Sohn Kee-chung
Encyclopedia
Sohn Kee-Chung(August 29, 1914 – November 15, 2002) became the first medal-winning Korean
Olympian
, when he won the gold medal
in the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics as a member of the Japanese delegation
.
He competed under the Japanese name Son Kitei, because Korea
was then a colony of the Japanese Empire. The name is based on the Japanese Kanji
pronunciation of his Korean hanja
name.
, North P'yŏngan Province
, Korea, Sohn Kee-Chung was educated at Yangjeong High School
(양정고등학교) in Seoul, Korea and Meiji University
in Japan, from which he graduated in 1940.
, Japan
, Sohn Kee-Chung set a world best in the marathon with a time of 2h26:42. According to the International Association of Athletics Federations
, this record remained unbroken until Sohn's own trainee, Suh Yun-Bok
, won the 1947 Boston marathon
.
On April 25, 1935, Sohn set a personal best of 2h25:14 that is presumed to have been short.
Sohn, who was competing for the Empire of Japan
, won the gold medal
at the 1936 Summer Olympics
in the marathon. He ran the 42.195 kilometres (26.2 mi) course in 2h29:19.2, breaking the olympic record
. His Korean teammate Nam Sung-yong
took the bronze medal
. Despite both being Koreans, Japan is still officially credited with Sohn's gold and Nam's bronze in the 1936 Summer Olympics medal count
.
, Sohn Kee-Chung had to compete using the name of Son Kitei because this was the Japanese pronunciation
of 孫基禎, his hanja
name. But as a nationalist
, Sohn refused to sign his name in Japanese Kanji, and instead wrote it in Korean
; he even sketched the shape of Korean flag beside some of his signature
s. When interviewed about his country, he would clarify that it was Korea and not Japan.
When the Dong-a Ilbo, published a photograph of Sohn at the medal ceremony it altered the image to remove the Japanese flag
from his running tunic. The act enraged the Japanese colonial government
in Seoul
. The military police imprisoned eight people connected with the newspaper and suspended its publication for nine months.
For winning the marathon, Sohn was to have received an ancient Greek Helmet
(circa BCE 800-700) that had been discovered at Olympia, Greece
by German archaeologist Ernst Curtius
in 1875. But the presentation of the prize was blocked by Sohn's Japanese coaches.
Instead the helmet was placed in a Berlin museum
where it remained for fifty years. After the intervention of a Greek newspaper, the helmet was finally presented to Sohn in 1986. On March 7, 1987, the helmet was categorised as the 904th Korean national treasure
. Replicas of this helmet were awarded to the winners of the 2006 Sohn Kee-Chung half
and full marathon.
Sohn became the Chairman of the Korean Sporting Association. At the 1988 South Korean Olympics
, Sohn was given the honor of carrying the Olympic torch into the stadium
at the opening ceremony.
He authored an autobiography entitled My Motherland and Marathon (나의조국과 마라톤).
He was honoured with the Korean Order of Civil Merit (Hangul:국민훈장).
. He was buried at the Daejeon
National Cemetery. The Sohn Kee-Chung Memorial Park in Seoul
was established in his honor. He was also posthumously made a Grand Cordon (Blue Dragon) of the Order of Sport Merit.
Korean people
The Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Koreans are one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous groups in the world.-Names:...
Olympian
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, when he won the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
in the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics as a member of the Japanese delegation
Japan at the 1936 Summer Olympics
-Medalists:-References:**...
.
He competed under the Japanese name Son Kitei, because Korea
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
was then a colony of the Japanese Empire. The name is based on the Japanese Kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
pronunciation of his Korean hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
name.
Early life
Sohn was born in SinŭijuSinuiju
Sinŭiju is a city in North Korea, neighboring with Dandong City, China via international border and is the capital of North P'yŏngan Province...
, North P'yŏngan Province
Provinces of Korea
This article describes the historical development of Korea's provinces . For detailed information on current administrative divisions, please see Administrative divisions of North Korea and Administrative divisions of South Korea....
, Korea, Sohn Kee-Chung was educated at Yangjeong High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
(양정고등학교) in Seoul, Korea and Meiji University
Meiji University
is a private university in Tokyo and Kawasaki, founded in 1881 by three lawyers of the Meiji era, Kishimoto Tatsuo, Miyagi Kōzō, and Yashiro Misao. It is one of the largest and most prestigious Japanese universities in Tokyo, Japan....
in Japan, from which he graduated in 1940.
Athletics career
Between 1933 and 1936, he ran 13 marathons and won 10 of them. On November 3, 1935 in TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Sohn Kee-Chung set a world best in the marathon with a time of 2h26:42. According to the International Association of Athletics Federations
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
, this record remained unbroken until Sohn's own trainee, Suh Yun-Bok
Suh Yun-bok
Suh Yun-bok is a former South Korean athlete, who is best known as the winner of the 1947 Boston Marathon. He won the race with a world best time of 2:25:39 under the coach Sohn Kee-chung, the Korean winner of the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics...
, won the 1947 Boston marathon
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
.
On April 25, 1935, Sohn set a personal best of 2h25:14 that is presumed to have been short.
1936 Berlin Olympics
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
, won the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
at the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
in the marathon. He ran the 42.195 kilometres (26.2 mi) course in 2h29:19.2, breaking the olympic record
Marathon world best progression
This list is a chronological progression of record times for the marathon. World records in the marathon are now ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations, the international governing body for the sport of athletics. Awaiting ratification, the IAAF world record for men is...
. His Korean teammate Nam Sung-yong
Nam Sung-yong
Nam Sung-Yong was the bronze winner of the Marathon of the 1936 Summer Olympics, completing the run in 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 42 seconds. He is also the first Korean bronze Olympian....
took the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
. Despite both being Koreans, Japan is still officially credited with Sohn's gold and Nam's bronze in the 1936 Summer Olympics medal count
1936 Summer Olympics medal count
This is the full table of the medal table of the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, Germany. These rankings sort by the number of gold medals earned by a country. The number of silvers is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze. If, after the above, countries are still tied,...
.
Political significance
Under orders from TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Sohn Kee-Chung had to compete using the name of Son Kitei because this was the Japanese pronunciation
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
of 孫基禎, his hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
name. But as a nationalist
Korean independence movement
The Korean independence movement grew out of the Japanese colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. After the Japanese surrendered, Korea became independent; that day is now an annual holiday called Gwangbokjeol in South Korea, and Chogukhaebangŭi nal in North Korea.-Background:In...
, Sohn refused to sign his name in Japanese Kanji, and instead wrote it in Korean
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
; he even sketched the shape of Korean flag beside some of his signature
Signature
A signature is a handwritten depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a signature is a signatory. Similar to a handwritten signature, a signature work describes the work as readily identifying...
s. When interviewed about his country, he would clarify that it was Korea and not Japan.
When the Dong-a Ilbo, published a photograph of Sohn at the medal ceremony it altered the image to remove the Japanese flag
Flag of Japan
The national flag of Japan is a white rectangular flag with a large red disk in the center. This flag is officially called in Japanese, but is more commonly known as ....
from his running tunic. The act enraged the Japanese colonial government
Governor-General of Korea
The post of Japanese Governor-General of Korea served as the chief administrator of the Japanese government in Korea while it was held as the Japanese colony of Chōsen from 1910 to 1945...
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. The military police imprisoned eight people connected with the newspaper and suspended its publication for nine months.
Hellenic prize
Corinthian helmet
The Corinthian helmet originated in ancient Greece and took its name from the city-state of Corinth. It was a helmet made of bronze which in its later styles covered the entire head and neck, with slits for the eyes and mouth. A large curved projection protected the nape of the neck...
(circa BCE 800-700) that had been discovered at Olympia, Greece
Olympia, Greece
Olympia , a sanctuary of ancient Greece in Elis, is known for having been the site of the Olympic Games in classical times, comparable in importance to the Pythian Games held in Delphi. Both games were held every Olympiad , the Olympic Games dating back possibly further than 776 BC...
by German archaeologist Ernst Curtius
Ernst Curtius
You may be looking for Ernst Robert Curtius .Ernst Curtius was a German archaeologist and historian.-Biography:...
in 1875. But the presentation of the prize was blocked by Sohn's Japanese coaches.
Instead the helmet was placed in a Berlin museum
Berlin State Museums
The Berlin State Museums, in German Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, are a group of museums in Berlin, Germany overseen by the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation and funded by the German federal government in collaboration with Germany's federal states...
where it remained for fifty years. After the intervention of a Greek newspaper, the helmet was finally presented to Sohn in 1986. On March 7, 1987, the helmet was categorised as the 904th Korean national treasure
National treasures of South Korea
The National Treasures of Korea are a numbered set of tangible treasures, artifacts, sites, and buildings which are recognized by South Korea as having exceptional artistic, cultural and historical value...
. Replicas of this helmet were awarded to the winners of the 2006 Sohn Kee-Chung half
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
and full marathon.
Later life
Sohn spent the remainder of his career in South Korea coaching other notable runners such as:- Suh Yun-BokSuh Yun-bokSuh Yun-bok is a former South Korean athlete, who is best known as the winner of the 1947 Boston Marathon. He won the race with a world best time of 2:25:39 under the coach Sohn Kee-chung, the Korean winner of the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics...
, the winner of the Boston MarathonBoston MarathonThe Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
in 1947 - Ham Kee-YongHam Kee-YongHam Kee-Yong is a former South Korean athlete, best known as the winner of the 1950 Boston marathon.On April 19, 1950, he won the Boston marathon in a record time of 2:32:39, under coach Sohn Kee-chung, the marathon winner at the 1936 Berlin Olympics...
, winner of the Boston MarathonBoston MarathonThe Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest...
in 1950 - Hwang Young-ChoHwang Young-ChoHwang Young-cho is a former South Korean athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 1992 Summer Olympics and 1994 Asian Games.-Career:...
, who was the gold medalist of the 1992 Summer Olympics1992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
marathon, and whom Sohn Kee-Chung especially went to Barcelona to see
Sohn became the Chairman of the Korean Sporting Association. At the 1988 South Korean Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
, Sohn was given the honor of carrying the Olympic torch into the stadium
Olympic Stadium (Seoul)
The Seoul Olympic Stadium, aka Jamsil Olympic Stadium is located in Seoul, South Korea. It was the main stadium was built for the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 10th Asian Games in 1986...
at the opening ceremony.
He authored an autobiography entitled My Motherland and Marathon (나의조국과 마라톤).
He was honoured with the Korean Order of Civil Merit (Hangul:국민훈장).
Death and legacy
Sohn Kee-Chung died at midnight on November 15, 2002 from pneumoniaPneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
. He was buried at the Daejeon
Daejeon
Daejeon is South Korea's fifth largest metropolis and the provincial capital of Chungnam. Located in the center of the country, Daejeon had a population of over 1.5 million in 2010. It is at the crossroads of Gyeongbu railway, Honam railway, Gyeongbu Expressway, and Honam Expressway. Within the...
National Cemetery. The Sohn Kee-Chung Memorial Park in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
was established in his honor. He was also posthumously made a Grand Cordon (Blue Dragon) of the Order of Sport Merit.