Sohn Kee-chung ( August 29, 1912 - November 15, 2002) became the first medal-winning Korean Olympian, together with his teammate Nam Sung-yong when he won 1936 Berlin Olympics Marathon.
As Korea was invaded by Japan and most of the country under Japanese de facto control at the time, Sohn Kee-chung competed for the Japanese team in the Olympics, and was forced by the Japanese to use the Japanese name Son Kitei. However, Sohn Kee-chung refused to sign his names in Japanese and signed only in his authentic name, and even sketched the shape of Korea beside his signatures. When interviewers asked him about his country, he would clarify that Korea is his mother country. When he received the award, so overcome with emotion that the flag rising was of Japan and not of Korea, he shed tears.
One of Korea's local newspaper, Dong-a Ilbo (東亞日報) (East Asia Daily), purposefully got rid of Japanese flag in the photo of Sohn Kee-chung receiving the award. This act so enraged the Japanese regime that 8 newspaper personnels were imprisoned, and the East Asia Daily were forced to stop operation for 9 months.
Tuesday, August 18
손기정 孫基禎
Sohn Kee-chung ( August 29, 1912 - November 15, 2002) became the first medal-winning Korean Olympian, together with his teammate Nam Sung-yong when he won 1936 Berlin Olympics Marathon.
As Korea was invaded by Japan and most of the country under Japanese de facto control at the time, Sohn Kee-chung competed for the Japanese team in the Olympics, and was forced by the Japanese to use the Japanese name Son Kitei. However, Sohn Kee-chung refused to sign his names in Japanese and signed only in his authentic name, and even sketched the shape of Korea beside his signatures. When interviewers asked him about his country, he would clarify that Korea is his mother country. When he received the award, so overcome with emotion that the flag rising was of Japan and not of Korea, he shed tears.
One of Korea's local newspaper, Dong-a Ilbo (東亞日報) (East Asia Daily), purposefully got rid of Japanese flag in the photo of Sohn Kee-chung receiving the award. This act so enraged the Japanese regime that 8 newspaper personnels were imprisoned, and the East Asia Daily were forced to stop operation for 9 months.
