| A police box at Seodaemun in the early 1900s. Robert Neff Collection |
By Robert Neff
In the early 1890s, one British visitor to the Korean Peninsula declared that "the chief sources of expense to a [Korean] man lie in his clothes and his pipe." Pipe smoking was an integral part of Korean society ― enjoyed not only by men, but also women and even children. Tobacco soothed the troubled-spirit, aided in the treatment of diseases and injuries and was even figuratively used to "reckon time by the number of pipes smoked." An example given in an 1893 article was: "He only stopped long enough to smoke one pipe" ― which indicated a very short time.
| A Korean gentleman enjoying his pipe in the early 1900s. Robert Neff Collection |
It was the custom of the yangban (gentry) and the affluent (as well as posers) to smoke tobacco using long pipes ― the longer the pipe the more affluent the smoker. It must have really chaffed these Joseon-era influencers to be harangued by the police ― especially when the police were often criticized in the local paper for doing nothing but "smoking pipes in their boxes and saluting certain yangban who pass by."
The government claimed that the ban on these long pipes was for safety reasons. Sometimes, while walking and smoking, the pipes were inadvertently bumped by passersby causing them to piece the throats of their hapless smoker. According to one early visitor, this was a fairly common accident.
"The commonest surgical operation in Korea, the medical missionaries say, is to pull a two or three foot pipe stem out of the back of a Korean neck; by accidents in wheeling around corners or by falling down when intoxicated, these pipe stems are jammed downwards or backwards, ad infinitum."
However, not all of these incidents occurred while the smoker was walking. In March 1897, The Independent ― the local newspaper ― reported:
"Pak Changsik of Nitong, while standing in front of a Chinese man´s store recently on that street with a long pipe in his mouth, was struck by a Chinese man named Yu Kebup. The blow caused the pipe to pierce the throat of the Korean. The injured man attempted to hit the Chinese man, but before he could strike him, two other Chinese men rushed at the Korean and threw him to the ground. A Korean policeman interfered and arrested the Chinesemen. They were locked up in the Chinese jail by the Chinese police, and were made to pay the Korean for the damage which he sustained."
In January 1898, a Korean soldier ― a member of the Imperial Guard ― had the audacity to smoke a long pipe as he passed by a police box. The policeman scolded the soldier and told him to put the pipe out as it was against the law. Defiantly, the soldier informed the policeman that he was "not under the police law and he did not care to observe it" and went on puffing on his pipe. The situation quickly deteriorated into a general melee as the policeman tried to physically enforce the law and the soldier ― with the same amount of determination ― physically defended his independence from the law. A number of passing soldiers and policemen joined into the fight. Fortunately for all, a police sergeant arrived before swords and knives could be drawn and restored peace.
| A good meal followed by a good smoke in the early 20th century. Robert Neff Collection |
According to the Independent, "the soldiers considered themselves victorious because the policemen refrained from striking blows. The matter has been properly reported to the War Office by the police department and the military authorities were requested to punish the unruly soldiers."
Soldiers were not the only ones considered themselves above this law. Just two weeks earlier, one of Colonel Cho Dong-yun's servant's was arrested for smoking a long pipe while walking through the streets. When Colonel Cho (who was commander of the 3rd Regiment of the Korean army) learned of his servant's fate, he immediately started pulling strings and had a senior government official pressure the chief commissioner of police to release the offending smoker. This favoritism was quickly condemned but seems to have had little impact on improving relations between the police and army.
This law, in an indirect way, also become a political issue between Korea and Japan. In late February 1898, the Japanese Minister to Korea, sent one of his Korean guards (kisu) to the Korean telegraph office in Seoul with two telegrams. On the way to the telegraph office the kisu took the opportunity to smoke a bowl of tobacco in his long pipe while walking ― he soon caught the attention of an observant policeman who promptly arrested him.
The kisu "explained to the police officer the nature of his errand and begged permission to deliver the telegrams to the office which [was] right opposite the Police Department." The chief commissioner of police refused and, instead, had two police officers escort him to the Japanese legation where they requested permission to formally arrest the offending smoker.
According to the newspaper:
"The Japanese Minister expressed his willingness to deliver the guilty man if the request had come from the proper authority. The Police Department has no diplomatic power hence the direct request from the commissioner could not be complied with; moreover, when the Police Department had deliberately hindered a foreign representative from transacting his official business, which is contrary to the international usage, he (the Japanese Minister) would not discuss the subject until a suitable apology was offered."
The chief commissioner of police chose to ignore his department's apparent "breach of etiquette" and no apology was offered. This further incited the Japanese minister who then sent an official letter of protest to the Korean Foreign Office and demanded the police officer who had initially arrested the kisu be severely punished.
It isn't clear what became of the issue but the newspaper agreed the kisu was guilty of breaking the law but should have been allowed to deliver the telegrams to the telegraph office and then the arrest could have been made through the proper channels. The editor further went on to say that the whole affair had been blown out of proportion "through perhaps misunderstanding or ignorance of the diplomatic usage on the part of the Korean authorities" and that it was hoped the Korean Foreign Office would speedily settle the matter in a satisfactory manner so as to "avoid unnecessary friction between the government and other powers."
About a week later, another police officer tried to enforce the law with some painful results. Near Seosomun (Little West Gate), a policeman encountered a man walking down the street while smoking a long pipe and began to admonish him for breaking the law. "The guardian of the law was a fragile looking, adolescent youth" and the offender was "a muscular looking individual about six feet in height" who did not particularly enjoy being stopped. The smoker told the young police officer that he should return to his mother's breasts and nurse before trying to deprive a real man of the pleasure of smoking while walking.
The police officer, infuriated with the disrespect, "pulled a club from under his overcoat and struck the offender with all his might, but the blow only made the citizen smile more broadly." The policeman tried again but, almost lazily, the smoker knocked the officer down with "a gentle swing of his brawny arm."
Another policeman rushed from the police box to assist his partner and suffered the same fate. According to the newspaper:
"After the blowing of alarm whistles by the prostrated policemen three more rescuers arrived upon the scene. Finally they succeeded in putting handcuffs on the muscular offender and escorted him to the police station near the Governor's office."
The newspaper's editor (probably Yun Chi-ho) couldn't resist adding a moral for the readers: "Do not keep boys and old men on the police force." I think I would have added, especially if they were to try and enforce an unpopular law.
Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.