[Reporter’s Notebook] Yi Sun-sin Portrait Copyright Dispute: This Is Not the End

The copyright dispute surrounding the portrait of Yi Sun-sin used on the 100-won coin is drawing public attention as the first trial verdict is set to be announced next month after more than three years of intense legal battles. The fact that this is a copyright dispute filed by the family of the late artist Jang Woo-sung, who painted the Yi Sun-sin portrait, against the Bank of Korea is also a point of interest. Depending on the verdict, it could lead not only to a complete redesign of the coin’s front but also to a widespread copyright dispute over portraits used on other banknotes.

This dispute has become a hot issue simply because it raises the possibility of replacing the 100-won coin we use daily. Currently, 9.2 billion 100-won coins are in circulation. However, what was discovered during the investigation is that this dispute is not just about copyright. Copyright is only the surface conflict; separately, a more significant controversy remains unresolved, making this verdict potentially the start of a new dispute.

The Yi Sun-sin portrait painted by artist Jang was designated as the first official standard portrait in Korea in 1973 during the Park Chung-hee administration. A standard portrait is one designated by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to prevent the proliferation of multiple portraits of a single figure. However, since Jang’s name was included in the 2009 publication 'Dictionary of Pro-Japanese Collaborators' by the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities, and controversies arose over his pro-Japanese actions and costume verification errors, voices calling for the removal of Jang’s portrait from the standard portrait list have steadily increased. As a result, the Bank of Korea has stated that if Jang’s painting is removed from the standard portrait designation, it will completely replace the coin.

However, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which holds the key to revoking the standard portrait designation, has been conducting reviews since the second half of 2020 but has only provided responses stating that it is under "comprehensive review" for several years. Although a portrait review committee meeting was held last April, no discussion about the Yi Sun-sin portrait took place, leading to criticism within the industry that there may be no real intention to review the matter.

The problem is that this controversy does not end with the 100-won coin alone. The artists who painted the standard portraits used as reference materials for the 5,000-won bill (Yulgok Yi I), 10,000-won bill (King Sejong), and 50,000-won bill (Shin Saimdang) were all classified as pro-Japanese collaborators by the Presidential Committee on Anti-Japanese and Anti-National Activities in 2009. If the standard portrait designation for Yi Sun-sin is revoked, it could trigger a domino effect leading to replacement issues for other banknotes as well. Delaying decisions due to the sensitive nature of pro-Japanese controversies and the potential for social conflict is not appropriate. The portraits on a nation’s currency represent the country’s aspirations and identity, and their importance cannot be overstated. It is now time for the government to end this prolonged debate and make a decision.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.