Lee SungBoo (1942-2012) was a South Korean poet and journalist.
1. Life
Lee SungBoo was born in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province. While still in high school, he won the Jeonnam Ilbo New Writer's Contest with his poem "Baram" (바람 Wind). He then studied under the poet Kim Hyunseung as part of the literary coteries Taegwang and Sunmunhak. Lee completed his literary debut publishing "Somoui bam" (소모의 밤 Spent Night) and "Baekju" (백주 Daylight) in Hyundae Munhak in 1961, and "Yeolcha" (열차 Train) in 1962. He graduated from Kyung Hee University with a degree in Korean literature in 1964. His poem, "Urideurui yangsik" (우리들의 양식 Our Daily Bread), won the Dong-a Ilbo New Writer's Contest in 1967.
In 1968 Lee participated in the quarterly Changbi as part of the literary coterie 68 Munhak and published Jeollado (전라도 Jeolla Province), a series of linked poems for which he is perhaps best known. In 1969, Lee's first collection of poetry, Iseongbusijip (이성부 시집 Poems by Lee SungBoo), won the Hyundae Literary Award. The same year, Lee began his career in journalism, writing for the Hankook Ilbo and later the Daily Sports, rising to deputy editor-in-chief in 1997. He later worked as editor-in-chief of Ppuri gipeun namu. Lee continued to write poetry actively, with the exception of a slump after the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, which he eventually overcame through his love of the mountains, resulting in such works as Jirisan (지리산 Mt. Jirisan). He died after a long battle with cancer in 2012.
2. Writing
The majority of Lee SungBoo’s works, especially those pieces written in the 1960s and 1970s, were born out of the poet’s passionate and furious desire to let the voice of the repressed be heard. Thus, the anger reflected in his poems originated from the external world, or contemporary society, rather than from his inner psyche or from nature. These works aimed to express the lives of the people ignored and tortured throughout history. The images of "darkness" and "night" that frequently appear in his poems, for example, convey acceptance of defeat and repression yet also the willingness to overcome such a reality and its limitations. As seen in "Nuntteun bam" (눈뜬 밤 All Night Long), however, the image of "night" is not always negatively portrayed. When love and understanding for the repressed expands, the image of "night" transforms into a time and place for celebration.
The poet also believed that genuine anger towards the reality of repression derived from the experience and perseverance of suffering and adversity inherent in life. Thus through such perseverance, compassion and love for those who have repressed and ignored throughout history is bound to grow. The poet also believed that bearing what life has to offer is the true way to surmount sadness and defeat. Accordingly, his poems are noted for his apt diction and style, which tell of the reality of the external world, in order to bring to light the happenings of the inner world.
