Sinan-gun to Exhibit Restored Onggi Liquor Bottles Symbolizing Exchange with France

The Bottle of Alcohol Received by the French Consul, a Product of the First Exchange Between Korea and France

Shinan-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Park Woo-ryang) announced on the 12th that it plans to restore and exhibit an earthenware liquor bottle said to have been received by the Naju magistrate from the French consul 172 years ago in 1851 (the 2nd year of King Cheoljong of Joseon).

The French whaling ship Le Narval, which departed from the port of Le Havre in northwestern France, was shipwrecked in April 1851 near Bigeumdo Island.

The 29 stranded crew members met Lee Jeong-hyeon (李正鉉), the Naju magistrate and also the Nam-pyeong governor, but communication was impossible. Nine of them reached Shanghai, China, by a small boat and requested rescue from the French consul. At that time, French consul Charles de Montigny led a rescue expedition and set sail for Joseon.

After passing through Jeju Island and arriving at Bigeumdo, Consul Montigny was relieved to see that the crew were well and under the protection of the island residents, contrary to his worries.

Onggi Alcohol Bottle from Bigeumdo, Sinan [Photo by Sinan-gun]

Consul Montigny expressed gratitude to the Joseon government and requested the repatriation of the crew. On May 2, the day before his departure, he met with Lee Jeong-hyeon and had a banquet with Korean liquor (presumed to be Makgeolli) and champagne.

At this time, Montigny received an earthenware liquor bottle containing the liquor. This bottle is a product of the first exchange between Korea and France. It is currently exhibited at the National S?vres Porcelain Museum in Paris, France.

Related to this, Choi Joon-seop, the head of Sinchon Village on Bigeumdo, who saw the article, said, “Every household had an earthenware bottle for storing liquor,” and expressed his intention to donate the earthenware bottles, which have been used as daily necessities in the village since ancient times, to Shinan-gun.

On Bigeumdo, earthenware bottles similar to the one received by Consul Montigny are kept in every household. They were used to store liquor, and when the spout was broken, the broken spout was blocked with pine needles and used to make vinegar.

Governor Park Woo-ryang said, “The liquor bottle received by Consul Montigny is a bottle that the residents of Bigeum have used for a long time,” and added, “We will restore Consul Montigny’s earthenware liquor bottle, recognizing the significance of our traditional island culture used in exchanges with France, and exhibit it at the county office and the Bigeum-myeon office respectively.”

Shinan-gun places significance on the fact that exchanges between Korea and France began with the exchange of Makgeolli and champagne, and plans to create a memorial park on Bigeumdo and renovate idle facilities such as closed schools to establish a champagne museum.

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