General Background

The first recorded observations of Korea by a European are those attributed to Jan Huyghen van Linschoten, a Dutch navigator who sailed with the Portuguese and who wrote in 1595:  “… The Portuguese call these islands’Ilhas de Core, meaning the islands of Korea. The largest is called ‘Chausien’”. Another Dutch navigator Hendrik Hamel wrote a journal of his being shipwrecked in 1653 and of his stay in Korea until he was rescued in 1666.  Koreans had been forbidden, for centuries, under pain of death, to travel abroad until the 1870s.

Perhaps a little known fact is that the Symphonia Fanatasie- Korea composed by Korean conductor Ahn Eak tai (born 5 December Pyongyang, 1906 died Majorca, Spain 16 September, 1965) had its world premiere on Sunday 20 February, 1938 at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin from which the tune of the Republic of Korea national anthem Aeguka is taken. Ahn Eak tai also composed the Aeguka. The Irish Times of Monday 21 February, 1938 described the world premiere of Ahn’s Symphonia in a piece entitled “Symphony Concert At Gaiety Brilliant Conducting” as follows:

"Orchestrally, the piece of the night was the conductor’s own composition 'Symphonia Fantasie-Korea'. Written in four movements, with a short break between the second and third, it is a very interesting instance of the meeting, or, rather the coalescence musically of East and West. It opens with great crashing chords, in which the brass stood out with a marked Oriental cadence. In the second movement there is a lovely Rondo based on a Korean tune followed by a very quaint old dance tune, in which is brought out the peculiar rhythm of the native music- the solo melody played by the clarinet being in six-eight against the percussions in two-four."  

 The Ahn Eak tai piece was part of the ‘…last night for the Irish Radio Symphony Orchestral concert.’

Early Irish Presence

The first reliable recorded account of an Irish presence in Korea dates from 1893 when John Mc Leavy Brown was appointed by King (later Emperor) Kojong as Financial Adviser and Chief Commissioner of Customs. Brown was born in Magheragall, Lisburn, Co. Antrim on 27 November, 1835. He was educated at Queen’s College, Belfast and Trinity College Dublin. Brown joined the British Customs Service in 1873 and from 1874 spent nineteen years in what is today’s China, serving in Shanghai, Guangdong and Taiwan. He remained head of Customs in Korea until 1905.

The next recorded Irish presences were Sir John Newell Jordan and Mother Mary Clare. Jordan served as British Consul-General in Seoul from 1896, becoming Chargé d’Affaires at the British Embassy in 1898 and Minister-Resident from 1901 until November, 1905. Jordan was born on 5 September, 1852 in Balloo, County Down. He was educated at Queen’s College Belfast and later at then Queen’s College, Cork. Anglican nun Mother Mary Clare (Clare Emma Witty) was born on 30 May, 1883 in Enniskerry, County Wicklow. She arrived in Korea in 1923 and died near Chungkanjin in North Korea on 6 November, 1950.

On 29 October, 1933 the first Irish Columban Fathers or the Society of Saint Columban, a Catholic society of missionary priests arrived, in Busan, by ferry, from Shimonoseki, Japan.

When the Korean War started on 25 June, 1950 there were 28, mainly Irish-born, Columban Fathers working in Korea. From 27 June until 6 December, 1950 Monsignor Patrick Brennan, Fathers Anthony Collier, Francis Canavan, Thomas Cusack, James Maginn, Jack O’Brien and Patrick O’Reilly were to perish. Father Canavan died in captivity in Hangjang-ni, North Korea on 6 December, 1950. Sister Mary Clare died on 6 November, 1950. Both Canavan and Witty had been on what was called the nine day long Death March which began on 31 October, 1950. Monsignor Quinlan survived and returned to South Korea, via Ireland, where he died in 1970.

During the Korean War some 130 members of the Royal Ulster Rifles fell. President Mc Aleese, in receiving an honorary degree at EWHA University, Seoul on 24 March, 2005 said:

“One of the regiments of the British Army which took part in the Korean War was the Royal Ulster Rifles. Its members came from both the Catholic and Protestant communities in Northern Ireland, the place of my birth. It saw action in two battles of that war in January and April, 1951 and it gave in sacrifice over 130 lives. Today I pay homage to my compatriots who made the supreme sacrifice in that war and to those, their colleagues and families who shared in that sacrifice through their loss and loneliness”.

Another 29 Irish who fell, serving with the US forces, also under United Nations authorisation, during the Korean War and their sacrifice was also acknowledged by then Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern. T.D. on 26 July, 2006 when he approved a $10,000 grant to erect in Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York an Irish Korean War Memorial. By a special Act of the United States Congress on 30 October, 2003 these 29 soldiers were awarded US citizenship, posthumously. On 12 July, 2005 then US Ambassador to Ireland, James C. Kenny, spoke at a Korean War Memorial dedication ceremony in their honour at Lixnaw, County Kerry.

On 21 November, 1958, five members of the Irish branch of the St. John of God Brothers arrived in Gwangju to undertake medical missionary work where they converted a factory building into a clinic. Their work would extend to include people suffering from leprosy or Hansen’s Disease, an orphanage and care of psychiatric patients.    

Recent Years

The Irish community has grown from the lone County Antrim man in 1893 to 438 Irish registered by the Korea Immigration Service as of 31 December, 2008, some 301 of which are categorised as ‘foreign language instructors’. 

As the Irish community has grown in numbers local Irish commercial, sporting and social events take place such as through the Gaelic Athletic Association affiliated Seoul Gaels www.seoulgaels.com which promotes Gaelic football and hurling.

It has organised tournaments in Korea including taking part in the annual Asian Games. There is also a Seoul based Asia Ireland Chamber of Commerce www.sgerard.net which meets regularly throughout the year. The Irish Association of Korea www.iak.co.kr organises cultural events including a cultural and community event in Seoul to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day.

Diplomatic Relations

Ireland established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea on 6 Sept, 1983. Beginning November, 1984, the Embassy in Tokyo dealt with Ireland’s representation to the Republic of Korea. In 1987 the Industrial Development Authority opened an office in Seoul. On 7 April, 1989 the Government decided to open an Embassy in Seoul. The Embassy was opened in September of that year, the first resident Ambassador being Mr. Richard Ryan. In 2004 Enterprise Ireland appointed a representative in Seoul to assist Irish exporters in conjunction with the Embassy. The Republic of Korea opened an Embassy in Dublin in 1987.

Ireland established formal diplomatic relations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on a non residential basis on 27 January, 2004. Ireland’s Ambassador in Seoul is also accredited to the DPRK.

Irish Ambassadors to Seoul

• Richard Ryan : 1989-1993
• Brendan Moran : 1993-1998
• Paul Murray : 1999-2004
• Conor Murphy : 2004-2009
• Eamonn Mc Kee : 2009-