Clothing, Food and Dwelling – Western Views of Korean Life in the Early Nineteenth Century

Abstract

Despite Chosŏn Korea having been nicknamed the ‘Hermit Kingdom’ by the American William Elliot Griffis in 1882, Englishmen had already been there in the early half of the nineteenth century. This paper considers three journeys by westerners to the Korean peninsula in 1816, 1832 and 1845, utilizing these explorers’ travel diaries to analyze lifestyles in Chosŏn, including clothing, food, and dwelling style. The paper considers westerners’ lively views on the lifestyles of citizens of Chosŏn. Although these narratives from westerners on Chosŏn are tinged with orientalism or racist bias, they still have a great deal of value for historians today who seek to understand everyday life and the social structure of nineteenth-century Chosŏn. This paper sheds light on these useful historical perspectives for the observation of Chosŏn lifestyles in contrast to the high politics of the court, or great power rivalries in East Asia.