Subscribe
E-Paper
 |
| The perception of how a diplomat should appeared upon his return from Korea just before the Korean-American War of 1871. Japan Punch, June 1871 |
By Robert Neff
 |
| England as the judge of which country should control Port Hamilton ― China or Japan. Japan Punch, June 1885 |
According to Horace Allen, the Korean embassy returned to Korea "having refused all overtures of Western foreigners to communicate with them."
Wirgman seemed somewhat enamored with ― possibly jealous of ― Irishman William George Aston (1841-1911), a member of the British Foreign Service serving in Japan. Both men were skilled linguists. Wirgman was fluent in English, German and French and competent in several other languages, but not Korean.
Aston was skilled in Latin, Greek, French, German and Japanese. He also taught himself Korean using textbooks compiled in 1841 by Iwajiro Urase. Urase was an interpreter at the Japanese enclave in Fusan (now Busan) and he compiled a couple of textbooks (in Japanese) of Korean phrases and dialogues. In addition to his self-study, Aston also had a private tutor, a "Korean resident in Japan, who called himself by the Japanese name Asano."
 |
| The reality of how he appeared on his return to Japan. Japan Punch, June 1871 |
Despite any differences with the British diplomatic community he might have had, Wirgman was extremely patriotic and did not pull any punches when it came to expressing his pro-British views ― especially when it involved the Russian-British struggle for dominance in Northeast Asia.
In the spring of 1885, a British fleet sailed into Port Hamilton (Komundo ― a Korean island group off the southern coast of the peninsula) and "preemptively occupied" it before Russia could. This caused a great deal of concern. China seemingly favored the occupation and sided with the British while Japan opposed it and supported the Russians. As for Korea? None of the foreign powers seemed to care.
Wirgman made it perfectly clear which side he was on.
 |
| The British representative trying to curry favor with Joseon by returning a shipwrecked Korean sailor. Japan Punch, June 1876 |
"As the Japanese are so very anxious to cease to be Japanese and so very desirous to become to become full-blown red-haired hatchet dog faced Western Barbarians at once. Punch suggests to them as the easiest way of obtaining their hearts desire is to HAND OVER their country to Russia."
For "throwing out this hint" to the Japanese people, he expected to be made a Russian baron.
His opinions seem to have found little favor with the diplomatic community as evidenced when he later wrote:
"Diplomatic relations between Punch and the German Legation have been suspended on account of the latter returning all Punches sent to it. We are afraid that this action on its part will lead to serious complications."
 |
| Torpedoes and politics. Japan Punch, June 1876 |
He then went noted that "Germany, Spain, America, Holland and Belgium are non-subscribers. We have a very miserly opinion of those countries." Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "China subscribes. Bully for China!!!"
The animosity towards Germany might have been due to Paul Georg von Mollendorff ― a German national employed by the Korean government as an adviser. Mollendorff was not very popular in the German community and was often criticized for adopting Korean customs and attire. A contemporary newspaper wrote:
"A man who adopts Corean manners and customs not only degrades himself in the eyes of the inhabitants of every other country, but also does an injury to Europe in general, by showing the Coreans that there are some men who think so little of civilization and its advantages, that, for the sake of making a few dollars, they will, so far as they can, abandon their country, and its culture and refinement, and instead of teaching the people amongst whom he may find himself, will show their opinion of that conduct."
 |
| William George Aston studying Korean. Japan Punch, November 1882 |
In early 1887, the British government returned Port Hamilton to the Korean government, leaving on a handful of graves of British sailors and marines who had died there during the occupation.
It would have been interesting to see how Japan Punch, via Wirgman's pen, would have reported the removal of the British forces, but, unfortunately, the magazine folded at about the same time.
On February 8, 1891, Wirgman died in Yokohama at the age of 59. The mighty pen was laid to rest in the Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery ― forgotten by most except for the most ardent historians or manga fans.
 |
| The poker game for Port Hamilton. Japan Punch, June 1885 |
 |
| Mollendorff being booted out. Japan Punch, July 1885 |
