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Korean scholars drop Dutch sailor Hendrik Hamel's name from top award

Published: 23 Jun. 2025, 10:26 Updated: 23 Jun. 2025, 10:28

A statue of Henrik Hamel in Gangjin, South Jeolla [JOONGANG ILBO]

Korean scholars in Europe have agreed to remove the name of Dutch sailor Hendrik Hamel (1630-1692), who made the first Western record of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), from one of the most prominent academic awards in Korean studies, for the negative accounts he made of the people of Joseon.

At the general assembly of the Association for Korean Studies in Europe (AKSE) held in Edinburgh, Britain, on Friday, members voted in favor of renaming the “Hendrik Hamel Prize” to the “AKSE Prize.”

AKSE is a scholarly organization comprised mainly of researchers based in Europe. Since 2017, it has awarded the prize biennially to outstanding papers and publications written in English or other European languages.

Hamel, a Dutch bookkeeper and scribe for the Dutch East India Company, was en route to Japan aboard the merchant ship Sperwer when the vessel was shipwrecked and he landed on Jeju Island in 1653. He was held in Joseon for 13 years before escaping to Japan, after which he wrote a report detailing his life in Korea based on his experiences.

That report was published across Europe and received significant attention. In Korea, it became widely known under the title "Journal of Hamel." In the text, Hamel wrote disparaging remarks such as “The Joseon people tend to steal, lie and deceive,” drawing criticism for perpetuating negative stereotypes.

For over two centuries, Hamel’s report was regarded in Europe as the sole source of information about Joseon, influencing Western perceptions of Korea. At the same time, it was also criticized for distorting Korea’s image by portraying its people as barbaric and unruly. The academic community has long questioned the symbolism of an award named after Hamel, arguing that European scholarship remains entrenched in Orientalist perspectives. Calls to rename the prize have persisted for years.

“European sailors who had read Hamel’s book until the 19th century reportedly sped up when passing near Korea out of fear,” said Lee Eun-jeung, professor of Korean studies at Freie Universität Berlin, in an interview with Yonhap. “Hamel is not someone to be commemorated but someone who should be examined critically."

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]