Dong-A Ilbo’s defiant edit of Sohn photo honored

South Korea’s Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced Wednesday that The Dong-A Ilbo’s 1936 removal of Japan’s rising sun flag from a photo of Olympic marathon winner Sohn Kee-chung has been designated as August’s “Independence Movement of the Month.”

Following the March 1 Movement in 1919, Japan permitted limited Korean-language publications under its so-called cultural rule, aimed at justifying its colonial occupation. The Japanese Government-General of Korea routinely edited or deleted articles critical of its administration. Censorship grew more severe as Japan’s war with China escalated in the 1930s.

In its Aug. 13, 1936, issue, The Dong-A Ilbo published a photo of Sohn at his medal ceremony, with the Japanese flag barely visible. By Aug. 25, the flag had been entirely removed. Editors first painted over the original image, but when traces remained, they used a potassium cyanide solution to erase it from the printing plate.

In response, the Japanese Government-General banned the sale and distribution of the newspaper and later suspended it indefinitely. Several journalists were arrested. By the end of the year, key figures, including President Song Jin-woo, Vice President Jang Deok-su, Editor-in-Chief Kim Jun-yeon, and Newsroom Director Seol Ui-sik, had left the paper. Founder Kim Seong-su was forced to give up his shares. Two affiliated magazines, Shin Dong-a and Shin Gajeong, were also shut down.

Reporter Lee Gil-yong, who led the effort and was later imprisoned, was posthumously awarded the Order of Merit for National Foundation in 1990. The ministry described the act as “a powerful expression of resistance against colonial rule and a landmark moment in the history of Korean journalism under Japanese oppression.”


Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com