Jeong Hoseung, also Jeong Ho-seung (, born 1950), is a popular South Korean poet.

Life

Born in

South Gyeongsang Province South Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple tha ...

in 1950, Jeong Hoseung grew up in

Daegu Daegu (; ), formerly spelled Taegu and officially Daegu Metropolitan City (), is a city in southeastern South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; the fourth-largest List of provincial-level ci ...

, and graduated with a degree in

Korean literature Korean literature is the body of literature produced by Koreans, mostly in the Korean language and sometimes in Classical Chinese. For much of Korea's 1,500 years of literary history, it was written in Hanja. It is commonly divided into classi ...

from

Kyung Hee University Kyung Hee University (KHU; ) is a Private university, private research university in South Korea with campuses in Seoul and Suwon. It was founded in 1949. Kyung Hee University is part of the Kyung Hee University System, which offers comprehensive ...

. That same year, he began to contribute to the literary magazine 반시(反詩) (''Against Poetry''), and published his first novel, ''Memorial Service'' (, 1982).KLTI. Korean Writers The Poets. Minumsa Publishing, Seoul, Korea. 2005. He was the winner of the Tenth Dong Seo Literary Prize in 1997, also winning the

Sowol Poetry Prize The Sowol Poetry Prize () is one of the most prestigious literary awards in South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and border ...

Career

Jeong's themes include societal schisms, poverty and alienation, but his work is noted to present these themes with lyrical grace and innocence that removes any trace of hectoring. Jeong intentionally focuses on suffering in the hope that in despair some hope can be found and that this can become the basis for a more successful future. The poet also depicts the resentment and enmity that stirs in the hearts of farmers and workers whose very roots have been taken from them in a sterile South Korean society, and their attempts to resist and overcome these conditions. He spoke for the masses and took as his poetic duty, praising people for their willful and courageous attitude toward life and helping them believe in their future.Source-attribution, "Jeong Ho-seung" LTI Korea Datasheet available at LTI Korea Library or online at: Jeong Hoseung's style of writing has often been described as being similar to traditional Korean folk songs or popular ballads.

Selected works

Works in Korean (partial)

Poetry collections

* ''Sorrow to Joy'' (, 1979) * ''Jesus in Seoul'' (, 1982) * ''Sunrise Letter'' (, 1987) * ''The Stars Are Warm'' (, 1990) * ''The Unshakable Reed'' (, 1991) * ''Die in Love'' (, 1997) * ''Because I Am Lonely, I Am Human'' (, 1998) * ''When Tears Come, Take the Train'' (, 1999) * ''The Person I Love'' () * ''For This Short Time'' (, 2004) * ''Embrace'' (, 2007) * ''The Cost of Rice'' (, 2010) * ''Wayfaring'' (, 2013) * ''To the Daffodil'' (, 2015) * ''A Letter Not Sent'' (, 2016) - bilingual (English and Korean) * ''Though Flowers Fall I Have Never Forgotten You'' (, 2016) - bilingual (English and Korean) * ''I Refuse Hope'' (, 2017)

Children's books

* ''The Magpie That Flew to the Sea'' (, 1996) * ''The Sorrows of Emily Jong'' ()

Works in Translation

* Five poems i
''Azalea: Journal of Korean Literature and Culture''
(2011) - translated by Mia You * "Snail" i
''Alchemy: Journal of Translation''
(2012) - translated by Mia You * "South Han River" i
''Alchemy: Journal of Translation''
(2012) - translated by Mia You * ''Though Flowers Fall I Have Never Forgotten You: The Collected Poems of Jeong Ho-seung'' (2016) - translated by

Brother Anthony Brother Anthony (born 1942) is a translator, scholar, and member of the Taizé Community. He was born Anthony Graham Teague in the United Kingdom but has since become a naturalized citizen of South Korea under the Korean name An Sonjae (). Life ...

of Taizé and Susan Hwang () * ''Loving'' (, 2020) - translated by Brother Anthony of Taizé () * ''Lonesome Jar: Poetic Fables'' (, 2020) - translated by Brother Anthony of Taizé ()

Awards

* Hankook Ilbo New Spring Literary Contest (1972) *

(1989) * Chosun Ilbo New Spring Literary Contest (1973) * Daehan Daily New Spring Literary Contest (1973) * Chosun Ilbo New Spring Literary Contest (1982) *

Jeong Jiyong Literature Prize Jeong Jiyong Literature Prize () is a South Korean literary award established in 1989 to recognize "poets and poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesth ...

(2000) - for "Heaven's Net" ()

References

External links

Poem 산낙지를 위하여 with a German translation

About the poet
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeong, Ho-seung 20th-century South Korean poets 1950 births Living people Kyung Hee University alumni South Korean male poets Jeong Jiyong Literature Prize winners 20th-century South Korean male writers