What Was Busan Like 100 Years Ago Through the Eyes of a Blue-Eyed Military Doctor from the Korean Empire?

‘Camera-wielding Hungarian Doctor Vest Dejo, 1908’ Special Exhibition
Photos and Travelogues at Busan Modern History Museum from July 3 to October 4

Poster for the special exhibition "Hungarian Doctor with a Camera, Vojt?ch De?o, 1908" held at the Busan Modern History Museum from July 3 to October 4.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Moments captured by a Hungarian military doctor who came to the Korean Empire aboard a warship are resurfacing after 100 years.

From July 3 to October 4, the Busan Modern History Museum will hold the 2020 special exchange exhibition "Hungarian Doctor with a Camera, Boz?ky Dezs?, 1908."

This exhibition is a special event organized by the Hungarian Embassy, the Hungarian Cultural Center, the Seoul Museum of History, and the Busan Modern History Museum to promote cultural exchange between the two countries. It showcases photographs related to the Korean Empire taken by Boz?ky Dezs?, which are held by the Ferenc Hopp Museum of Asiatic Arts in Budapest, Hungary, in the third-floor special exhibition hall.

Boz?ky Dezs? (1871?1957) was a military doctor of Austria-Hungary who entered the Korean Empire aboard the warship Franz Joseph I, visiting Jemulpo (Incheon), Seoul, Geomundo, and Busan in sequence.

He recorded the conditions of the Korean Empire at the time by leaving behind photographs and writings of the cities he visited. This exhibition follows his journey through the photos and travelogues he left behind, shedding light on the Korean Empire through the eyes of a foreigner.

On the first-floor lobby, a photo exhibition titled "Korean Empire (1897?1910) Busan Scenery" is also held. Through photos depicting modern facilities, government offices, schools, and Busan Port during the Korean Empire period, visitors can glimpse the modern city of Busan striving for modernization despite foreign invasions.

Choi Jeong-hye, director of the Busan Modern History Museum, said, "This special exchange exhibition will be a great opportunity to see the landscapes of major cities of the Korean Empire through foreign eyes and to discover the lesser-known appearance of Busan during the Korean Empire period."

The exhibition is open from Tuesday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and admission is free. To prevent COVID-19, online reservations are accepted through the Busan Modern History Museum website for 15 people per hour to view the exhibition.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.