Australian Female Volunteerism in Modern Korea (1889–1941): An Enlightenment Campaign

The Australian government played a diplomatic role on the Korean peninsula as a member of the UNTCOK (United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea) and UNCURK (United Nations Commission for the Unification and Rehabilitation of Korea) from 1943 to 1950. The political relationship continued even through the Korean War (1950–1953). Was it the first story of Australian diplomacy in Korea? If not, when did the relationship start? While Australia was able to perform no diplomatic activity in the pre-commonwealth period, Australian civilians brought a cultural transformation to the Confucian and Buddhist society of Korea from 1889 through non-governmental organizations (NGOs). They were a minority of the foreign groups in the Hermit Kingdom, but their impact was quite significant during the Korea Empire (1897–1910) and colonial Korea (1910–1945) periods. The Australians particularly influenced the social development of Gyeongnam Province (1889–1941). This paper argues that the spirit of volunteerism motivated many Australian single women to be involved in the cultural renaissance of Korea through modern education and public health.