 Welcome to what is then the first seminar for the Center of Korean Studies in our seminar series this year. We haven't had that much so far, but we will have a number of seminars and lectures now in term two. So my name is Anders Carlson, so I'm the chair of the Center of Korean Studies. And I'm also the speaker for today. But before I start to talk about the topic, I just wanted to say a few words as the center chair. So I'll show you what we have planned so far in terms of seminars. So yes, so for today then I'm going to give the first talk. Talk too much about that and next Friday already. So the 5th of February, it's Dr. Sanpil Jin who is now at the University of Edinburgh as a postdoctoral fellow. There was his PhD Korean history here from SOAS. And he's going to talk about efforts to neutralize the Korean Peninsula at the end of the 19th century of the 20th century. So this is based on the book manuscript that he's working on, which in turn is based on his PhD dissertation. So that's going to be very interesting. On the 12th of February, it's Dr. Adam Bonnet from King's University College at Western University in Canada. And he's going to talk about managing the descendants of Ming migrants in late chosen Korea. And then once again, this is based on a book that just came out at the end of last year. The book deals with different groups of foreigners in Korea in the chosen period in this talk is going to look at Ming migrants. Into March on the 19th of March, Professor JP Park from University of Oxford. So we're going to have a lecture on Korean art history. The first Korean art history from the nation is the title of late chosen Korea between Europe and Japan. And then on the 26th, we have Professor Huysang Cho from Emory University. And he's once again, this is going to be a talk based on a recently published book about epistolary practices in chosen Korea. So having these events online has really helped us in terms of also inviting them colleagues from the other side of the Atlantic. So we're looking forward to these talks and there at least one more in the pipeline that we hope that we'll be able to announce soon. And I'm very glad what I can see we have a good attendance. So, since I'm an in house speaker and since I also wanted to say a few words in the beginning as the center chair that there will be no other chair sent for this for this talks I will do all this myself. So as the chair of the talk, then, I would just like to ask you so please as as I go through my talk if you have any questions, if you could please put that in the Q&A box. And then please don't put up in the chat box in the Q&A box. And then after the talk, I will go back and I will pick up on the questions that you've had. So that's the instructions that have been given by Charles who kind of arranged all of these things. So I think it's time for me to start. There will be no one able to keep track of my time or keep me short. I will probably talk for an hour or so and that will give us time for questions. Time for me to address the questions that you have had. So I'll start the presentation. So what I want to talk about today is a visit that a Swedish geographer and explorer named Svenedin made to Korea in 1908. Those of you who know me, you know that this is not really the time period that I'm working on. This is basically from the beginning it was based on a conference presentation that I gave back in 2019 when Sweden and South Korea they were celebrating 16 years of diplomatic relations and they asked me to talk about something. And this is something that this visitor that was I've known about for a long time and I had interest in it so I proposed to talk about this. I had some apprehension about it because it's the topic, as you will see, is not really celebratory of Swedish-Korean relations and it's not very flattering to Sweden in this but it was well received. And I did some more research afterwards to produce an article that's been published and I thought it would be a good idea just to share that longer presentation with this additional research that I've done into the topic. So that's a little bit of the background. So the person in question then, Svenedin, at the middle name, the same name as me, Sven Andersedin, as a geographer and an explorer and he's a famous and rather controversial figure in Sweden. He was in the earliest, at the end of the 19th century, in the early 20th century up until the end of the 1920s. I mean he was also a central figure in the scientific and cultural, political life, producing many books based on his travels but then of course also his explorations. And he was also then internationally famous. He did receive honorary doctoral titles from Oxford, Cambridge, Heidelberg and Minchen and all of his books were translated into many languages. 22 it says on the slide. In the beginning of the 20th century, he was very famous and his fame derived from this is the name that he was given the last great explorer of Asia. He made some extensive expeditions to Central Asia, exploring areas such as the Taklamakan desert, Tibet, the Gondel mountain range, etc. As far as I know, he actually made some scientifically very important findings. And here is a map of his expeditions so we can see where he mainly conducted them. And the expedition that he did just before visiting Japan and Korea, which is this one between 1906 and 1908, so predominantly then Tibet and the Himalayas, starting off and then returning back to northern India. In many ways an interesting figure. He wrote alumnus, scientific treatises, more popular works about his expeditions. He wrote novels and was also quite good of an artist, so he would also make drawings during his expeditions and here are some examples of that. Unfortunately, it seems that he was too busy during his visit in East Asia to make any drawings, either in Japan or in Korea. I did say that, sorry, I should have the slide like this. Yeah, sorry. As I said, he's a controversial figure into the 1930s. I mean, he was staunchly conservative. We'll see that in terms of his description of his visits to Japan and Korea in the 1930s, he saw Nazi Germany as a protection against the spread of communism in Europe. He was invited to give a speech, which he did at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin as well and here's another photo of him. So that's why he's a controversial figure. So from the 1930s onwards, then his involvement in politics tarnished his reputation. Okay. So where then do we find him writing about Korea? A very interesting feature is that through his travels, he wrote extensive letters to his parents. And he was a compulsive writer, but also he kept everything into copies of what he wrote as well. So he would keep a copy of all of his own letters. So we have that as more like a diary of what he was doing, but in the form of letters to his parents. We do have that. The first thing that we can see published after his visit is an obituary that he wrote in 1909 over Itohiro Boomi that he reflects back upon when he met Itoh in Korea. So in 1911, he wrote a popular book called Poll to Poll, which was more aimed to the young people, talking more about the kind of adventures that he had. And he did talk a little bit about his visit to Korea, but I will show you a little bit. It is not very informative. This source is a collection of biographical sketches that wasn't published until 1950. That's called Great Mem and Kings, with two volumes. And in that he has one chapter about Itohiro Boomi, and also one chapter about Emperor Sunjong, with whom you had an audience when he visited Seoul. So that is the main source, those two quite extensive texts that deals with his visit. So for the background, so why did he end up in first Japan and then Korea at the end of 1908? So I have taken this story from some letters at that time Swedish ambassador in Japan, Gustav Ulle Wallenberg, later on wrote to his more famous grandson Raul Wallenberg. And in that he is quite frankly talking about how the Swedish Embassy had a role in this and what he personally had a role in that. So before I have taken this story from how he was invited, and then his grandson Raul Wallenberg is famous for me. He was a special envoy to the Swedish Embassy in Budapest in 1944 and helped save many Hungarian Jews at that time. And then when the Red Army took Budapest and he was arrested, the suspicion of espionage and then he just disappeared after that. So that's why his letters has been published. That's where I find the story. So what does then Wallenberg tell us so as the ambassador, then he met influential Japanese statesman and once he met Makino Nobuaki. And Nobuaki relate to him some concerns that the Japanese government had about tensions with Great Britain. So the way that Wallenberg put it is that Great Britain had supported Japan in the Russo-Japanese war and then expected to have some kind of leverage or influence in Japan. And when that didn't materialize, Japan started to get bad press in Japan and Japan started to be called the Prussia of the East just being interested in military expansion. So what Wallenberg says is Makino asks if the Swedish envoy could find a practical solution to the situation. And here I quote what he writes in those letters. I said to Makino, if the English have persuaded the rest of the world that Japan is interested only in war, you will have to find a way to convince everyone of your interest in cultural matters and science and their predictioners. You can provide good publicity if you give them any reason to. He continued, well it seems fairly likely that Dr. Sven Hedin who is currently in Tibet and who I know is about to go home. It could be persuaded to pass through Japan and give some lectures here. They might afford you an excellent opportunity to demonstrate to the world that Japanese interest in scientific questions and thus refute the English accusations. And this was something that was picked up by the Japanese. Wallenberg says that he later received a visit by a delegation headed by the president of Kyoto University. They would go ahead with this. Wallenberg also says that they had been instructed to offer a check of 3,000 yen to Hedin for this, but Wallenberg said that he realized that if he declined that on behalf of Hedin, he would get more leverage for the Swedish embassy afterwards for this. So when Hedin finished his travels in Tibet, he returned back to northern India. And here are some photos when he was in Simla with a lot of Minto and he gave a lecture there as well about his travels. And then when he was in India, that was when he received this invitation then to visit Japan. And that was an invitation that was extended by the Nippon Geography Association. He accepted the invitation. And then traveled to Shanghai. And this is the map he himself produced, which is in the poll to poll office of his travels. As he was making his journey to Japan, then the Swedish ambassador, Wallenberg, he reported back to Sweden concerning newspaper coverage in Japan, saying that the country was full of anticipation, not only because Hedin was the world's biggest explorer, but also because he gave the Japanese the opportunity to show that they were just as interested in peaceful conquest as in military triumphs. So the ones get that kind of message that Wallenberg is pushing. Itinerary travel to Nagasaki and then Cuba, and that was greeted by another delegation. And this time sent by Otani Kuzhi, a bit of Buddhist Nishihunganji sect in Kyoto, who himself have been involved in expeditions to Central Asia, the Royal Geographical Society, and he would also then take care of an encator within during his stay in Japan. I will not talk that much about his stay in Japan. That's not the purpose here, even though in his writings he did talk quite a lot about the people that he met there. But anyways, he stayed in Japan for a month between the 12th of November and 13th of December. He had an audience with the Japanese emperor. And according once again to the Swedish ambassador, he was a big hit, giving multiple talks and receptions, being held in his honor almost every day. He'd been himself in one of his letter to his parents, jokingly told his parents that the visit to Japan was more exhausting than the exploration that he just had done in Tibet. But this made a great impression on his stay in Japan. So then the visit to Korea, which is the main interest in today's talk. So it's not clear from either what he writes or what I've been able to find it in other sources, how that was arranged. I've been able to find that it was actually was in Japan, when he didn't made his visit, but I said that there's, he didn't himself as to make any reference to having met it to you to be in Japan. Once again, by the ambassador, he says that he didn't extended his stay. Which then indicates that this visit was planned when he was already in Japan. In the sense also I think that the Swedish diplomat regarded Korea as part of Japan is not traveling further with traveling to another country. In the books, great mean man and kings, then he didn't himself mentioned that I'd actually plan to visit Beijing on his way back home from Japan, but he was then unable to do that because of the death of the Chinese emperor on the 14th of November. And then the ambassador on the following day. Otherwise, in terms of one, once it might have been decided, I found in the function in moon, a report from the fourth of December stating that he was on his way to so. So it was decided before that, at least. And here we can see then how we travel to Korea and travel straight up to to so. His visit was mentioned in in Korea before he came. He's been channel sons new magazine so young they did have this one page short article about his visit. Read what it says that we have always admired and venerated those loyal gentlemen will throw away fame and fortune and exert all their power and effort for the sake of cultural progress. And so now when we're here that spend the dean is coming how can we but respectfully greet and express our admiration and respect. What kind of person is he is the most famous explorer in the world today and from the end of the last century to beginning of this sacrifice body and life for science and art, exploring the darkest corners of the world. So it seems that he was invited as a guest of the Japanese, but there was interest in most Koreans as well for his visit. He described travel from Busan up to Seoul in pole to pole. It's, it's just description of the nature that he's seeing. I think for the sake of time, I will not read this. But many says a very good writer and it gives a very good description of what he is seeing but he was arrived then they were told in Seoul on December the 13th, and took in at the Sompak Hotel, allegedly first European style hotel in Seoul and hotel that has an interesting history in itself. And once again for which there is not time today. That's what where he stayed. It does was going to in pole to pole this book that he wrote more for young people describing more the adventurous side of his travels. He does have a description of of Seoul, accompanied with this illustration. And I'll read through this so the town is confined in the valley between bear cliffs and from the heights all that can be seen is confusion of gray and white houses with gabled roofs covered with gray tiles. In the Japanese quarter life goes on exactly as in Japan rose of colored paper lanterns hang now at night before the open shops and trade is brisk and lively. In the Korean quarters the lanes are narrow and this mobile the principal streets are wider with tram cars rattling amid the bird aesthetic scenes. Here are sedan chance caravans of big oxen laden with firewood heavy cars with goods, men carrying unusually heavily loads on the framework of wooden ribs on their backs. Sailing past in white garments and reveal over there over the smooth plated hair, a row of grown men and boys passed through the streets carrying boards with Korean inscriptions in red and white those are advertisements. And before then marches and drum and flute and filling the streets with a hideous noise vivid description of what he saw in in Seoul. Of course, it is going to play a central part in his visit. Unfortunately, Sunday Dean himself is not that informative about the earlier stages of his visit, in particular given much dates. What I found is that that he actually had left a soul. So he had returned to Korea from Japan before he didn't arrive and when I left so on the 15th of December for an official trip to castle to inspect the ginseng. And his, what I've been able to find out returned to so the following day. In great man and King's had been as an interesting description of what I understand to be him hearing it to coming back then from that visit to Kesson. So he didn't describes how when he was sitting and talking with some friends in the hall after a lecture that had given they had horses outside and so carriage pass. He didn't was told that it was eternal returning from official business. He writes the Japanese. Sorry, the conversation fell silent. My Japanese friends turned serious and stood up. You could feel that it was a dictator that had passed by. We will see Saturday and has a lot of praise for for ito so I don't think that was a critical remark made by him in another rendition of the same story he called him rather Caesar, a dictator. He mentions never gives the date of an early visit that he made to to ito. And is that that visit was also attended by a one young. Prime Minister, as well as the Japanese general has a girl. Here and the vice resident general son, that we can see here as a general has a girl then in charge of the Japanese troops in Korea at that time. And then of course he later on in 1916. Governor general and being responsible for the horse suppression of the March 1st movement and vice resident general son, that is looking in 1909, then succeeding. Peter Hirabumi as the resident general. Unfortunately, he does not tell us more about what they talked about what happened during that meeting. He says that the same day he visited the chamber and chamber palaces. After which in the evening gave a lecture to an audience of 1500 followed by a large dinner party seems to be the pattern, both in Japan and Korea. The following day, given a lecture by a mystery new Korean history and Japan's policies and plans for the protectorate. And it does relate in his writing quite a lot of the information that it did receive and it's very much echoing the kind of not in terms of current history but in terms of Japan's policies. And at that time was being produced in these reports on reforms and progress in Japan that was part of Japan's effort to improve the international image of Japan and what we do was after the eight peace conference in 1907. It seems to be part of that kind of propaganda effort that you can see around this time, which of course also involved the translation into English of all of the treaties that had led up to the protectorate that then run slightly earlier than this was published in the American international law. Anyways, he was fed them that that same kind of information. And he said he gave another lecture attended by the consul general from Germany US France Great Britain and Russia, followed by a dinner with a number of Japanese dignitaries. On the 15th of December onwards, we get a little bit more more solid knowledge about what he was doing with some dates, etc. He says that he started off the day with a lunch visiting the Russian consul general Alexander Zomov. It's very interesting to talk about in terms of that, but many photographs from his visit, but the Spanish Foundation had these photos, unfortunately, oxidated and damaged. I thought I'd show them as I did. I'll show some other photos, some of the few few photos that we can see. It seems to be him leaving and him being considerably shorter than the Russian consul general with consideration that Russian consul steps down on the stairs and then with the wife and the son as well. And on the same day, there was a formal audience with people here a boomie who then a dean throughout his descriptions of it called Korea's ruler. This meeting then he says, was also accompanied by two Japanese generals. So sorry, so the Yoshi and Akashi Motojiro. What are the two the left in the photo and Akashi to the to the right. Both of them have been military ashashash in Stockholm. And they carried the Swedish orders of the sword. And presumably that's when they were part of the meeting as well. And general Akashi was the one that organized the Japanese military police in in Korea. And he was later in 2018 to become the governor general of Taiwan. So here, spend the info from this visit relates some some some interesting discussions that you had with Eto and then Eto quite quickly came to what was from the Japanese point of view that important purpose of his visit in in Seoul. And this is what a dean relates from from the discussions and this is from his the chapter need to hit a boom in the great men and Kings book. So it was said, moreover, you must have a look for yourself and judge. I have ordered these gentlemen to give you all the information you need. I will ask you to take notes during your stay here and then write about Korea, not only for the Swedish people, but for all Europeans and afterwards ask them if my policies have not been justified. Any other great power in our position would have acted differently. So basically asking him to convey them that the Japanese propaganda what they were doing in in Korea. And that Eto seems very relaxed and then made various jokes and I'm saying that soon Japan would control East Asia all the way to the bike call Lake but you don't need to to spill that secret to the times as yet etc etc. So, you had quite long discussions with people. And then here is a photograph that I understand to have been taken in relation once again with that meeting because we see these two generals and some other Japanese dignitaries. And I've been able to identify use QG that was here who was critical of Eto Irobumis what he considered Eto Irobumis to the lenient kind of policies in in Korea. When he was in Seoul, he gave a talk at the YMCA. And then this is as far as I can see that the only kind of interaction that he had with Koreans. Which Koreans that took the initiative or inviting him to something otherwise it seems to have been the Japanese or Western legations in Seoul. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find so much information about the way he writes himself is that when the Koreans saw how the Japanese cared for me. They probably thought that they should not let themselves be outdone and they sent a delegation to politely invite me to give a lecture in the big hall of the YMCA. And of course it would have been newly constructed in YMCA building that we can open just before his visit. He says that there was some complications in all of this that the Koreans had made the demand that no Japanese should be present. He says that he found this requirement somewhat confrontational and asked Eto how he should proceed and according to him, Eto answered that he saw no problems with this. But he said within quotation marks, gentlemen, I guess his advisors, what are the different opinions. It's actually not to participate in a manifestation against the Japanese. So what happened in the end was that he made the demand that at least two Japanese should be invited to this talk at the YMCA as well. Once again, he says that the organizers were they reluctantly agreed to that. And in the end, then the event was attended by Mr. Moya, who we have here on the photo who was the person that given a being that the lecture on Korean history but also Japanese policies. And Mr. Hori, we can see here on the photo. I'm afraid I don't know who he was. In this lecture that was advertised, broadly in the newspapers, I found both in Hong Kong Shinmun and the Tehamil Shinbo. The heading was lecture on traveling around the world. And it seems that advertisement was sponsored by Yu Chihou, which was an educator and a younger class in the more famous Yu Chihou. The letters back to his parents. He then wrote that 2000 people participated. Okay. To this talk. All Koreans except the two Japanese and also two Europeans. Okay. And he says that the world was so crowded that late comes out of the city. He commented that he saw only about 50 people in Western clothing, the rest were Korean clothes. And that they had an interpreter and spoke for two hours and afterwards. There was a very crowded. So that is what he tells us about his lecture at the YMCA. He had audiences when he was there on December the 20th, both Hong Kong Shinmun and Tehamil Shinbo was going to report that he had an audience with Kojong. Unfortunately, and that was should have been together with April Hirabumi. Unfortunately, he didn't never himself wrote about that. There's no trace of it in official sources. There's more than about the audience that we had. We had with Soonjong. Both we can find it in the Korean sources. It's referred to in the Korean newspapers as well. She lock and the Ilsan lock. And he writes about it of course extensively in that chapter in great man and King's book. He really admits to his ignorance. So talking about Soonjong. There won't be many in the West that have heard the name of the monarch that I will now pay some attention to in this gallery. I gladly confess that I at the time of my arrival in Korea wasn't aware that the last emperor still existed. I had myself not thought about the fallen throne and no one among my Japanese friends had mentioned a word about the ruler whose power and authority had been taken over by evil. So it is not surprising that that he was ignorant of this. This is interesting. It makes the point that if no one had all of these kind of discussions and preparation and when he was in Japan really mentioned the Korean emperor. And then one day when we were talking in his reception room, Ito suddenly said, would it amuse you to meet the last emperor of Korea? Could after all be an interesting memory for you to have once in your life, to have once in your life seen and told to him, even if it only is for the curiosity of it. So throughout this description, it really doesn't say so explicitly but really shows a kind of condescending tone that Ito and the people around him had when they talked about Soonjong. It would have continued. Well, you see this will be the last opportunity, even though the emperor might still be on his throne, his definitive throngment will happen tomorrow and afterwards he will become a private person, a political prisoner under my that is Japan's rule. And either Ito speaking figuratively or Hedin's memory is not serving him well because that never happened. But presumably Ito gave the impression because that there is soon Soonjong was going to be dethroned. On the 21st of December then Hedin went to the palace for an audience schedule at 11am and he was met there by Sohne, the vice resident general and once again general Hasegawa. And once again in his description we can see how the Japanese tried to belittle and ridicule Soonjong. But in the end, in Hedin, he was an admirer of anything royal, great man, etc. And it's a description of the audience with Soonjong is actually this is full of sympathy for the ruler and also for the Korean cause and just seeing what was going on in Korea at that time as an inevitable course of history. And as I said, his description, his interest is I'll quote quite a lot from what he talked about his audience with Soonjong. So he says that due to the political developments that by the time of my visit in the far east turned the old kingdom of Korea into a Japanese protectorate. The last emperor appeared a tragic figure, a representative of an epoch that maybe indefinitely was sinking into the world of shadows to therefore belong to the records of memories lost. That is world history. It's quoted by the two Japanese dignitaries and marched into the audience hall, a middle sized oblong room as unassuming as anyone could imagine. The white plastered walls lacked any kind of decoration. The floor was partly covered with cheap rugs and the only furniture in the room was the imperial chairs that form a group at the far end. On one of them or that was left of the throne now gone was the former emperor seated in was little was left of his past glory. Staffan Rosean used to be a professor of Korean studies at Stockholm University was interested in this he thinks that this audience happened in the Sonjong, Changdae Palace. And that is the possible record seems to indicate that it had been westernized slightly around this time. He continued to quote, but in solitude he was certainly not lacking. He had been abandoned by God and the whole world, but maybe not by his own people. The faith that a couple of years later befell the man that sees the throne from him. And the folks talking about the death of it was a manifestation of the Korean people's will and their desire to have the emperor back on the throne of his ancestors. He was very, was very simply dressed he was wearing a long white gown with white sleeves and without any kind of decorations. He wore the usual Korean high black hat without brim or peak. I approached him and bowed in European manner he stood up friendly stretch forward his hand for a shake and offered me to sit down in the chair opposite his. Emperor spoke in Korean to the Korean interpreter translated into Japanese to the Japanese interpreter in turn translated the sentences into English to me. My also of course when the reverse order and when the conversation goes through two interpreters it takes three longer, three times longer than otherwise and therefore we could have no in depth discussions. As your trip in for long, how long did you stay into bed. I've heard about the difficulties you had to overcome, especially cold weather and blizzards. I also know that you visited other parts of Asia, what part did you enjoy most, what route will you take back to your country, what are the best preparations for joining into bed and so on. The conversation continued, not a word about Korea Japan or China. It was written quite long after the audience, but had been kept detailed notes. So presumably this is the kind of discussions that they're having so the kind of impression that is giving as having quite kind of informed knowledge about his travels and just making the point that actually did not talk about anything political talking about Korea Japan or China. And I will come back to his description of the audience was so into towards the end. He describes how before this audience, he was awarded with the Korean order of the public web of the public which I have given since 1901. And once again, the way he describes this shows the kind of condescending tone that the Japanese were using so with faint solemnity and sincere irony. This comes on the declare that this was the last time in world history that I ate diagram order would be bestowed upon a human being and harm on a tailcoat. And as far as I know, this is the actual order that he did receive. And this is one of the few things that have like, that's a more extensive paper trail in the Korean bureaucracy. I've been able to find some documents quite repetitive but but still in the cute and got that relates to this. So the award was first discussed at the cabinet on December the 17th. We don't know when that was decided for the beginning of how this was planned, but it seems to have been once again, the decision taken quite late. The same day, Prime Minister E1 Yong sent a letter to each who was the director of the Department of Medals and Awards. The pure one, explaining how the resident general had mentioned had been visited to Korea and asked the cabinet to award him with this order. So he received it on the 21st. It was announced in Korean newspapers on the 22nd. But it was not officially announced until the 6th of January 2009. So it seems it might have been because he was just there for a short time that they wanted to give it to him quickly before all of the paperwork actually had been finished because that was not finished what I could see until the 5th of January. But it also indicates a little bit of high handedness that the Japanese showed in this and actually in Hedin's own words what he said was that it was bestowed on him by Itohiro Gumi, the Korean Emperor. And the reason stated for him getting this was his extensive knowledge of geography and extensive contributions to the world based on this scholarship. So once again, paying attention to that, his role as some kind of important cultural and scientific figure in that period. We think the end of his visit. So on the evening after his audience with Sun Jong, which was given his lost in Seoul, he was invited to reception at the American General Consulate together with Itohiro Gumi and various high ranking Japanese officials. Not much to say about that, but we do have a photograph from that dinner reception. You can see Hedin here and Itohiro Gumi. So we have Sonne. Okay. The following day, then he left Seoul on the train from Namdaemun station being sent off by a large group of Japanese and Koreans. He says he arrived in Shin Uijun, the border to China in the evening. He stayed one night and the next morning crossed the Yalu to take the train from Hong Kong to the Shenyang. And he describes this once again in his pole to pole, which is more about the adventurous part of his travels and it says the river just began to freeze over and the ice was still so thin that it could be seen bending in great waves under the weight of our sledge. And finally, he pushed long at great speed with a long iron shot pole where we reached the other side safely and then he went to Port Arthur and stayed and then in the end he took the Trans-Siberian railway to Moscow. And so in the end, I'll conclude my kind of discussions of this. So we've seen where it all started. So he was invited to Japan to help improve the image of Japan and then invited to Korea. It seems to spread as well a more positive image of what the Japanese were doing in Korea. So did this pay off for the Japanese? When he arrived in Moscow, then he started to give the first longer interviews with Korean, with European newspapers. And it does say that the treatment they had received by the Japanese impressed him. He did acknowledge Japan's control of Korea. But at this stage, beyond that, he did not convey much of the Japanese propaganda. It seems that from his Eurocentric perspective, it was rather than the Russo-Japanese war that was in his mind in terms of Japan's significance. So this is from an interview with the London Evening Standard. There he says, I have received kindness everywhere in India and in Russia, but never in my life I never experienced anything like the reception I got in Japan. I was received by the Mikado, but perhaps the honor which most impressed me itself, impressed itself upon me was a banquet given to me by the Japanese General Staff. And with all the famous men there who went through the war, and the chairs with General Oku, which is believed to have really won the fight. I simply can't describe you the reception. I can't imagine nothing to equal it anywhere. I came through Korea, being entertained at Seoul by Marquis Ito. Yes, Korea is practically a Japanese province now. And all of the comfortable traveling in the world, even with the Japanese section of the natural line, there are marvelous people, a wonderful nation. So yeah, as he comes back, he talks in very positive terms about the Japanese, but also what they were doing in Korea, back in Sweden. He gave occasional references to Japan's ruling in Korea during as many speeches. He was a celebrity in Sweden once he got back and was invited many, many places to give talks. January the 23rd of 1909, for instance, during a speech in Stockholm to school children that were celebrating his return. And he related a story about how when he visited the Japanese school in Seoul, the 12 year old Japanese boy in a model show of patriotism, had addressed him in impeccable English and explained about Japan's peaceful intentions in Korea. And then he just wanted to be in state calm and happy conditions for the Korean people. Because when retelling this story is not really about Japan and Korea because of the patriotic young boy who would like to see as an example for Swedish youth. It's kind of ironic twist of fate. And it was basically in the obituary that he wrote about it. It was death in 1909. That occasion to dean to write the kind of full fledged praise of Japanese policies in Korea that he had asked for. But then of course in the end, this is quite limited sign in the Swedish newspaper. To pack pages, there's a lot of information in it, but of course it did not reach an online audience. He outlined it was live describe the meeting in Seoul, but then they gave a long and auditory account of the policies he had implemented as as resident general. As I said he had this liking of royal people and great men and it's interesting to notice that he has more emphasis on what what was doing. And it does also indicate that there were Japanese people are critical of what it was doing there and in the end he describes it maybe in the framework of obituary but anyways that kind of accomplishments of this person. Okay, so to a certain extent. Yes, it seems that the Japanese got what they want to. In pole to pole was again in this book for for younger people. You said that the science of Japan's peaceful conquest of Korea everywhere apparent Japanese guards policemen soldiers and officials are seen at the stations. The country now contains more than 200,000 Japanese settlers from Japan, however, take up the residence only for time in the foreign country. So a landowner in Japan will sell half of his property there. And with the proceeds by land in Korea three or four times as large as all this estate in the home country and fertility at least as good. And very farms for some years and then returns home with the profits had on the numbers of Japanese fishermen also come yearly to the coast of Korea with their boats and return home to Japan with their catch. And to lose with Japanese of all kinds. The army is Japanese Japanese fortresses are erected along the northern frontier, the government and officials are Japanese and so it will become simply a part of the land of the license. Which of course this was published in 1911. It was already off to the annexation. So yeah, another example of that so did it pay off for Sweden. The Swedish ambassador Valenberg was quite smug about it. He was satisfied. He says that Sweden became famous overnight in Japan. Four years later he both Sweden was third in terms of Japanese imports behind only England and Germany. So what about Korea in all of this. So it seems that his visit was important for Koreans and reformers like Chen Namsan as well. And this kind of notion that science and then knowledge was important in reforming the state. The way in which this kind of advertisements were totally YMCA. It was phrases or something for all people engaged in the destiny of our country to come and listen to this talk, etc. It seems to have been important for them as well and Sonya published on the second text about it in 1909. And this length their piece not only gave a biographical sketch, but also described as exhibitions. And then talked about his visit to Korea. It stressed how the citizens of Seoul that welcomed him and cherished his visit. And then as for the order of the public where it was seen, although it was given on Japanese initiative as we have seen in Sonya and then it says it was meaningful. Because nowadays it was the first time really awarded to someone worthy of it. And then don't live it. It's interesting to see that for some reason in this second article and so on, they say that Svenideen is going to get married when he gets back to Sweden. They wish him all the best in his future married life. Svenideen never got married. And as far as I know, there was no plan for him to get married when I got back either. So it seems to me that he and he might not have been the only one who has that experience was asked a lot about he was married and there was a lot of awkward following up questions when he said that he wasn't married. So presumably he said, well, I'm going to get married when I get back. Okay, the last slides and said, yeah, for the way he describes this man, he talks a lot about has been very impressed by Japan, what it was doing in Korea. It was very impressed by that. But throughout this is writing there's also sympathy shown for Korea. And it seems that for him, it was not really so much about the question of taking sides. In all of this, he was just unfold, observing an historical drama unfolding, and I will end my talk with the way he ends his description of Sun Jong and his audience with Sun Jong. So this audience must have been embarrassing for the former emperor. There is no doubt that it must have been humiliating to be displayed as a faded star with no reflection of his former glory. He must have felt like a tiger in a cage overseen by his conqueror. But of that he showed nothing. It was dignified and sympathetic, acted very politely and seem to be listening to my answers with a sincere interest. In the deepest corners of his mind, he must have thought that I was the last to visit him for a formal audience, and the old ways were lost. And his power and glory have been extinguished by his powerful neighbors. There was a trace of sadness in his calm and settled face. I shall never forget the look of sorrow and solitude he gave me when he slowly and with dignity stood up to beat me very well. The humiliating years awaited him. When death finally knocked on his door, he must have greeted him like a liberator. A potented power more powerful than the Japanese emperor, a savior in triumph would escort him to his ancestors on the other side. So I'll finish my talk with that slide and see that there so far. Flight show, please. Yes, I did that. Okay. Yuna Kim, you have a question asking. So if I could tell you more about the ways in which we just simply might have come to regard Korea's part of Japan at that time. As far as I know, Sundan still acted as the king. Although it's a fort, it was fragile and much shaped by the pro-Japanese officials. So the Swedish ambassadors views on this, I would say, would predominantly be based on ignorance and also what kind of information he was given by the Japanese. So it does not really talk more about that in detail. Yeah, so we can see that what the way Senedin also describes the kind of information that he gave was given by the Japanese that they never mentioned Sun Jong to him at all. Before he came there. And as he constantly refers to it to us as Korea's ruler, etc. So I think that is the background behind that. I mean, I mean, at least he admitted to his ignorance in all of this. I'll see if there are any questions in the chat. So when this exchange happened. So that should have been, it's not stated. Marlenberg does not say when this happened, but it was then in autumn of 1908. So that should have happened. And that was a question from Roger Macy. And then the story is told in an informal way in a letter written much later than the informal letter to his grandchild. Yeah, that's a question from Chanhee Lee. So if this has not been highlighted by scholars in Korea. Yeah, it's, there are some scholars that have touched upon this briefly. I mean, most of them would have come to his visit through what's written in Sonyan. When I prepared my first talk and also when I prepared the article, I've been in contact with Korean scholars and many of them say, oh yeah, this is something that I wanted to look into, but I haven't done that. I mean, I think you can see from my talk that there is not that much information available. And that's why this talk, I guess, ends up being a little bit journalistic, just trying to extract everything that could be found about it. Yeah. Did it not receive many gifts? No, what I know that the central piece is the order that he did receive. And that is in Stockholm now. There was a question from from Charlie Warwick. This is not something that I myself have looked into. He doesn't talk about it. Ethnographic Museum in Stockholm to have a huge collection. But it was that that would be predominantly from his explanation. There might be things in there, but he's not written about it. And I mainly looked at his, his written sources. Any other questions? In terms of the Japanese having some kind of success in this back in Sweden, Sven Hedin persuaded at that time famous Swedish political scientists. It was also quite far to the right of Chilean to make a longer visit to Japan. Chilean after his visit and wrote about that as well. Very positive book that he wrote about Japan. Any other questions? Okay, a question from David Hall. If you know anything about the food drink he had while he was in Korea. Did he try Korean cuisine mostly to Western food? He does not mention food at all. I mean, he stayed at the Sontag Hotel and he was invited to various foreign legations. So I don't think that he would have experienced much Korean food. He does say that after the YMCA talk, there was this reception and there was a buffet. But he says it was so crowded and you really needed sharp elbows to get near the food. And it doesn't mention anything about the actual food. And so unfortunately, no, he did not say anything about the food. Another question from Dr. Hoedlick. Is it true that he was one of the most famous explorer at the time? When I talk about him in the classes, I jokingly say that he was world famous in Sweden. But I actually do think that at that time he was famous around the world. It is reflected in terms of all the publications that were translated. They're not very flattering to him, but it said that Otto Hitler was a great fan of his etc. So I do believe that yes. And as far as I know also many in terms of the kind of scientific findings. It did make some quite important contributions to it. So I do believe that to be the case. Yes. Another anonymous question to what extent did his accounts or general service propaganda tools to justify the Japanese colonization. It is difficult to talk about it as tools. The visit was happening in 1908. Yes, it's true that what he wrote afterwards. It did give a very positive evaluation of what the Japanese were doing. And I found a telegram back from the Japanese embassy in Stockholm after he had published that long obituary about Ipohirubumi in 1909 as well. As far as Japanese, they kept an eye on what he was publishing and what he did say. So as far as I understand it, the purpose of his visit to Japan and to Korea would be to improve the image of Japan. It could be an extension of propaganda for later on than the annexation. And Daniel Byrne Webster, so how is he viewed in Sweden now? Are people proud of his legacy or has a reputation not aged well? Yeah, no, it's controversial. And I think people know of him more because of his involvement in politics. They mean the era of having explorers as idols to look up to etc. Because that is on by now. What people do look into is the more kind of problem. It depends on your political outlook. I mean, he had always been very conservative. He, from the beginning, was very much engaged in political and geopolitical discussions. In the beginning that would have been more in terms of Scandinavia and Scandinavia's relation to Russia, etc. But from the 1930s onwards in Europe in general. So I would not say that people would be proud of his legacy. It is more considered to be a problematic person. Okay, if there aren't any more questions. Maybe we can stop today. So thank you so much for listening. It is frustrating not to be able to see you just to talk to a screen at the moment I'm talking to myself on the screen. I do hope that you come back next week. Next Friday. I'm going to give this talk. So hope to see you all next Friday. Thank you very much. Thank you.