Robert Koehler Travel & Photography
Images of Korea
Sunday was Easter of course, and seeing how even Jesus thought it a fine day to get out for a stroll, I figured the least I could do was go to Myeong-dong Cathedral to snap some shots. Myeong-dong Cathedral I’m not going to go into the history and architecture of the mother church of Korea’s [...]
Took a nice little trip to Cheorwon on Sunday with some friends and Mrs. Marmot. This is the Seoul neighborhood of Pyeongchang-dong, as seen from Mt. Bugaksan’s Palgakjeong Pavilion. Yep, it’s the iconic Nodongdangsa—the former Cheorwon headquarters of North Korea’s ruling Workers Party of Korea—a battle-scarred, Stalinist skeleton and a poignant memorial to the horrors [...]
After years of neglect, old Seoul Station has finally returned to the people. This week, Culture Station Seoul 284 opened to the public as Seoul’s newest arts and culture space. Culture Station Seoul 284, whose name refers to the landmark’s designation as Historic Site #284, is the product of a two-year renovation of the old [...]
Last Saturday — ironically, the 61st anniversary of the start of the Korean War — a section of the Old Waegwan Railroad Bridge, nicknamed the “Bridge of National Defense” for its pivotal role in the Korean War, collapsed into the Nakdonggang River. Since it collapsed in the middle of the night, nobody was hurt, thank [...]
Taking advantage of the fine weather Saturday, I went down to Jincheon, a pleasant little rural community in lovely Chungcheongbuk-do, to visit the charming Buddhist temple of Botapsa, known to aficionados of Korean traditional architecture for its majestic three-story wooden pagoda, the only one of its kind in Korea. While I was in town, though, [...]
If Korea is the “Ireland of the East,” the March 1 Movement of 1919 was its Easter Uprising. Granted, one can stretch the analogy too far — unlike the Irish armed uprising of Easter 1916, the massive independence protests in Korea three years later were peaceful, at least as far the Koreans were concerned. Yet the commonalities are striking: both movements failed when they were harshly suppressed by their respective colonial overlords, but their spirit lived on to inspire the struggle for independence even after the revolts were put down and their leaders arrested and/or executed.
The phrase “hidden gem” gets bandied around a lot, but sometimes, you find places that really do match that description. Seemingly lost amidst the urban grime of one of Seoul’s grittiest neighborhoods, Old Yongsan Seminary and Wonhyoro Catholic Church are an unexpected oasis of beauty and tranquillity. I instantly fell in love with the place when I first visited in 2007, and make it a point to stop by whenever I can, which is often since I live not far away.
Intro Ginkgo trees, stone walls and red brick. Encompassing Deoksugung Palace and its surrounding neighborhood, the historic Jeong-dong area is Seoul’s old legation quarter. At the turn of the 20th century, it was virtually a city within a city, not unlike Beijing’s famous Legation Quarter, home to Western legations, Christian churches and missionary compounds that [...]
Old Seoul Theological Seminary As you know, I really like old buildings. I often spend my weekends travelling the land visiting and photographing Korea’s architectural heritage. Some of the sites I visit are well-known and can be found in all the tourist guides. Others are more obscure, and are known mainly to people with an [...]
The predecessor of today’s Seoul National University (SNU), Keijo Imperial University (Korean: Gyeongseong Jeguk Daehak) was founded in 1924 as the sixth of Japan’s imperial universities and the first established in one of Japan’s colonies. Established to educate and indoctrinate an indigenous Korean elite, the university was — and still is — at the top [...]
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