Hendrick Hamel

Hendrick Hamel (1630 – after 1692) was a Dutch sailor. He provided the first Western account of Korea.

Little is known of Hamel's early life and life after his journey to Korea. He was born in the Netherlands in 1630, and sailed to the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) in 1650.

In 1653, while sailing to Japan, Hamel and his crew were shipwrecked off Jeju Island, then part of the state of Joseon. Because of Joseon's isolationist policies, they were refused permission to leave the country. Hamel ended up spending thirteen years in Joseon, until he escaped to a Dutch trading mission to Dejima island, Japan in 1666. There, he wrote the earliest first-hand account of a Westerner in Korea, "Hamel's Journal and a Description of the Kingdom of Korea, 1653–1666" which was subsequently published in the Netherlands in 1668.

In recent years, Hamel has become a symbol of cultural and economic exchange between the Netherlands and South Korea. A number of monuments exist to him in both countries.

Early life and career

Hendrick Hamel was born in 1630 in Gorinchem, Netherlands. Little is known of his early life. Four days later, Hamel and his crew were taken to Jeju City. After meeting with the travelers, the local prefect Yi Wonjin sent an announcement to King Hyojong of Joseon that described the situation and requested advice on how to deal with the Dutchmen. In October, the local government brought Jan Janse Weltevree, a Dutchman who himself had become shipwrecked on Korea 27 years prior, to converse with Hamel and his crew. With the help of Weltevree, the Dutchmen formed a positive relationship with Yi Wonjin. With the help of Weltevree, they begged the king to release them so they could return home to their wives and children. The king denied their request, citing official policy. The king then asked the Dutchmen to entertain him with song and dance from their home country. He was still a bachelor and unmarried by 1692.

Hamel's legacy has become a means of cultural and economic exchange between the Netherlands and South Korea, and memorials to him exist in both countries. and Hendrick Hamel Public Garden ( were named after the explorer in the Hague. Two similar statues exist of Hamel, one in Gorinchem and another in Gangjin County, South Korea. A Hamel-themed art exhibition was hosted in Gorinchem in 2016, featuring pieces by Yang Soon-yeal.

Memorials in South Korea

thumb|The Hamel Museum in [[Yeosu, South Korea]]

There are several museums and monuments to Hamel in South Korea. A museum exists in Gangjin, an exhibition hall shaped like a ship exists on Jeju Island, and a . A 10-meter-tall "Hamel Lighthouse" also stands in Yeosu, South Korea. On 30 December 1997, a was designated as a natural monument of South Korea.

In 2012, the Dutch Nationaal Archief donated a copy of Hamel's journal to the Yeosu Hamel Museum.

Honors

The Association for Korean Studies in Europe offers a Hendrik Hamel Prize for Korean Studies. Since 2003, the Dutch Business Council of Korea has awarded a Hamel Trade Award to Dutch companies that do business in South Korea. On 7 October 2015, the Dutch airline company KLM dedicated a Hamel-themed Delft Blue house to a South Korean businessman.

In popular culture

The character Hendrik Hamel appears in Jack London's 1915 novel, The Star Rover (released as The Jacket in the United Kingdom); he is a companion of the protagonist during an episode where they are shipwrecked in 17th century Korea.
The character William in the 2007 manhwa ' and its 2009 South Korean television adaptation is based on Hamel. Parts of the show's story and some of its other characters are also based on parts of Hamel's journal.

Notes and references

Notes

References

External links

Hendrick Hamel Museum (Netherlands)
– YouTuber visits sites related to Hamel's journey (in Dutch, English, and Korean)