Hong Yun-Suk (1925 in

Chongju Chŏngju (; also Jŏngju) is a ''si'', or city, in southern North P'yŏngan province, North Korea. Prior to 1994, it was designated as a ''kun'' or county. The terrain is mostly level, but mountainous in the north. To the south lies the Chŏ ...

North Pyongan Province North Pyongan Province (Phyŏnganbukto; , also spelled North P'yŏngan), is a western province of North Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former P'yŏng'an Province, remained a province of Korea until 1945, th ...

, Korea – 12 December 2015) was considered one of the leading Korean female poets of her generation.Hong Yun-Suk : selected poems
/ref> She is also known by her pen name YeoSa (Beautiful Story).

Life

Although born in North Korea, Hong Yun-Suk has lived in

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

most of her life. Upon graduating from DongDuk Girls’ School an
Seoul College of Teachers (경성 여자 사범학교, 1944)
she worked as a teacher for a few years before beginning her studies at th
College of Education
at

Seoul National University Seoul National University (SNU; ) is a national public research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 1946, Seoul National University is largely considered the most prestigious university in South Korea; it is one of the three "S ...

. She was an active member of the Theater Club at the college, acted as the first secretary, and played many roles on stage as well as writing plays. She was unable to finish her education, however, due to the outbreak of the Korean War.Source-attribution, "Hong Yunsuk" LTI Korea Datasheet available at LTI Korea Library or online at: http://klti.or.kr/ke_04_03_011.do# Hong Yunsuk later served as president of Hangug-yeolyu-munhag-inhoe and Hangugsi-inhyeobhoe. Her literary and political foundations were established during this period of post WWII and pre-Korean War. Throughout her life, she worked as a teacher, reporter, and a lecturer at Sangmyung Women's College.

Work

Hong Yun-Suk first published a poem “Fall” in Literary Times (Mun Ye ShinBo) in 1947. In the same time frame, her play was selected in the prestigious “New Spring Literary Debut” b
ChoSun IlBo
Much of her earlier work from this period was lost during the Korean War. Her first poetry book, “YeoSa ShiJip,” was published in 1962. Since then she has published 17 volumes of original poetry as well as numerous collections of essays, plays, and poetic plays. She has received many awards and is a member o
National Academy of Arts
Her continued literary endeavors were most recently recognized in 2012 when she received th
4th Ku Sang Literary Award
Her contemporary poets include

Ku Sang Ku Sang (born and died in Seoul; September 16, 1919 - May 11, 2004) was a Korean poet, considered one of Korea's most respected and trusted poets. Life Ku Sang was raised in Wonsan, in South Hamgyeong Province which is now situated in Nort ...

Ko Un Ko Un (born 1 August 1933) is a South Korean poet whose works have been translated and published in more than fifteen countries. He had been imprisoned many times due to his role in the campaign for Korean democracy and was later mentioned in K ...

, an
Kim Nam-Jo
According to the specialist on Korean poetry, Brother Anthony, "Her vision of life is deeply affected by the suffering brought by the Korean War and the lasting division of Korea. Her poetic universe is often dark and inclined to pessimism. Perhaps the fact that she is unable to visit her native region in the North helps to explain the many images of life as an unending journey found in her work. The themes of individual solitude and of the emptiness of modern life are expressed in many poems. When she tackles more public themes, the longing for the reunification of Korea dominates her concerns."

Works in translation

*Sunlight on the Land Far from Home: Collected Poems by Hong Yun-Sook. Translated by Lee Dong-Jin; Revised by Cornelia Oefelein. Interdisciplinary Center for Comparative Studies, University of Siena (Italy). Printed in Germany, Hubert & Co, Gȍttingen, 2004. * Some of her translated poems are in ''Modern Korean Poetry,'' selected and translated with an introduction by Jaihiun J. Kim; Asian Humanities Press: Fremont, California, 1994. * Some of her translated poems can be seen at: http://hompi.sogang.ac.kr/anthony/Hongys.htm .

Works in Korean (partial)

* The Daily Sound of a Clock (Ilsang-ui sigyesoli) * Yeosasijib * A Windmill (Pungcha) * Jangsiglon, * The Daily Sound of a Clock (Ilsang-ui sigyesoli) * City over the Sun (Tagwan-ui haes-sal), Hajije * Rules of Life (Saneun beob) * Tae-yang-ui geonneoma-eul * A long Poetry On a Short Night (Jjalb-eun bam-e gin sileul)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hong, Yun-Suk 1925 births 2015 deaths 20th-century South Korean poets South Korean women poets 20th-century South Korean women writers Society of Korean Poets Award winners People from Chongju

Life

Work

Works in translation

Works in Korean (partial)

See also

References