Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-16
Amounts to About SIS, 000,-l
900 Per Annum.
OUR GOODS POPULAR,
ARE MOSTLY IMPORTED FROM;
CHINA AND JAPAN.
Little Sent Directly From the United
Observation-Disclosures of Modern
Business Conveniences.

The Department of Commerce and Labor
| has issued a statement concerning Korea
The commerce OF that country amounts to
| about fifteen million dollars per annum
| Imports materially exceed exports, and
| amount to about ten million dollars the
! exports to about five millions. While in
| the case of China the foreign commerce OF
| the country is carried on chiefly, almost
exclusively. through the treaty ports,s
| this is not the case with reference to Korea,
only about one-third Of the foreign com.
| merce above alluded to passing through the
Treaty ports.
American Products in Korea.
American products. both manufactured
| and otherwise. are popular I'm Korea, but
the very large proportion reach that coun-
try through China and Japan. and the d.
rect trade of the United States with Korea
| IL extremely small. 1t Is only within q
comparatively short time that our direct
trade with Korea was of sufficient import
| ance to Justify a separate record. In 1897
the exports from the United States to Ko-
| rea were $500 in value; in 1898, S125, 900; in
1902, S2o1,O00. and for the eleven months
ending with November, 1903, $685.. 919. I'm
1903 the total exports to Korea will amount
to about $1,000
While this is a rapid growth, It does
not SHOW by any means the entire value of
merchandise from the United States enter
ing Korea. AS above indicated many of
these articles from the United States con,
sufned In Korea are sent first to japan or
emma The value of American petroleum
consumed in Korea in 1901 is stated at over
$3OO.O00; machinery and supplies. $3.50 GOO
and electrical goods and lumber, S236, 600
These importations of merchandise from
| the United States were due in part largely
perhaps. to the presence of Americans en-.
] gagged In mining operations in Korea and
the purchase by them in the United States
| Of machinery and supplies for that work.
Through Treaty Ports.
The total trade passing through the
treaty ports" of Korea amounted to TO-
100000 yen of imports and about 1900, 900
yen of exports In 1897, ana in 1901, IL, OyOOO0
yen of imports. but only 100000 yen of
exports, thus indicating the growth, e.
pecially in imports. which in 1901 were over
10 per cent in excess of those of 1897. These
figures, however, relate to the treaty ports
only The value of the yen is about 30
cents, or practically identical In value with
the Japanese yen.
The imports are chiefly cotton and wooden
goods, metals kerosene, silk ard machin-
cry for the use of the railways and those
engaged In their construction. The chief
exports are rice. beans, hide, ginseng and
copper. The currency chiefly consists of
copper cash and nickel coins, gold and Sill
Yer coins being out of circulation The
total currency Is stated as aggregating
about 1900 OC0. of which $4,000 900 is cop
per cash, S140o0,0O0 nickel, 81. $50 coo Jap
anese coins and S530,0O0 Korean silver dol
lars.
Eight ports OF Korea are open to foreign
trade and are classed as treaty ports"
Treaties were made between Korea and the
In nd fin ha
year with China; in 1883 with Germany and
Great Britain; in 1884 with Russia and
Italy; in 1885 with France; In 1892 with
Austria, and in 1890 a further treaty with
China Under these treaties Chemulpo,
Fusan, Wunsan, Seoul (the capitaD. Chi
nampo, Mokpo. Songchin, Masanpo and
Kunsan have been opened to trade. The
actual trade through non-treaty ports, how.
ever, is. as already indicated, much greater
than that through the treaty ports-prob-
ably fully double.
Trade With Japan.
The trade Of Korea with Japan is growing
more rapidly than with any other country,
the importation Of cotton goods from Japan
amounting to from two to three million
yen annually. Cotton goods are the largest
single article in the value of importations
into Korea, amounting to between six and
seven million yen annually. Silk goods
amount to about 100000 yen per annum.
L
600 yen in value; beans, OO0.0O yen; hides.
100000 yen, and ginseng. $4,000 yen.
The minerals of Korea are of considerable
value Copper. iron and coal are reported
as abundant. and gold and silver mines
are being successfully operated, an Amer
lean company having charge of and operat-
ing gold mine at the treaty port of Wun-
san under a concession granted In 1885,.
Concessions have also been granted to Rus
sian, German. Japanese and French SUBJ
5ects.
Railways and Telegraphs.
Railways, telegraphs, telephones and Q
postal system have been recently intro
duced into Korea. A railway from the sea-
port Of Chemulpo to Seoul, the capital. .
distance of twenty-six miles. was built BY
American contractors. and has reduced tho
time between the seaport and capital from
eight hours to one and three-quarter hours.
The Seoul Electric Company, ORGANISED
capital, has built and operated an electrical
railway near Seoul. which Is much used by
the natives. This electrical plant is said
to be the largest single electrical plant In
Asia The machinery is imported from the
United States and the consulting engineer.
a Japanese, is graduate or the Massa-
chusetts Institute OF Technoiogy. ,
Transportation In the Interior Is chieny
carried on by porters, pack horses and oxens
though small river steamers owned py
Japanese run on such OF the streams az
are of sufficient size to justify the use OF
steamers.
The area of Korea is estimated at 5000
square miles. or about equal to that OF the
state of Kansas. The population is va.
riously estimated at from eight to sixteen
millions The foreign population consists
of about 1000 Japanese. 5000 Chinese. 300
Americans, 100 British, 100 French 100 Rus
slams. 80 Germans an about % OF varlouS
other nationalities. The postal system 10
under French direction, ana has In add.
tion to the central bureau at Seoul. "
postal stations in full operation ana go
snhstations for registered correspondence.
A Strange Old Medal