George Clayton Foulk
| George Clayton Foulk | |
|---|---|
|
In office 1885–1886 |
|
| Preceded by | Lucius H. Foote, 1883-1885 |
| Succeeded by | William Harwar Parker, 1886 |
| 2nd United States Ambassador to Korea | |
|
In office 1886–1887 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 30, 1856 Marietta, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | 1893 Kyoto, Japan |
| Cause of death | congestive heart failure |
| Resting place | Nyakuoji Cemetery, Kyoto, Japan |
| Spouse(s) | Masura Kane |
| Relations | Clayton Foulk (father) and Caroline Foulk (mother) |
| Alma mater | United States Naval Academy |
| Profession | U.S. Navy officer, U.S. Ambassador, teacher |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Years of service | 1876–1886 |
| Rank | Ensign |
| Unit | U.S. Naval Attache |
George Clayton Foulk (October 30, 1856 – 1893) was United States Navy officer and U.S. Naval Attache to the Kingdom of Korea in 1876, U.S. Minister to the Kingdom of Korea, from 1885-1886 and again, from 1886-1887.
George Clayton Foulk was born in Marietta, Pennsylvania, son of Clayton and Caroline Foulk.
George Foulk graduated, from the United States Naval Academy. Foulk in 1876 and went to Asia, on the ship Alert. He made a 427-mile journey, through Japan, then returned to the United States, overland via Korea, Siberia, and Europe. Foulk became fluent, in Japanese and Korean; when a Korean mission arrived, in 1883, he was the only person in Washington, who could interpret, between the two countries. He was appointed U.S. Naval Attache to Korea and after arriving there embarked on two long journeys by sedan chair around the country. On the longer journey, 43 days, his visit included Gongju, Gwangju, Haeinsa, Busan, Daegu, and Mungyeong. A coup occurred in Seoul during the latter part of this journey and the Koreans' hospitality turned to hostility from those who took him to be a Japanese spy.
George Foulk served as the Minister to the Kingdom of Korea, from 1885-1886 and again, from 1886-1887. Soon after his relief by William Harwar Parker, Foulk was sent back to Korea after a report reached Washington, D.C. that Parker was a "chronic drunkard" who suffered from alcoholism. The United States government considered the situation so serious that a squadron of naval vessels was diverted to intercept Foulk's passenger liner and return him to Korea as soon as possible.
...
Wikipedia