A common food establishment circa 1900s



By Robert Neff



In 1888, Daniel L. Gifford ― an American missionary in Korea, wrote:



"The drink curse is widely prevalent in Korea. The liquors are of two kinds; one white and thick, the other a clear liquid. They are made from rice, barley or wheat. Saloons are frequent, with sauerkraut and liquor for sale. Maudlin sots or drunken brawls, with men tugging at each other's top-knots are, alas, a common sight upon the streets."



Men were not the only drunks. An American naval officer visiting Seoul in early 1884 recalled his first encounter with a Korean drunk ― "an old woman, over sixty, drunk and happy, trying to support herself with her long staff, but eventually tripping over a pile of beans in the market place. She was kindly helped to her feet, smiling, and reclining, everyone she passed giving her a friendly set up to keep her on her feet."



The upper class also excessively partook of the "spirituous liquors." Isabella Bird Bishop, an elderly English travel-writer popular for her amusing and often opinionated observations, wrote: "[Drunkenness] is an outstanding feature in Korea. And it is not disreputable." She went on say, "A great dignitary even may roll on the floor drunk at the end of a meal, at which he has eaten to repletion, without losing caste, and on becoming sober receives the congratulations of inferiors on being rich enough to afford such a luxury."





Punishment for drinking at the American gold mines 1900