Swedish envoys read Korean poems
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Poet Ko Un, center, speaks at the 39th Seoul Literary Society held by the Swedish Embassy at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on Aug. 12. Former Swedish Ambassador to Korea Lars Danielsson, left, also attended the event. / Courtesy of the Embassy of Sweden
Ko Un invited
to literary society
for recital
By Rachel Lee
The five minutes of poet Ko Un’s reading felt as though a puff of warm breeze was drifting through windows in the room, bringing out hidden feelings and emotions.
The Seoul Literary Society, hosted by the Swedish Embassy in Korea, invited Ko Un, whom former ambassador Lars Danielsson had long wished to meet before he returned to Sweden on August 14, as special guest for its annual meeting.
“When I was appointed as ambassador to Korea more than four years ago, the Swedish ambassador to China, a very good friend of mine, also happens to be a very good friend of Ko Un,” said Danielsson, who also was president of the Seoul Literature Society, at its 39th meeting at the Korea Press Center in Seoul on August 12.
“My friend told me: don’t read anything about Korea. Just do one thing in preparation before coming to Korea. Read poems of Ko Un and you will understand better. And I did. And I think my colleague was right.”
Ko Un, 82, is acknowledged as Korea’s most prolific and revered poet. He has produced 155 books, of which about 70 are poetry books. And about 50 of his works have been translated into 25 languages.
Ko Un has produced 155 books, of which about 70 are poetry books. About 50 of his works have been translated into 25 languages. / Courtesy of the Embassy of Sweden
“It’s impossible for me to tell you everything, like a crescent moon can’t show what a half moon looks like, and a half moon can’t show when the full moon comes,” the poet said. “Likewise, I am here as a crescent moon in front of you today.”
Ko Un was born in 1933 in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province ― when Korea was under Japanese rule ― and lived in extreme poverty.
“When I was young, I was so starving I asked my aunt to get stars in the sky so I could eat them,” the poet said.
Before the Korean War ended, in 1952 Ko Un joined the Buddhist clergy and lived as a monk for 10 years. In 1958 he made his debut in the literary world.
“I started to write poetry without the help of poetics or theory of poetry so perhaps it reflects the fact that poetry in this world was born all without poetic theories,” Ko Un said.
He returned to the secular world in 1962 and began to dedicate himself thoroughly to nihilism and to drown himself in alcohol. In the late 1970s, Ko Un was awakened to the real face of his country after hearing about self-immolation by the working class who suffered unfair treatment. He became more serious about political and social issues ― opposing the military regime and joining human rights activities and the labor movement.
In 1980, he was sentenced to 20 years’ jail for an alleged rebellion conspiracy, but thanks to international efforts was freed with a general pardon in 1982 after serving two and a half years in solitary.
He married at the age of 50 and a period of productivity unparalleled in the history of Korean literature began.
“I think of existence, or many forms of existence, as waves and poetry is born out as a rhythm of the universe. The theory of poetry or poetics actually refers to poetry as a dance. So poetry is a dance or wave. It’s not a noun but a verb,” he said.
Asked what he could say to the young generation that faces tough competition to survive, the poet was adamant.
“When you starve, you can’t even talk or see things clearly,” he said. “But the fact that these young people can actually talk and worry about tomorrow is better than being not able to speak, I think. People expect me to say something just because I have lived longer, but I really hate the word ‘mentor,’ so I have nothing to say but to live together.”
The writer, who has received some 20 prestigious literary awards and honors at home and abroad, was a visiting research scholar at the Harvard-Yenching Institute and the University of California, Berkeley. More recently, he was made an honorary fellow of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. He is President of the Joint Board of South and North Korea for the Compilation of Gyeoremal-keunsajeon.