Page:The passing of Korea.djvu/441

  CHAPTER XXVII HE personality of any supreme ruler of an empire or kingdom is a subject of interested comment. The mere power which he holds in his hands compels attention to his personal characteristics. Much has been written about the Emperor of Korea, mainly by transient visitors to Seoul who have picked up such gossip as was current at the time they passed through. Some of the most libellous of these statements appeared in a recent issue of one of our leading American magazines and written by a distinguished traveller. That writer spent two or three weeks in Korea, and everyone of his statements about the Emperor of Korea is such as may be picked up on the streets of any capital and is worthy only of the columns of our most sensational newspapers. They contain certain half-truths distorted out of all proper proportion and exaggerated to the point of caricature. The writer knew nothing about the Emperor from personal acquaintance. Some months ago there appeared in the " Century Magazine " an article by a former Secretary of the American Legation in Seoul which came far nearer the truth, for that gentleman had a personal acquaintance with the Emperor and knew what he was talking about. A comparison of those two estimates of the man will show how wide is the difference between irresponsible gossip and sober fact.

The Emperor of Korea is now fifty-five years old and is a gentleman of average natural ability, which has been greatly influenced by his environment, not always happily. At the age of twelve years he was nominated to the throne by the Queen Dowager, in view of the fact that the former King died without