New Britain herald., 1925-08-01
SEOUL IS KOREA'S
 LITTLE CAPITAL
Is Modern on Main Street and
 Medieval OIi

Washington, n. C.. Aug. T. | Seoul or Kcijo, as It is called by
 the Japanese, scene of recent disas. | rous Korean floods, lives at once in the dreamy past and the bustling
 present. says 8 bulletin from the 1 Washington, D. C.. headquarters of the National Geographic society The city is the administrative center of 1 Chosen, the Japanese official name
 for Korea.
 Seoul was the capital of the old kingdom of Korea which had it's roots about as deep into the past as
 Japan or China" continues the bull
 lotin. "It was not a glorious past. 1 Class distinction. bureaucratic op-
 presSions and official apathy and general stagnation made the Korea of a generation or so ago anything
 hut an admirable country. A re-
 mnder of the past is the huge pal ace group in Seoul today occupied
 by tho deposcd Prince VI, a pen siOncr of the Japanese government. Modern On Main Street
 "The present is working marked changes on the old city. Along two or three main streets modern huildings have been erected, and those thoroughfares are well paved. Electric street railways operate, Waterworks and gas works have been installed, and an electric gen. orating plant furnishes power and light Even a sewer system is mak- ing slow headway.
 of the main thoroughfares how ever, one finds himself in medieval Korean city of narrow alleys with open drains and one-story wooden dwellings, Tn the old days common people were forbidden 10 build houses more than one story high. for no one must have building from which he could look down on the king.
 Old Class Distinctions.
 Seoul is in a valley, with moun- tains homming it in. About the city is q wall built in the 18th century. | If is from 10 to 20 feet high and about 2o feet thick, and makes a circuit of seven miles. Within this | wall, now falling into dilapidaton. are included some of the smaller | mountain peaks Tho population is about 277.n0. of this total the Japanese, most of whom have come into the country since the snnexa- tion to Japan in 1910, number about 4o,00o. Europeans and Americans residents in Seoul probably do not number 100. Most of these are missionaries. Two mission hospitals and several schools are maintained in the capital
 The Japanese inhabitants of Seoul
 are active and their business meth eds, their shops, and their costumes are leavening the Korean lump. Even today, however, the street scnes in Soul are strongly reminis- cent of old Korea. Officially the old class distinctions have been abolish | e1 by the Japenese but they prsist. l Among the common people are r'asse1 the farmers, artisans labor CTS. In the middle class are the doctors, priests, scholars, mathemat- ioians, interpreters and artists. A big quarter Of Seoul is given 10 the mid de class Above them were the mo- hilitv and some Of these have been
 given a now status by Japanese ratcnts. Many things were forbidden the common people, Among other things. they could never under any circumstances wear spectacIes The very crude spcctacles worn by Kor- can gentlemen are not to improve the eyesiEht. but rather are ba iges of responsibility.
 Garments Pasted Together
 Most Koreans dress in white, a l custom said 10 have resulted from | the fact that white was the official 1 mourning habit. and that the popu- lace was constantly being compelled ] to 20 into mourning for several years l .at 8 time on the death of members | of the royal family. Few costumes | In any rart Of the world are more | bizarre than that of the Korean l gentleman It consists Of a long. | flowing coat Of white material that l lcoks like a nightshirt. below which | pro'rude a few inches of white ran- talcons tied about the ankles. The 1 fort coverings are awkward swath- | inEs of cloth. The climax of the 1 ludicrous is the hat. which consists Of a 'pill-box' crown on a stiff hrim. | Ii sits very high on the head and Is l held in place by black tapes tied l under the chin. often men SO t,zs..ssd .r. .ss,u ,.-s.rs,... h,,... -.