On Aug. 9, 1936, exactly 88 years ago, Sohn Kee-chung (1912-2002) won a gold medal in the marathon event at the Berlin Olympics. Nam Seung-ryong (1912-2001) of the same age won the bronze medal, ranking third. It was an accomplishment from Korean track and field, but they couldn’t even laugh. Born in 禎 and shipbuilding, the two athletes played for the Japanese national team under the Japanese national flag, not the Korean national flag. The list of past marathon medalists on the English website of the International Olympic Committee describes Sohn as “Kitei Son.” Kitei is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese character “기정.” Since Nam is also listed as “Shoryu Nan,” it is regrettable for future generations today. 스포츠토토
While the faces of athletes on the podium are generally bright, the pictures of Son and Nam Seung-ryong taken during the award ceremony clearly show their dark faces. Korean journalists must have felt sorry for this. The Chosun Joongang Ilbo and the Dong-A Ilbo, Korean newspapers published in Korean at the time, erased the Japanese national flag engraved on the chest of their uniforms. It is an “abandonment of the Japanese flag,” which is considered one of the representative anti-Japanese movements of journalists in Japanese colonial era. The Dong-A Ilbo was able to reprint the event only nine months later, after hardships, with a large number of reporters arrested and indefinite suspension of sentence. The Chosun Joongang Ilbo couldn’t stand the Japanese colonial rule and closed it in 1937.
After Korea’s liberation from Japan’s colonial rule, the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) asked the IOC to change Son’s nationality from Japan to Korea. The IOC reportedly rejected the offer, saying that Son should not damage history when the Olympic Games were held. Ban Hyo-jin’s gold medal in shooting at the recent Paris Olympics was recorded as the 100th gold medal in the history of the Republic of Korea. This was calculated from the gold medal of wrestling Yang Jeong-mo during the 1976 Montreal Olympics. “It is very congratulatory but unfortunate that Son won the gold medal in the 1936 Japanese colonial era. If the gold medal is returned to Korea, this 100th gold will be the 101st gold medal,” said Rep. Park Soo-hyun of the Minjoo Party. It remains to be seen with interest that Park will continue her efforts to change Son’s gold medal to the nationality of the Republic of Korea.
In an interview with the Dong-A Ilbo, which was responsible for the 50th anniversary of winning the Olympic gold medal on Aug. 9, 1986, Sohn recalled the situation at the time when the Japanese flag was raised while the Japanese national anthem was played during the award ceremony, and said, “I felt as if my heart was filled with sadness once again.” “I also felt the urge to rip out the Japanese flag from the lower right side of my chest and shout ‘I am a Korean’ but I could not do that.” I can’t help but feel sorry. When asked about his motto, Sohn, who entered the twilight of his life at the age of 74, said, “Life is a marathon without a turning point,” adding, “I should always do my best to end my life without regret.” These are words that should be kept in mind by all sports workers as well as others.