Olsa acknowledged the benefits of the proposed move, he also expressed his regret that the cemetery had to be moved at all and hoped that its new location maintains the historical ambiance that it now possesses.