First Overseas Doctoral Thesis on Son Ki-jung

The biography of Son Ki-jung, who lifted the pride of the Korean people all around the world by winning the marathon at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, will be published in the U.S. as a doctoral dissertation.

The Son Ki-jung Foundation announced on Wednesday that Yoo Yeon-mi, 49, who is currently a PhD candidate in sport sociology at the Department of Physical Education of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will present a doctoral thesis, entitled, “The Iconography of Kee-Chung Sohn in Korean Cultural Memory.”

Although theses about Son’s marathon victory have been published in Korea, no overseas doctoral thesis has examined the legendary marathoner’s life story.

The doctoral thesis will be presented in the form of theater with the help of video clips, newspaper articles, publications, and songs and poems about the marathoner. The thesis is divided into the following chapters: “Nationalist Who Resolved the Deep Sorrow of the Korean People during Japanese Colonial Rule,” “A Symbol of Hope during the Economic Crisis,” and “A Symbol of Peace for the Unification of the Two Koreas.”

Yoo completed her bachelor’s degree in physical education at Kangwon National University and her master’s degree at Ewha Womans University. She has long been dedicated to shedding new light on the life of Son. She also announced another thesis about Son, entitled, “Oh! A Sad Winner!,” at an international academic conference last year.

kimsk@donga.com