Controversy Over Admiral Yi Sun-sin Portrait on 100 Won Coin... Bereaved Family Demands Copyright Fees for 40 Years of Use

Payment of 1.5 million won for using 1975 portrait
Family of artist Jang Woosung files copyright lawsuit
Over 2.25 trillion 100-won coins in circulation

The portrait of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, which has appeared on the front of the 100-won coin since 1983, has become embroiled in a legal dispute.

Jang Woo-sung, the master painter who created the portrait of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, is a grand master of Korean painting who received the Geumgwan Cultural Medal during the Kim Dae-jung administration in 2001. His portrait of Chungmugong (painted in 1952) was designated as the first standard portrait in Korea in 1973 during the Park Chung-hee administration. The portrait newly created by Woljeon at the request of the Bank of Korea the following year has been used on the front side of the 100 won coin since 1983.
Photo by Asia Economy

On the 9th, the family of the late artist Jang Woo-seong, who painted the portrait of Admiral Yi Sun-sin on the 100-won coin, filed a lawsuit against the Bank of Korea demanding copyright royalties for 40 years.

The Bank of Korea paid 1.5 million won at the time in 1975 for the use of the portrait. The problem is that the contract has disappeared, making it impossible to verify the contract period and conditions.

The family claims that they should receive separate usage fees for the portrait used on the coin for 40 years, but the Bank of Korea maintains the position that it acquired the copyright itself.

Experts expect a fierce legal battle over whether the 1.5 million won at the time was an amount sufficient to transfer the entire copyright. When converted to today's value, 1.5 million won at that time is approximately 17.05 million won as of last year.

Family side: "Depending on the lawsuit outcome, we may also demand the return of the portrait"

A portrait of Yi Sun-sin designed by artist Jang Woo-sung in 1975 for currency design. It is used on the 100 won coin.
[Photo by Bank of Korea]

Jang Woo-seong, the artist who painted the portrait of Yi Sun-sin, was a master of Korean painting who received the Geumgwan Cultural Medal during the Kim Dae-jung administration in 2001. His portrait of Admiral Yi Sun-sin (created in 1952) was designated as the first official portrait in Korea in 1973 during the Park Chung-hee administration, and the portrait newly created by Jang Woo-seong at the request of the Bank of Korea in 1974 has been used on the front of the 100-won coin since 1983.

Over 2.25 trillion 100-won coins have been circulated to date. The family is demanding the return of the portrait and copyright royalties for the past 40 years.

The family also expresses regret over the controversy regarding Jang Woo-seong’s pro-Japanese activities, not just the copyright issue. They state that depending on the lawsuit outcome, they may also demand the return of the portrait.

The controversy over Jang Woo-seong’s pro-Japanese activities was already raised in the 1990s. Jang was a recommended artist for four consecutive times at the Joseon Art Exhibition hosted by the Japanese Governor-General of Korea and also exhibited at the 'Bando Chongo Art Exhibition,' which had a strong pro-Japanese government character.

In 2009, his name was included in the 'Dictionary of Pro-Japanese Collaborators' published by the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities. Since then, continuous requests to revoke the official portrait designation have been submitted, but the government has rejected them citing concerns over social conflict. In 2019, Kim Young-joo of the Democratic Party raised the issue again during a national audit, and the debate continues. The Bank of Korea has stated that if the official portrait designation is revoked, they will change the coin.

The family side counters, saying, "The Joseon Art Exhibition was the only gateway for all art students in Joseon to enter as painters at the time," and "The painting was so wet from rain that it could not even be submitted to the 'Bando Chongo Art Exhibition.'" They also argue that Jang was active as a member of the Joseon Art Construction Headquarters organized immediately after liberation, and that the prominent pro-Japanese issue researcher Lim Jong-guk’s book 'The Art World during the Imperial Subject Era' (1983) does not list Woljeon among pro-Japanese artists.

Previously, Jang Woo-seong’s son and family representative, Jang Hak-gu, stated, "If my father really engaged in pro-Japanese activities, I would apologize a hundred times," and added, "He was close with independence activist Yoo Dal-young, who often stayed at our house; if he were a pro-Japanese collaborator, would that be possible?"

The first trial verdict, which will determine the fate of Admiral Yi Sun-sin on the coin, is expected to be announced in mid-June.

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