Inscription Etched by Water

Abstract

Pak Tujin is one of the best-known contemporary Korean poets, widely appreciated by both the readingpublic and critics. He received virtually every award andprize in Koreafor which he was eligible. Born in Ans6ng in 1916, Pak began publishing in the 193os. The suppression of Korean-language literature during the Japanese Occupation prevented his work from becoming known, except among such fellow writers as Pak Mogwol and Cho Chihun, with whom he collaborated on Ch'6ngnok chip (Blue deer anthology) in 1946. The anthology had a decisive influence upon modern Korean poetry. In 1949, Pak published his own collection of poetry, Sun, which wasfollowed by nine more books of poetry and several of prose. By the early 195os, Pak's reputation as a poet was such that he was invited to teach at Y6nsei, Ewha, and other universities in Seoul. His poetry of the 1960s through the 1980s took a strong stand against the Korean military dictatorship. In 1996, he was elected to the National Academy of Arts, an honor he had refused to accept while the country was under dictatorial rule. He died in 1998.