Remembering my teacher, Hae-sun Lee

The pioneer of Korean Photography

Jang-Hun Ahn I PAAK 16th president 10th Lee Hae Sun Award Winner - PAAK consultant

My teacher Hae-sun Lee was the one who developed Korean photography into the art work from the simple recording device.

He graduated western fine art major from Tokyo Art School and then came back to Korea. He joined western fine art club on the recommendation of Hee-dong Koh, who was the first western fine art painter in Korea, and this was the moment Hae-sun Lee drummed up his enthusiasm of photography.

It wasn’t easy for him to pioneer the photography in such time, because his classmates disregarded him as no one acknowledged photography as an art. Also, photography was not accepted in the gallery or show, Hae-sun Lee did not even want to create photographs as a product, so his financial difficulty was unavoidable. In 1945, he founded Joseon Photographic Art Research Association, Photographic Artist Association of Korea at present.

It was 1967 that I met my teacher for the first time. I participated the study section of PAAK, right after I saw some photographs in the exhibition. It was handled in a private room of old Chinese restaurant, but I was able to feel the full of passion and energy.

I eventually joined PAAK, and he always emphasized the composition and communion with the subject to me.

Hae-sun Lee was very strict, and well-principled. I think his stubborn artistic viewpoint was from his background. He was born in 1905, when Korea was almost losing sovereignty to Japan. His grandfather was a brother of Queen Min's father-in-law, regent Heungseon, in other word, Hae-sun Lee was the second cousin of Sunjong, the last king of the Joseon Dynasty.

He married with a daughter of Minister Young-hwan Min, and their life was under repression as he was from ruined royal family. When rejected the designation of baron from Japan, he could be relatively free than other royal families.

Hae-sun Lee had numbers of palace shots, those were forced to hand over to North Korean soldiers during the Korean War, and my teacher decided to commit many of them to the flames. It is still grieving us for losing such precious heritages.

Photography was probably his special instrument to express his burdens and the misfortune of Korea, his endeavors and persistence not only inspired us but also made us feel sad and bitter. We always suggested to quit smoke, but he did not want to stop his hobby for his longevity, and my teacher Hae-sun Lee passed away at the age 78 of lung cancer.

His photographs including some of palace shots were published in 1980 and are managed by the National Office of Cultural Properties.

We had exhibitions of his photographs in 2005, many of his fellows are in the move to commemorate Hae-sun Lee’s services.

His illustrious achievements will be eternally remembered in our mind.