First photo of King Gojong taken by a Korean photographer found

The first photo of King Gojong taken by a Korean modern photographer has been found at the Newark Museum in the U.S. The Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation said Monday it found a portrait of King Gojong wearing “hwangryongpo,” everyday clothes of the king in the Joseon Dynasty, while examining Korean culture assets kept in the museum.

“In the photo, there is a text that says photographer Kim Kyu-jin (1868-1933) took the picture at Gyeongun Palace (currently Deoksu Palace) in 1905,” the museum said. After taking the picture, Kim colored the black and white photo and stressed the yellow color of hwangryongpo.

Irrespective of nationality, the first known photo of Gojong was taken by American astronomer Percival Lowell in 1884, a black and white photograph. The latest discovery appears to be a gift from American railroad magnate Edward Harriman when he visited the Korean Empire family in September 1905. Harriman’s wife later donated the photo to the Newark Museum in 1934.

sukim@donga.com