By Honorary Reporter Crystal Grant from US

Photos = Crystal Grant

The Korean Cultural Center in New York is hosting "The Wonder Unbound," an exhibition of foreign publications from the past featuring stories of Korea. Among the 120 works on display are novels, folktales, autobiographies, informational texts and magazine articles featuring Korean culture through the eyes of foreign nationals who visited Korea between 1700 and the 1960s. 

Reading and Korean culture are two of my favorite interests. I visited this exhibition on April 7 to learn more about how Korean culture has been portrayed in literature. The event runs through April 27 to mark the 70th anniversary of Korea's alliance with the U.S. this year.

The entrance of the exhibition

The exhibition features perspectives on Korea from non-Korean natives from across the globe and their visual interactions with Korean culture. The materials displayed highlight the changes in Korea's political, economic and cultural structures from 1700 to the 1960s.  

A selection of books is on display at the exhibition, ranging from fiction to articles from the magazine National Geographic.

I found the photos and illustrations particularly striking. For instance, "Masters of The Colour Print: Elizabeth Keith" by Malcolm C. Salaman published in 1933 features illustrations by Keith of Korean attire and daily life in the country during this era.

"Masters of the Colour Print: Elizabeth Keith" by Malcolm C. Salaman

I also noticed the diversity of the authors featured ranging from diplomats and missionaries to art historians, explorers and soldiers, not to mention the variety of countries of origin and languages the books were written in like the U.K., Scotland and America.

"An Account of the Shipwreck of a Dutch Vessel on the Coast of the Isle of Quelpaert, Together with the Description of the Kingdom of Corea" is the famous real-life account of Hendrik Hamel, a Dutch sailor who was shipwrecked on Jeju Island. A journal of the 13 years he spent in Korea during the Joseon Dynasty era, his book is considered the first from the West about the nation. 

Dutch sailor Hendrik Hamel's account of Korea in the 17th century

A set of books on display on Hanji (traditional paper) are from collector Lee Seung-cheol, an artist, professor, author and researcher. Through his research on Hanji, he began collecting artifacts and antique books, many of which are in the exhibition. 

Two books written by Lee Seung-cheol

l learned about Korea's historical eras in seeing books dating back to the 1700s and changes in the country's political and social landscapes and relations with other countries. Before attending this exhibition, I didn’t know so many foreign nationals visited Korea back then and wrote about their experiences. 

I now have a greater appreciation for the hard work Koreans put into their country's development to make Korea the influential nation that it is today. My best memory of this event was the book by the Dutch sailor. Many might consider him unlucky for being shipwrecked, but I think it was fate since he introduced Korean culture to the West.

This exhibition is a rare chance to explore Korea of the past through the eyes of non-Koreans over the centuries. Perhaps a visitor might even be inspired to pick up a copy of one of these books on his or her own.  

msjeon22@korea.kr

*This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things.