Afanasy Seredin-Sabatin

Afanasy Ivanovich Seredin-Sabatin (Афанасий Иванович Середин-Сабатин; 1 January 1960 – 1 January 1921) was a Russian steersman-pilot and reporter for an English newspaper, but is best known as the first European (Russian) architect to live and work in Joseon and the Korean Empire. He is also notable for being the only foreigner to witness the assassination of Queen Min by Japanese ronin in 1895.

Seredin-Sabatin resided in Korea from 1883 to 1904, and built a number of European-style palace buildings within the city of Seoul, along with the first Russian legation building. The latter is a notable historical site from the period immediately before the Japanese occupation of Korea because King Gojong and his son found asylum there for a year following Queen Min's death.