On Feb. 17, the Cultural Expo Foundation held a signboard unveiling ceremony at Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park, announcing that the original design copyright holder of Gyeongju Tower was the late Yoo Dongryong (Itami Jun). It is an agreement reached 12 years since the deceased and the bereaved took the Gyeongju Expo to court for design plagiarism. A ceremony was prepared to end the dispute over the tower’s design copyright and to inform the public that Yoo is the rightful copyright holder, restoring the honour of the deceased and comforting the hearts of the bereaved. At the event, Lee Cheolwoo (governor, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province), Joo Nakyoung (Mayor, Gyeongju city), Yoo Ehwa (principal, ITM Yoo Ehwa architects), the eldest daughter of Itami Jun, and Jung Dawoon (CEO, Giraffe Picture) who produced the movie The Sea of Itami Jun. Lee Cheolwoo said, ‘Cultural Expo really regrets and feels embarrassed at this past infringement of intellectual property, despite having to take the lead in protecting the copyright of cultural artists. The reason the tower is treasured as a modern landmark symbolising the city is down to its excellent design embodying the shape of a nine-storey pagoda of the Hwangnyongsa as an “emptiness” on a glass tower’. Moreover, the eldest daughter of the deceased, Yoo Ehwa, said, ‘fighting for a long time of more than ten years has been difficult and not easy, but I am so glad to have a good result through today’s ceremony. I hope that the architecture copyright will be respected so that architects can do their creative work’. Gyeongju World Culture Expo Park will hold events such as a special commemorative art exhibition next year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the death of Itami Jun.
The copyright lawsuit related to Gyeongju Tower began in 2004, and it was pointed out that the appearance of the tower, completed in 2007, resembled that of Itami Jun’s design, who participated in the competition. The ‘Installation of Signboard’ lawsuit, which was background to the installation of the signboard, is the first case in which the courts of the Republic of Korea ruled to make a statement to restore the honour of copyright holders.
Gyeongju Tower / Image courtesy of Gyeongju World Culture Expo Foundation