author
Horace Newton Allen
1858–1932
A doctor, missionary, and diplomat, he played a remarkable role in Korea at a moment of rapid change. He is especially remembered for helping introduce modern Western medicine there and for later serving as the United States ambassador to Korea.
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About the author
Born in Delaware, Ohio, in 1858, Horace Newton Allen trained as a physician before heading overseas as a Presbyterian medical missionary. He arrived in Korea in 1884, becoming one of the earliest Protestant missionaries to work there.
Allen became widely known after treating Min Young-ik, a relative of the Korean royal family, following the Gapsin Coup. Soon afterward, he helped establish Gwanghyewon, later called Jejungwon, which is generally recognized as Korea's first modern Western-style hospital.
Over time, his work moved from medicine and mission service into diplomacy. He served in several official roles connected to relations between the United States and Korea, including as U.S. ambassador to Korea from 1897 to 1905. He died in 1932, leaving a legacy tied to both the history of medicine in Korea and the complex final years of the Joseon dynasty.