Yi Byeong-gi (, 1891-1968), pen name Garam (or Karam), studied Korean literature in Chinese, and then pursued the study of the Korean vernacular. He was born in 1891 in Iksan, Jeollabuk-do. He was a member the Korean Language Society, and in 1942 was arrested and imprisoned by the Japanese colonial authorities. Released September 1943, he worked on the family farm and purrsued his studies. At the end of the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...

, he was employed by the occupation military government, and also at Seoul National University's College of Liberal Arts (1946-1950), where he taught Korean literature. Following the Korean war, he returned home to teach at

Chonbuk National University Jeonbuk National University (JBNU; Korean, , ''Jeonbuk Daehakgyo'') is one of ten Flagship Korean National Universities founded in 1947, located in Jeonju, South Korea. Jeonbuk National University has been ranked 551–560th in the world by QS ...

(retiring in 1956). He opposed the Japanese colonial rule by promoting the use of the genuine Korean alphabet. He created the journal ''Munjang'' (Literary Style) where he promoted modern Korean poetry, but also serialized many classics like Hanjungnok (Feb. 1939-Jan. 1940) and Inhyeon syeongmo minsi deokhaengnok 63 jangbon (1940). As a member of the Korean Language Society, he was jailed in 1942 by the Japanese colonial forces. He is known for his sijo and for his work on both the Korean language and literature. In particular he wrote revitalised the writing of sijo, writing hundreds, and discussing the practice of sijo in many articles. His best known collection of sijo is ''Karam Sijo Chip'' (Karam's Sijo Collection), first published in 1939, during the Japanese colonial occupation, and then republished in 1947. After the recovery of Korean Independence, he established the Garam Library in the Seoul National University. In addition to his sijo, he collected and wrote commentaries on Korean literature and on Korean history. Among these are Hanjungnok ,and Inhyeon wanghu jeon, "Yolowonyahwagi" and "Chunhyangga".

References

1891 births 1968 deaths Date of birth missing Date of death missing Place of birth missing Place of death missing Korean independence activists South Korean activists Korean literature academics Members of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Korea {{SouthKorea-bio-stub