[News Terms] Copyright Lawsuit and Pro-Japanese Controversy Surrounding the 'Pyojun Yeongjeong'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] The 'Standard Portrait' refers to the official portraits designated by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism as the standard images of historical figures featured on currency or textbooks. In 1973, when criticisms arose that the image of Yulgok Yi I on the old 5,000 won bill had Western facial features, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism introduced the 'Standard Portrait System' to establish standard portraits of historical figures.

At that time, domestic manufacturing technology could not produce the original plates for banknotes, so the production was commissioned to the British manufacturer Thomas De La Rue. Since there was no official portrait, the British manufacturer recreated Yi I's image according to their own standards and sensibilities, resulting in a Westernized depiction.

Standard portrait of Admiral Yi Sun-sin (center).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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In 2009, with the publication of the 'Dictionary of Pro-Japanese Collaborators,' controversy arose over the pro-Japanese activities of the artists who created the standard portraits of historical figures. In 2020, during a national audit, issues were raised, and public opinion strongly favored replacing both the standard portraits and the currency portraits on banknotes.

The artists involved include Jang Woo-sung, who painted Admiral Yi Sun-sin on the 100 won bill; Kim Eun-ho, who painted Yulgok Yi I and Shin Saimdang on the 5,000 won and 50,000 won bills respectively; and Kim Ki-chang, who painted King Sejong on the 10,000 won bill. Both Kim Ki-chang and Kim Eun-ho were listed in the report on pro-Japanese and anti-national acts.

It was revealed that when the Park Chung-hee government introduced the Standard Portrait System and designated the standard portrait of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, the artists' pro-Japanese backgrounds were not taken into consideration. According to documents from the National Archives, during the selection process, there was deliberation between the portraits of Admiral Yi Sun-sin by artists Jang Woo-sung and Kim Eun-ho, with Jang’s work ultimately chosen. Both artists were registered as pro-Japanese painters in the 'Dictionary of Pro-Japanese Collaborators' due to their activities during the Japanese colonial period.

Standard Portraits on Currency. From the top, 50,000 won bill featuring Shin Saimdang, 10,000 won bill featuring King Sejong, 5,000 won bill featuring Yulgok Yi I, 1,000 won bill featuring Toegye Yi Hwang.
[Photo by Asia Economy DB]

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According to data submitted by the Bank of Korea to Kang Seung-soo, a member of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee from the People Power Party, on the 23rd, Jang’s heir, Mr. Jang, filed a lawsuit against the Bank of Korea at the Seoul Central District Court in October 2021 seeking damages. Mr. Jang claimed that the portrait of Admiral Yi Sun-sin by Jang used on the 500 won bill from 1973 to 1993 and on the 100 won coin in use since 1983 infringed on copyright and demanded compensation.

The Bank of Korea responded by stating that when producing the currency portraits in 1975, they paid an appropriate fee (1.5 million won) to obtain transfer or usage rights, and that their use constitutes 'fair use' without infringing copyright.

Assemblyman Kim expressed concern that depending on the outcome of this lawsuit, the copyright issue could extend to the use of Admiral Yi Sun-sin’s standard portrait in textbooks, broadcasts, exhibitions, and other areas. He stated, "With the pro-Japanese controversy surrounding the artist, errors in costume verification, and now the copyright issue becoming a reality, the need to reproduce the standard portrait of Admiral Yi Sun-sin is urgent."