2024-04-27 14:13:23
Byun Young-wook’s 100-year photo no. 58
We live in an era where anyone can take great pictures of their family and scenery with a smartphone camera. In today’s world where photos abound, we take a look at black and white photos that were published in newspapers 100 years ago. It is also a journey to find the original form of our images through readers’ comments.
● Anti-Israel protests in the U.S. vs. the Joseon Youth Rally that was disbanded by Japanese colonial rule 100 years ago
These days, protests by college students continue every day in the United States, and police are often seen suppressing the protests. For example, looking at a photo published in an economic newspaper on April 26, the photo caption reads, “On the 24th (local time), police are dispersing a pro-Palestinian protest using cavalry at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas, USA. During this process, about 20 University of Texas students were arrested. “The pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, which started at Columbia University in New York on the 18th, are spreading throughout the United States,” it reads.
I am introducing a photo of young people being forcibly dispersed by those in power in a Korean newspaper 100 years ago. The photo chosen by Baeknyeon Photo this week is a photo that appeared on page 2 of the Dong-A Ilbo dated April 26, 1924.
The article contents are as follows.
| [결의 전 해산]-Ten Life Officer Sudhyeon (突顯) |
| At the end of the proposal and explanation read by Choi Chang-ik, as mentioned in the separate paragraph, the atmosphere in the hall became extremely tense and did not seem to stop, and just as the turn was about to be made and a decision was made, suddenly a man in regular uniform came from the back door of the press box. The police officer rushed to his death, and Inspector Song Mi ordered them to disperse and confiscated the proposal. The scene turned into a chaos, and suddenly it seemed like an unbearable noise would come out, but the crowd was full of people on the lower and upper floors. Hundreds of delegates from each group parted ways in excitement. |
According to an article in a newspaper published a few days before this one (April 22), the number of organizations participating in the youth rally at that time was as many as 223. It is said that all groups of left and right ideologies participated and discussed the future of the country and future action plans. Since it was a large-scale event, you can see in the article that there was a separate press box at the event venue. The story goes that the moment Choi Chang-ik, one of the organizers of the youth rally, was about to announce the resolution, about a dozen police officers in plain clothes and uniforms suddenly entered through the door behind where the reporters were and confiscated the handouts, instantly turning the venue into chaos. . And then the organizers and hundreds of spectators had no choice but to disperse. Photojournalists usually try to take photos from that angle because photos like this need to include the police as well as the attendees of the event to better explain the incident. However, the existence of public power is not confirmed in this photo. No moments were captured where police physically dispersed participants. There must have been a reason, but it’s a shame that the realism was lacking.
● Taking photos of protests
Among the photos published in newspapers, it is difficult to take photos of protests or the dispersal of demonstrators. There is a high possibility that there will be no order at the scene, so it is not easy for photographers to move their bodies. Since protests are usually actions that the public authorities do not want, the police may not be very friendly to reporters. Of course, reporters may be harassed by people participating in protests due to crowd psychology. However, situations of conflict are situations that photojournalists always take care of. This is because the value as a record is often high.
There are many records of protests in Korean history. In particular, photos of protests before and after 1987 were a regular feature in newspapers. I didn’t report on it before I joined the company, but if you listen to the stories of photographers at the time, Korea was like a war zone every day. I covered the story while fearing for my life amidst rocks and firebombs thrown by students and tear gas fired by police. There were many days when I went straight to the protest site in the morning and covered the protest until I got home from work. So the essential equipment for photojournalists was a helmet and a gas mask. The last time Korean newspaper photographers used gas masks was probably around late 1996 or early 1997. It is remembered that it was last used during the Yonsei University incident in which Hanchongryun occupied the campus of Yonsei University’s Sinchon campus and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions protest against the revision of the Labor Relations Act. Afterwards, I went to the scene of the labor dispute wearing a helmet, but the tear gas did not explode anymore. As of 2024, there are no helmets or gas masks in the cabinets of newspaper photo departments.
● What can be seen in photos of American college students protesting?
The police officers seen in photos of American college student protests are wearing thick cushions and helmets, and they look very familiar to me. The sight of American students covering their faces with masks from time to time is also similar to the times when protests were at their peak in our country. However, in the United States, it is unusual for public authorities to suppress and disperse young people who express political opinions, and the sight of police officers on horseback also catches the eye.
I saw something unusual in the photos taken of the clash between protesters at the University of Texas and mounted police. This is a picture of students holding smartphones and taking pictures of public power. Those scenes are probably being posted on social media where the entire U.S. and the world can see them in real time, right? Just because someone can watch, I think the current protests by American college students will be less lonely than past protests in other countries.
# Today, we looked at a scene 100 years ago where the youth of Joseon gathered to discuss the future of the nation and were forcibly dispersed by the police. What do you see in the photo? I want to feel your gaze in the comments.
Reporter Byun Young-wook cut@donga.com
Photo studio next to Cheonggyecheon
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2024-04-27 14:13:23