Koreans & Lying
“The Coresians are very much addicted to stealing, and so apt to cheat and lye…”
– Hendrick Hamel’s narrative of travels in Corea
Hendrick Hamel (1630 – 1692) was the first Westerner to write and experience first-hand the Joseon Dynasty era in Korea (1666). He later wrote “Hamel’s Journal and a Description of the Kingdom of Korea, 1653-1666,” which was published after his return to the Netherlands.
“…the corrupt though picturesque imbecility of Korea.”