THE EXTRATERRITORIAL EDIFICE in East Asia was run by government employees – principally members of the consular service under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

From 1842 in China and 1860 in Japan, the British government built up a cadre of linguistically trained consular officers and the Civil Service Commissioners held competitive examinations to recruit Student Interpreters for the China consular service and the Japan consular service. From 1872, these examinations were open to all comers and candidates no longer needed a prior recommendation from the Foreign Secretary. Aston had topped the list of successful candidates in 1864.

No independent consular service was established for service in Korea – posts in Korea were filled from China and Japan and it was not until the early 1900s that a Student Interpreter or junior Assistant was detached to Korea specifically to learn the Korean language.

The usual career progression was for someone to join the consular service as a Student Interpreter either out of university or from school (and, usually, a period of cramming for the examinations). Then, after about four years and achieving a degree of proficiency at the relevant language, promotion to Assistant, then 1st class Assistant and, after anywhere from eight to fourteen years, promotion to vice-consul or consul.

Parkes, who had been accredited as the Minister to Korea but resident in Beijing, visited Seoul to ratify the Treaty on 28 April 1884 and present his credentials to the King as Minister to Korea. The initial consular establishment consisted of Aston and William Richard Carles who were appointed (provisionally) as the first British Consul-General and Vice-Consul respectively to Korea and James Scott as the first Assistant attached to the Consulate-General.

At Parkes's direction, Aston drew up a Memorandum dated 10 May 1884 (Aston Memorandum) regarding the consular establishment in Korea, the exercise of consular jurisdiction and related matters that Parkes approved and sent to the Foreign Secretary for his approval.

The Aston Memorandum envisaged an initial British consular establishment consisting of a Consul-General resident in Seoul and a Vice-Consul based at Chemulpo. The Vice-Consul would try the minor criminal cases (often referred to as ‘police cases’) and summary civil cases. However, all important cases and other cases which presented ‘special features’ would be handled by the Consul-General.