Attorney Bonjin Koo is a person who collects and studies handwriting and is probably the only collector in South Korea who exclusively collects handwriting. He has been collecting the handwriting of independence activists and pro-Japanese collaborators for 20 years and has studied Western graphology and Eastern handwriting theories for 15 years. He is the first person to introduce the term ‘graphology’ in South Korea.
Koo worked as a prosecutor for 21 years. In the late 1990s, he had the opportunity to study in New York, where he witnessed the high-level donation culture in the United States. I also wanted to make meaningful collections and donate them, and eventually chose the handwritten letters of independence activists. The handwriting of independence activists aligned with my pursuit of righteousness and justice.
During my time as a prosecutor in the Violent Crimes Division, I saw a lot of handwriting from organized crime members, murderers, and drug offenders, which sparked my interest in the relationship between handwriting and personality. To date, I have collected the handwriting of over 600 independence activists.
I possess valuable pieces such as Kim Gu’s “Independence Forever” writing and Manhae Han Yong-un’s handwriting. Especially rare are the writings of individuals like Na Cheol, Son Byeong-hee, Park Eun-sik, Ahn Chang-ho, and Kim Jwa-jin. I also treasure the writings of lesser-known independence activists.
While collecting the handwriting of independence activists, I also thought about collecting the handwriting of pro-Japanese collaborators. For example, I collected the handwriting of Lee Wan-yong and a letter from Lee Ji-yong, one of the Five Eulsa Traitors. I realized that the handwriting of independence activists and pro-Japanese collaborators was very different, and this difference became the basis of my handwriting research.
German graphologist Wilhelm Preyer described handwriting as ‘traces of the brain,’ reflecting the inner self of the person. Handwriting does not need to be aesthetically pleasing; it can be changed through practice.