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A purported restored photo of Korean independence activist Ahn Jung-geun has been shared multiple times online alongside a claim that his moustache in fact a burn scar, proving he was tortured while in Japanese custody for the 1909 killing of Hirobumi Ito, the first governor of Korea under Japanese rule. However, this claim is misleading; AFP found that the restored photo was produced by an amateur using a website function, and an expert in photo restoration told AFP that Ahn’s other photos show he did have a moustache. South Korea's state-run Ahn Junggeun Memorial Association also denied the claims, saying that it has no historical ground, and that the photo had been manipulated. The image was shared here on Facebook on August 4, 2020. Screenshot of the misleading Facebook post taken on November 5, 2020 The Korean-language text overlay in the image translates to English as: When a black-and-white photo of martyr Ahn Jung-geun was restored to add colour, what appeared to be his moustache was revealed to be a red scar, possibly caused by burns. Many are enraged as this is believed to show evidence of Japan torturing [Ahn], such as burning his moustache. Ahn Jung-geun is one of South Korea’s most-loved independence activists. On October 26, 1909, he shot dead Hirobumi Ito, the first governor of Korea under Japanese rule, in the north-east Chinese city of Harbin, then also under Japanese control. He was convicted, and executed the following year. In Korea, he is lauded as a hero, praised in school textbooks and with a statue in central Seoul, while Tokyo regards him as a criminal and terrorist, as per this AFP report. Identical images were also shared here and here on Facebook, here on Twitter and here on Instagram, alongside similar claims. However, this claim is misleading. Origins of the ‘restored photo’ A reverse image search found that the restored photo was first published here on the South Korean online forum Bobae Dream on May 29, 2014. The Korean-language post reads, in part: I used one of the photo restoration programmes and Photoshop apps. What I thought was definitely a moustache actually looks like scarring, probably caused during his arrest or interrogation. There’s also what looks like a wound on his cheek... Although given that the texture of the clothes look the same, it could also not be that. While the original post did not specify the programme used, closer examination of the photos revealed they carry the logo of MyHeritage , a website that offers a photo enhancement function. Below is a screenshot of the image on Bobae Dream, with the logo circled in red by AFP: According to the website’s Q&A section, its technology can give stunning and highly believable results, but has its limitations. Since the enhancement is a simulation, done by algorithms, its results may be inaccurate and, in rare cases, even distorted. Expert analysis Kim Chung-shik is a South Korea-based photographer with more than 40 years of experience in restoring old images. He collaborated with South Korea’s Gwangju Metropolitan City last year to host an exhibition of some 40 restored black-and-white photos of South Korea’s independence movement. During a phone conversation with AFP on November 5, 2020, he said: When you colourise old black-and-white pictures, it is possible to restore details such as scars and wrinkles on a person’s face. However, there are many elements at play that decide the accuracy of a restored photo. These include the quality of the original photo, as well as the lighting, shadows and angle at which the original photo was taken. He added: I have previously colourised and restored Ahn’s photos and concluded that it is a moustache, not a scar, on his face. Below is a copy of a restored photo of Ahn provided by Kim: Ahn Junggeun Memorial Association denial Ahn Junggeun Memorial Association, the state-backed organisation that manages Ahn Junggeun Memorial Museum in South Korea, issued a statement denying the claims in August 2020. It wrote, in part: A coloured photo claiming that martyr Ahn Jung-geun’s moustache is actually evidence of torture has been produced by an amateur using a black-and-white photo, which has been retouched using Photoshop. It has no historical basis. Martyr Ahn Jung-geun recorded his true experiences in prison in his autobiography, The History of Ahn Eung-chil’. This picture has not been verified by an expert, so please do not be fooled. According to the association's website , Ahn's autobiography makes no reference to torture. It reads, in part: While there are claims that Ahn Jung-geun as subjected to horrific torture while in prison, when combining the many accounts that appear in various documents, Japan looks to have treated Ahn with respect and did not torture him. His autobiograph states that prosecutors always offered him a cigarette after questioning, and he was treated fairly in conversation. He also thanks prison warden Kurihara and other officials for their kindness. However, he does indicate that while he was questioned a total of 11 times from November 4, 1909 to December 26, 1909, the prosecutors' questioning tactics became more intense. Additionally, the association told AFP that the original black-and-white photo is believed to have been taken immediately after Ahn was imprisoned for the fatal shooting on November 3, 1909. We estimate that the picture was taken either on November 4 or 5 in that year, a spokesperson said. Below is a screenshot comparison between the image in the misleading post (L) and the original photo provided by the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Association (R): Several other photos of Ahn believed to have been taken before his imprisonment, as seen here and here on the website of Ahn Joong-geun Memorial Association, show him with the same moustache.
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