“I believe that my love, too, will one day come to an end somewhere along the way. What I think about is my attitude toward waiting when that moment comes.” (“Jeulgeoun pyeonji” (즐거운 편지 A Letter of Delight), Samname naerineun nun (삼남에 내리는 눈 Snow Falling on the Three Southern Provinces), Minumsa, 1974)
Hwang Tong-gyu is a poet whose work brings together the realities of everyday life and the depths of individual inner life.
1. Life
Hwang Tong-gyu was born in 1938 in Pyeongannam-do, in what is now North Korea. His father was the novelist Hwang Sun-won. After his family moved down south in 1946, he grew up in Seoul. Because his father worked as a schoolteacher, the family lived in faculty housing in Seoul, but during the Korean War, they fled to Daegu and Busan. Under his father’s influence, he learned Hangul at an early age and developed a broad appreciation for the arts through reading children’s magazines and classic works such as Samgukji (삼국지 Romance of the Three Kingdoms) and Im Kkeokjeong (임꺽정 Im Kkeokjeong). His interest in writing poetry began with a fascination for music. He launched his literary career in 1958, when his poems including “Siwol” (시월 October) and “Jeulgeoun pyeonji” (즐거운 편지 A Letter of Delight) received recommendation from the poet So Chong-ju in the literary journal Hyundae Munhak. His most widely known poem “A Letter of Delight” was in fact written when he was a second-year high school student. In 1961, he graduated with a degree in English Language and Literature from Seoul National University and went on to earn both his master’s and doctoral degrees there. He later earned a second doctorate in English literature at the University of Edinburgh with a dissertation on Macbeth. After returning to Korea, he joined the faculty of Seoul National University, where he taught in the Department of English Language and Literature until his retirement in 2003. Having begun writing poetry in the mid-twentieth century, Hwang published the poetry collection Bombireul matda (봄비를 맞다 Caught in the Spring Rain) in 2024, at the age of 86.
2. Writing
After making his debut through the journal Hyundae Munhak in 1958, Hwang Tong-gyu has continued to write with remarkable dedication, publishing new poetry collections even after 66 years as a poet. When he first emerged on the literary scene at the age of 20, his poetry attracted attention for extending a tradition of love poetry that was relatively rare in modern Korean literature. Critics praised the lyrical sophistication and the originality of ideas in his poetry. Hwang himself identified the overcoming of han—the deep-seated sorrow and resentment often regarded as a defining Korean emotional condition—as a major task confronting Korean poetry.
Rather than boldly destroying the poetic form, Hwang sought to construct poetry through the strategy of rendering the ordinary daily life strange. Even when addressing metaphysical or transcendental concerns, he believed the point of departure should remain firmly rooted in the everyday. The seemingly opposed qualities of transcendence and ordinariness in his work are brought into dialogue through the interplay of symbols, grounded in intuitive imagery, and allegory, as a social metaphor.
In the middle period of his career, Hwang employed the motif of travel and the form of dramatic poetry, which presents a particular situation through which the poetic ego passes and undergoes an inner transformation through that process. Much like a journey that entails a process of change, a kind of renewal occurs in dramatic poetry. As the travel narrative is woven into the poetic form, the hardships of the journey are transfigured into poetic sensibility, and suffering is not concealed but revealed. Through this process, the poetic subject overcomes internal conflicts and continually renews the self.
Hwang has experimented with a wide range of poetic approaches, but he has repeatedly emphasized that literature’s most essential virtue lies in its grounding in the concrete realities of life. His recent poetry is marked by a renewed discovery of extraordinary moments within ordinary scenes. Through attentive observation of seemingly insignificant objects and occurrences, he elevates them into poetic subjects and opens new horizons of imagination for his readers.
Reference
Poetry collections
《어떤 개인날》, 중앙문화사, 1961 / Eotteon gaeinnal (A Certain Clear Day), Joongang Munhwasa, 1961
《비가》, 창우사, 1965 / Biga (Elegy), Changusa, 1965
《삼남에 내리는 눈》, 민음사, 1974 / Samname naerineun nun (Snow Falling on the Three Southern Provinces), Minumsa, 1974
《사랑의 뿌리》, 문학과지성사, 1976 / Sarangui ppuri (The Roots of Love), Moonji, 1976
《나는 바퀴를 보면 굴리고 싶어진다》, 문학과지성사, 1978 / Naneun bakwireul bomyeon gulligo sipeoijinda (When I See a Wheel, I Want to Roll It), Moonji, 1978
《열하일기》, 지식산업사, 1982 / Yeolha ilgi (The Jehol Diary), Jisik Saneopsa, 1982
《풍장》, 나남, 1984 / Wind Burial, St. Andrews Press, 1990
《악어를 조심하라고?》, 문학과지성사, 1986 / Akeo-reul josimharago? (Watch Out for Crocodiles?), Moonji, 1986
《하나의 영혼을 위하여》, 청아출판사, 1986 / Hanaui yeonghon-eul wihayeo (For a Single Soul), Cheonga Chulpansa, 1986
《견딜 수 없이 가벼운 존재들》, 문학과비평사, 1988 / Gyeondil su eopsi gabyeoun jonjaedeul (Unbearably Light Beings), Munhakgwa Bipyeongsa, 1988
《물운대행》, 문학과지성사, 1991 / Murundaehaeng (Journey to Murundae), Moonji, 1991
《미시령 큰바람》, 문학과지성사, 1993 / Strong Winds at Mishi Pass, White Pine Press, 2001
《나의 시의 빛과 그늘》, 중앙일보사, 1994 / Naui siui bitgwa geuneul (Light and Shadow of My Poetry), Jungang Ilbosa, 1994
《황동규 시전집 1 : 어떤 개인 날-악어를 조심하라고》, 문학과지성사, 1998 / Hwang Tong-gyu sijeonjip 1: Eotteon gaein nal — Akeo-reul josimharago (Hwang Tong-gyu Complete Poetry, vol. 1: A Certain Clear Day — Watch Out for Crocodiles), Moonji, 1998
《황동규 시전집 2 : 물운대행-외계인》, 문학과지성사, 1998 / Hwang Tong-gyu sijeomjip 2: Murun daehaeng — Oegyein (Hwang Tong-gyu Complete Poetry, vol. 2: Journey to Murun — Aliens), Moonji, 1998
《버클리풍의 사랑 노래》, 문학과지성사, 2000 / Beokeulli pungui sarang norae (Berkeley’s Love Song), Moonji, 2000
《우연에 기댈 때도 있었다》, 문학과지성사, 2003 / Uyeone gidael ttaedo isseotda (Relying on Chance), Moonji, 2003
《즐거운 편지》, Human & Books, 2003 / Jeulgeoun pyeonji (A Letter of Delight), Human & Books, 2003
《꽃의 고요》, 문학과지성사, 2006 / Kkotui goyo (The Quietude of Flowers), Moonji, 2006
《겨울밤 0시 5분》, 현대문학, 2009 / Gyeoulbam yeongsi obun (Winter Night at 12:05 A.M.), Hyundae Munhak, 2009
《사는 기쁨》, 문학과지성사, 2013 / Saneun gippeum (The Joy of Living), Moonji, 2013
《연옥의 봄》, 문학과지성사, 2016 / Yeonogui bom (Spring in Purgatory), Moonji, 2016
《오늘 하루만이라도》, 문학과지성사, 2020 / Oneul harumanirado (Even If Just for Today), Moonji, 2020
《봄비를 맞다》, 문학과지성사, 2024 / Bombireul matda (Caught in the Spring Rain), Moonji, 2024
(co-authored) 《사계 1-3》, 기림출판사, 1966 / Sagye 1-3 (The Four Seasons, vols. 1–3), Kirim Books, 1966
(co-authored) 《평균율》, 창우사, 1968 / Pyeonggyunnyul (Equal Temperament), Changusa, 1968
(co-authored) 《설악산은 어디로 가는가》, 윤컴, 1998 / Seoraksaneun eodiro ganeunga (Where Is Seoraksan Going), Yooncom, 1998
(co-authored) 《자연속에서 읽는 한편의 시》, 국립공원관리공단, 2007 / Jayeon sogeseo ingneun hanpyeonui si (A Poem to Read in Nature), Korea National Park Service, 2007
Poetry anthologies
(co-authored) 《세계명시선》, 현암사, 1987 / Segye myeong siseon (Selected World Masterpiece Poetry), Hyeonamsa, 1987
(co-authored) 《우리는 어디서나》, 한겨레, 1988 / Urineun eodiseona (We Are Everywhere), Hanibook, 1988
(co-authored) 《머무는 곳은 아무데도 없다》, 열음사, 1988 / Meomuneun goseun amudedo eopda (There Is Nowhere to Stay), Yeoreumsa, 1988
(co-authored) 《'95 한국문학작품선》, 한국문화예술진흥원, 1994 / '95 Hanguk munhak jakpumseon ('95 Selected Works of Korean Literature), Korea Culture and Arts Foundation, 1994
(co-authored) 《추락을 꿈 꾸며》, 진음, 1994 / Churageul kkum kkumyeo (Dreaming of Falling), Jineum, 1994
(co-authored) 《그물코 한국문학》, 풀빛, 1995 / Geumulko Hanguk munhak (The Mesh of Korean Literature), Pulbit, 1995
(co-authored) 《(제40회)현대문학상 수상시집》, 현대문학, 1995 / (je 40-hoe) Hyundae munhaksang susang sijip (40th Hyundae Munhak Literature Award Poetry Anthology), Hyundae Munhak, 1995
(co-authored) 《('95 현장비평가가 뽑은)올해의 좋은 시》, 현대문학, 1996 / ('95 hyeonjang bipyeonggaga ppobeun) olhaeui joeun si (Good Poetry of the Year Selected by Working Critics, 1995), Hyundae Munhak, 1996
(co-authored) 《'97 한국문학작품선》, 한국문화예술진흥원, 1998 / '97 Hanguk munhak jakpumseon ('97 Selected Works of Korean Literature), Korea Culture and Arts Foundation, 1998
(co-authored) 《(2004 현장비평가가 뽑은 올해의)좋은 시》, 현대문학, 2004 / (2004 hyeonjang bipyeonggaga ppobeun olhaeui) joeun si (Good Poetry of the Year Selected by Working Critics, 2004), Hyundae Munhak, 2004
(co-authored) 《(2005 '작가'가 선정한)오늘의 시》, 작가, 2005 / (2005 'Jakga'ga seonjeonghan) oneurui si (Today’s Poetry as Selected by “Jakga,” 2005), Jakga, 2005
(co-authored) 《포켓 한국현대시》, 세명, 2005 / Poket Hanguk hyeondaesi (Pocket Contemporary Korean Poetry), Semyeong, 2005
(co-authored) 《(2006 '작가'가 선정한)오늘의 시》, 작가, 2006 / (2006 'Jakga'ga seonjeonghan) oneurui si (Today’s Poetry as Selected by “Jakga,” 2006), Jakga, 2006
(co-authored) 《(2007 현장비평가가 뽑은 올해의)좋은 시》, 현대문학, 2007 / (2007 hyeonjang bipyeonggaga ppobeun olhaeui) joeun si (Good Poetry of the Year Selected by Working Critics, 2007), Hyundae Munhak, 2007 (co-authored)
(co-authored) 《(2008)좋은 시》, 삶과꿈, 2008 / (2008) joeun si (2008 Good Poetry), Samgwa Kkum, 2008
(co-authored) 《지정석 외 : 제64회 현대문학상수상시집》, 현대문학, 2018 / Jijeongseok oe: je 64-hoe Hyundae munhaksang susang sijip (Reserved Seat and Others: 64th Hyundae Munhak Literature Award Poetry Anthology), Hyundae Munhak, 2018
(co-authored) 《시를 잊은 나에게》, 북로그컴퍼니, 2018 / Sireul ijeun naege (To Me Who Has Forgotten Poetry), Booklog Company, 2018
(co-authored) 《시인의 시작》, 미디어창비, 2019 / Si-inui sijak (A Poet's Beginning), Media Changbi, 2019
(co-authored) 《들어라 전라북도 산천은 노래다》, 바람꽃, 2019 / Deureora Jeollabukdo sancheon-eun noraeda (Listen: The Mountains and Rivers of North Jeolla Are a Song), Baramkkot, 2019
(co-authored) 《너를 만나는 시》, 창비교육, 2019 / Neoreul mannaneun si (Poems That Meet You), Changbi Gyoyuk, 2019
(co-authored) 《느낌 그게 뭔데, 문장》, 우시모북스, 2021 / Neukim geuge mwonde, munjang (What Is a Feeling, Anyway — Sentences), Usimo Books, 2021
(co-authored) 《매일, 시 한 잔》, 북로그컴퍼니, 2021 / Maeil, si han jan (Every Day, a Cup of Poetry), Booklog Company, 2021
(co-authored) 《여기가 어둠이며 끝의 끝이니 빛이여 솟아나라》, 대한민국예술원, 2021 / Yeogiga eodumimyeo kkeutil kkeuti-ni bitieo sotanara (Here Is Darkness and the End of All Ends — Rise, O Light), National Academy of Arts of Korea, 2021
(co-authored) 《꽃들은 참았던 숨을 한꺼번에 내쉰다》, 대한민국예술원, 2022 / Kkotdeureun chamaetdeon sumeul hankkeobeon-e naeswinda (The Flowers Release All Their Held Breath at Once), National Academy of Arts of Korea, 2022
Essays
(co-authored) 《나의 문학 이야기》, 문학동네, 2002 / Naui munhak iyagi (My Literary Story), Munhakdongne, 2002
(co-authored) 《만남》, 월간 에세이 출판부, 2008 / Mannam (Encounters), Wolgan Esei Chulpanbu, 2008
(co-authored) 《한국 명수필》, 여울문학·미디어, 2009 / Hanguk myeong supil (Masterpiece Korean Essays), Yeoul Munhak Media, 2009
Academic work
《(오늘의 시론집)사랑의 뿌리》(문학과지성사, 1976) / (Oneurui siron jip) Sarangui ppuri (The Roots of Love: A Collection of Today's Poetry Criticism), Moonji, 1976
Translations
O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi, McClure, Phillips, and Company, 1905 / 《크리스마스 선물》, 황동규 역, 평화출판사, 1967
George Gordon Byron, Selected Poems / 《바이런 시집》, 황동규 역, 정음사, 1973
T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land, Boni and Liveright, 1922 / 《황무지》, 황동규 역, 민음사, 1974
O. Henry, Selected Short Stories / 《O.헨리 단편선》, 황동규 역, 삼중당, 1975
André Gide, Les Nourritures terrestres, Mercure de France, 1897 / 《지상의 자양》, 황동규 역, 덕문출판사, 1976
Peter Faulkner, Modernism, Methuen, 1977 / 《모던이즘》, 황동규 역, 서울대학교 출판사, 1980
Anne Frank, Het Achterhuis, Contact, 1947 / 《안네의 일기》, 황동규 역, 삼중당, 1983
George Gordon Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Murray, 1812–1818 / 《순례》, 황동규 역, 민음사, 1997
George Gordon Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Murray, 1812–1818 / 《차일드 해럴드의 순례》, 황동규 역, 민음사, 2022
(co-translated) William Butler Yeats, Selected Poems / 《예이츠의 명시: 시화집》, 황동규 외 역, 한림출판사, 1977
Reference
Kang Dongwoo, “A Study on the Aspect of Change in Hwang Tong-gyu’s Poetry,” Eomunyeongu 102, Society for Korean Language and Literary Research, 2019.
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