Coffee Murder Incident in Korea

Se Eung Oh's book Dr. Philip Jaisohn's Reform Movement 1896 to 1898, A Critical Appraisal of the Independence Club contained an account of what I call the coffee murder incident in Korea.

On the night of September 11 1898, disgruntled official Kim Hong-yuk apparently plotted with the kitchen supervisors of the Imperial Household to put poison into the coffee of the emperor and the crown prince.

"Although the emperor took only one sip, the crown prince - who liked coffee very much - drank it all, (and) immediately vomited and became unconscious. The emperor was reported to have embraced the unconscious prince and to have shouted for help. Many of the servants rushed into the room, and they competed among themselves for a chance to drink coffee as an expression of their loyalty."

Hmm, apart from the splendid loyalty of the servants, I didn't know that Korea had coffee then. Don't they drink mostly tea or other healthy and nourishing beverages?