Despatches from U.S. Consuls in Seoul, Korea, 1886-1906

This collection comprises two volumes that consist of despatches with enclosures addressed to the State Department by American consular officials at Seoul, Korea, between July 3, 1886, and July 5, 1906. The initial portion of the collection consists of State Department registers of the despatches.

The despatches cover a wide range of economic, political, and social subjects. Some are covering letters for enclosures of a routine nature forwarded by the consular officials to the State Department. Many of these enclosures were removed from their covering letters and distributed among other records of the State Department or, if the enclosures related to fiscal affairs of the consulate, among records of the Department of the Treasury.

During the period covered by the despatches, Seoul was a combined diplomatic and consular post. The ranking U.S. official held the title of minister resident and consul general.