South Korea’s Preeminent Poet: Park Mok-wol’s Unpublished Poems Released

46 years after poet Park Mok-wol’s death, the unpublished poems he left behind were released to the public, attracting the attention of many people. On March 12, ‘Park Mok-wol’s Legacy Works Publication Committee’ held a press conference at the Seoul Press Center and released 166 of 290 pieces of his unpublished work to the media. Professor Woo Jeong-gueon of Dankook University (DKU), who is currently working as the chair of the publication committee, has researched ‘the self’ in literary works and the role of body signals such as brainwaves related to the emotions of the self. He is also a disciple of Professor Park Dong-gyu, the eldest son of poet Park Mok-wol.

▲ Press Conference of Park Mok-wol's 166 Unpublished Poems Publication (Photo from Yonhap News)

Park Mok-wol is a famous Korean lyric poet. He is renowned for his unique style of pure lyricism created during the chaotic period in Korean society. He is also known as the ‘Cheongnokpa (Green Deer Faction)’ who expressed the purity of nature and humanity through poetry with nature as the main theme. Poems such as Traveler and Green Deer are included in Korean textbooks and appear on the CSAT (College Scholastic Ability Test), making him a representative poet of Korea.

To understand the significance of publishing Park Mok-wol’s unreleased poems, the Dankook Herald (DKH) sat down with Professor Woo Jeong-gueon.

Professor Woo, your dedication to bringing unpublished works to light is truly commendable. As the committee’s chairman, could you tell us more about ‘Park Mok-wol’s Legacy Works Publication Committee’?

I am a disciple of Professor Park Dong-gyu, the eldest son of poet Park Mok-wol. In graduate school, I was very close to Professor Park Dong-gyu for about 5 years, so I naturally went to the professor’s house. I found a bundle of notes in the professor’s house and when I opened it, I realized it contained a lot of poems that had never been published. However, since I majored in fiction and not poetry, I thought it would not be easy for me to analyze it on my own, so I decided to get together with Professor Yoo Seong-ho of Hanyang University, Professor Bang Min-ho of Seoul National University, and Professor Park Deok-gyu of DKU’s Dept. of Literary Creative Writing all of whom majored in poetry, to analyze the work.

We heard you researched ‘the self’ in literature and video content. Did poet Park Mok-wol influence you in this process?

There is nothing in particular. That might be because I majored in fiction, not poetry. Normally, when a writer begins his work, he begins with his own story. I expanded my research beyond fiction to include video content as I also researched this. I studied biological signals such as brainwaves as a means to explore the self scientifically in the work of different scientists. Through this process, I think I uncovered the inner self of poet Park Mok-wol in my way.

▲ Professor Woo Jeong-gueon is sharing his experience of the publishing process. (Photo from DKH)

What prompted you to reveal poet Park Mok-wol’s unpublished work?

Starting from simple curiosity, I opened the notebook and was able to understand the poet’s thoughts at the time. As a researcher, I thought it would be extremely irresponsible to just ignore this. Also, last January, the 50th-anniversary seminar of the poetry magazine ‘Simsang (Imagery)’ was held under the theme ‘Current Meaning of Mok-wol’s Poetry’, and after this seminar, I was inspired to reveal his unpublished poems.

We are curious about the disclosure process for unpublished poems. Why did you reveal only 166 poems out of 290?

Originally, there were over 400 poems in the notebook. After excluding the unfinished ones, about 318 poems remained. From these, 290 poems were chosen, excluding only 28 of his previously published ones. Among this selection were poems with distinct themes from his existing work, exploring new formats, illuminating the evolution of his creative process, and ones undergoing multiple rounds of evaluation for completeness. After some discussion among our group, 166 poems were chosen to be revealed.

What were the main subject matters of the previously unpublished poems?

Unlike his existing work, many of them dealt with the horrors of the Korean War and the joys of independence.

What poems were most memorable to you out of the selection?

I remember the Last Love Song. This is a poem about love, and it expresses longing for love. A particularly good reason is that the object of love expressed in the poem may be a woman, or the poet himself. Since the poet was a Christian, the object of his love could be God. There are also many new and affectionate expressions.

Is there a readership you had in mind when publishing these poems?

While I intended the poems for poetry lovers, it seemed to have unexpectedly become a hit with students studying for the CSAT. I heard that a Korean instructor has already taught a poem titled ‘Shoeshine Boy,’ which is one of the new releases. I hope that this decision can make poetry more popular with the younger generation. Poetry not only warms our emotions but also helps us express a wide range of complex feelings. Some students who became interested in these poems came to me for advice, because they were planning to create video content using Park Mok-wol’s poetry. It is heartwarming to witness young people engaging with poetry and expressing themselves creatively. I hope more people can find peace of mind in this harsh world through his poetry.

▲ Professor Woo Jeong-gueon is speaking about the committee’s future plans. (Photo from DKH)

Did you experience any difficulties during the publication process?

Almost none. We held many consultations with Professor Park Dong-gyu, the bereaved family, and a representative of the copyright holder, and they all went very smoothly. I am very thankful to the professors of the publishing committee for their great achievements over such a short period.

Were there any concerns you had after the publication?

Not really. We corrected and reprinted the original notes of poet Park Mok-wol into e-books, and we have been thinking about when and how to publish them.

Do you think this publication will affect the history of Korean literature?

Will it have a huge impact? I think so. There are a few cases where we come across a large volume of unpublished work like this. It should almost rewrite the history of poetry. The topics are also new, so it is expected that the existing perception of Park Mok-wol's work will change.

Could you share a bit about the plans of ‘Park Mok-wol’s Legacy Works Publication Committee’ to promote the poems?

First of all, an e-book collection of his unpublished poems is scheduled to be released in April. In May, there will also be a special exhibition and lecture at the Dongri Mokwol Literature Museum in Gyeongju regarding his newly published work. No specific schedule has been released yet, but there will also be a special exhibition at the Starfield Library. No matter how small it is, if there is a request for a presentation, our publication committee will try to promote the poetry by participating in as many events as we can.

Do you have any thoughts on promoting Park Mok-wol's poems abroad?

Since foreigners do not know much about Park Mok-wol, I have not thought about it yet but I think it is a good idea to promote the poems to Korean society living abroad. I also received a call from some overseas Korean education centers saying that they were interested in featuring the poems in their textbooks.

▲ Professor Woo Jeong-gueon is talking about a memorable poem. (Photo from DKH)

Professor Woo Jeong-gueon shared a lot of stories about the publication process. For those intrigued by this journey, the DKH recommends watching episode 5 of the KBS documentary ‘See More’ on YouTube. Following the newly released publication, we look forward to seeing how poet Park Mok-wol’s work will be showcased in the future and which additional pieces will emerge. If more diverse and groundbreaking poems are released, it can mark an even greater turning point in the history of Korean literature.