Sinmiyangyo: The 1871 Conflict Between the United States and Korea

In 1871, five ships of the United States Asiatic Fleet headed into Korean waters, intent on establishing relations with Korea, a country that had shunned the outside world for centuries. However, as the country had been in conflict with Western countries just five years earlier, it was going to be no easy task but one full of dangers. The Koreans, who were steadfast and unwilling to compromise the safety of their country, saw the people of the “Flowery Flag Country” as interlopers coming to cause trouble like those before them. No matter what it took, they would resist to the last man. No quarter was expected and none would be given. Sinmiyangyo: The 1871 Conflict Between the United States and Korea is a historical account of what took place during the spring of 1871 between the forces of the United States and Korea. It recounts the story from when the Americans first met curious villagers, and then mysterious Korean government officials, leading to the first big cultural misunderstanding between the two countries, which led to a very hostile interaction that reverberates up to the present day. Dr. Thomas Duvernay, who has researched the event for decades, narrates this exciting story, which includes not only the descriptions of the battles fought but also insights into the people, weapons, and strategies that shaped American-Korean relations for generations. There are others who have written about it, but none have seen it as closely as Dr. Duvernay. About the Author Thomas Duvernay has a doctorate in Korean studies and is a professor at Yeungnam University in Gyeongsan, Korea, where he teaches Korean history and English. His main historical focus is on the late Joseon Dynasty of Korea with an emphasis on the 1871 military action between the United States and Korea, which he has been researching since the mid-1990s. He campaigned for years for the return of the Korean general’s flag that was captured by US naval forces in the action and housed at the US Naval Academy Museum until it was returned in 2007. Besides writing about the 1871 action in many journal articles, he is also the author of a book on Korean traditional archery, which he has practiced since 1993. He has lived in Korea with his family since 1989, after first moving to the country in 1984.