Some 30 writers and ordinary people gathered in Insa-dong in Seoul on April 26th and headed to Euijeongbu Municipal Cemetery, where poet Chun Sang-byung lies in rest. This visit to the cemetery, marking the 21st anniversary of his death, should have been solemn, but these people look excited like they’re going on a spring picnic.

I’m here. It took me more than 20 years to visit you. You left this world around this time of the year, when the flowers were abloom. So it feels like you’ve given us an excuse to have a spring picnic.

Poet Chun Sang-byung was the icon of innocence. Dubbed the last eccentric of Korean literature, Chun was known to have the purest soul. Although desperately poor, he never pursued wealth and fame and lived a life of non-possession. He and his wife were always happy with and thankful for what little they had. His most well-known poem “Gwicheon귀천” or “Return to Heaven” describes the world as a beautiful place and life in this world as a picnic. Following his philosophy about life, his admirers enjoy this visit to his grave just like they would a picnic on a fine spring day. Here’s Mr. Kim Byung-ho김병호, executive officer of the Chun Sang-byung Memorial Society, to tell us more about the gathering.



It’s the 21st anniversary of poet Chun’s death. We visit his grave for a memorial service every year. Ordinarily, such ceremonies are solemn and sad, but the memorial service for him is like a spring picnic. Every year about 30 people gather for this event. Members change every year. They get together to recite Chun’s poems, sing songs, eat lunch, and hold a poem-writing contest at the Euijeongbu Arts Center. It’s more of a picnic than a memorial service.

These people who gathered here are the children Chun and his wife never had. They make the way to Chun’s grave a more enjoyable one.

They offer Chun Sang-byung’s favorite treats, coffee, and beer and pay their respects in front of his tombstone. Then they recite Chun’s poems.

As his poems are read, his fans are immersed in their memories of the inspiring poet.

We as poets are left in despair by Chun Sang-byung, because in his thirties he was able to write poems that contained all the wisdom in the world. His poems were intimidating, stern, and amazingly beautiful at the same time. Frankly, he wasn’t much to look at, but he wrote such lovely poems. He was the one who completed humanism and romanticism in Korean literature.

The poet is not the only one who evokes special feelings for these people. Pyeon Geun-hee편근희 of the Chun Sang-byung Memorial Society talks about her memories of his wife, Moon Sun-ok문순옥.

Chun never made money in his life and his wife had a hard time running a café called Gwicheon in Insa-dong. The small-framed woman had to transfer the bus three times from their home in Euijeongbu to her café. She ran the store all year round. Other wives would badmouth their husbands behind their backs and make jokes about them, but she never did. She only spoke of his good qualities. She loved music and was called a genius in college, astounding even her professors with her perceptiveness. She was the one who made Chun Sang-byung sparkle.

Chun Sang-byung was born in Japan in 1930 and returned to Korea 15 years later when Korea was liberated. Gifted in writing, he was encouraged by poets Kim Chun-soo김천수 and Yu Chi-hwan유치환 to publish his poem “The River” in a literary magazine when he was only in the ninth grade. Although he was admitted to the prestigious Seoul National University’s College of Commerce, his gift was in literature. So he dropped out of college and officially debuted as a poet in 1965 with poem “Seagull.” But two years later he got mixed up in an espionage case and was imprisoned for six months. He suffered complications from torture and then one day he just disappeared. Believing that he had died, his friends published posthumously a book of poetry called “Bird” with his unpublished poems. But just as suddenly as he disappeared, he reappeared one day and became the one and only poet to have his first collection of poems published as a posthumous work while still living. In 1972 Chun married Moon Sun-ok, who became the breadwinner instead of her husband by running a traditional tea house named “Gwicheon” in Insa-dong. Chun was ever grateful for his wife’s devotion, claiming that he was Korea’s only poet who didn’t have to hold down a side job. He died on April 28th, 1993 and his wife and most fervent supporter ended her own picnic on this earth and joined him in heaven in August 2010.

A festival commemorating the poet is held every spring in Euijeongbu where he and his wife are buried. This year marks its 11th year. Mr. Kim Byung-ho, executive officer of the Chun Sang-byung Memorial Society, tells us more about the celebration.

The Chun Sang-byung Festival was first held on the 10th anniversary of his death. It got such great response from the public that the Euijeongbu city government and the society decided to host it every year. This is the 11th year. Chun got married in 1972 and lived at the foot of Mount Surak for 9 years and 8 months before moving to Euijeongbu. The Chuns lived here for 11 and a half years and now interred together in Euijeongbu Municipal Cemetery. He had very close ties to the city of Euijeongbu.

The festivity has been downsized in the wake of the tragic ferry accident, but it was still an occasion to remember the poet’s talent and contribution to Korean literature. The festival kicked off with Amado Lee Jaram Band’s performance, an adaptation of one of Chun’s poems.

The underground band presented seven poems with melody, including “The Flute,” “The Song,” “A Man from the Milky Way,” “Classmate,” and “My Poverty.” Here’s the band’s namesake leader Lee Ja-ram이자람 to tell us more.

It was suggested that we make songs with Chun’s poems for the 2010 Chun Sang-byung Memorial Festival. We wrote eight songs and had a good time. So we decided to make an album with these songs and brought the album to today’s festival. It’s really interesting to turn Chun’s poems into songs. His poems are already lyrical, so it’s fun to adapt them into songs and find melodies within the words. We are completely satisfied by our work. It was an honor for us to sing the songs written with such beautiful words.

It’s not surprising that poem recitation is the highlight of a festival commemorating a poet. This year’s poetry reading contest is celebrating its third year.

Thirty contestants read Chun’s poems with heartfelt emotions.

Chun’s poems were simple and contained childlike innocence. Reading them out loud seems to amplify his artlessness and satisfaction with life. Here’s one of the contestants to tell us about what she felt at the reading.

I have admired his life and poems, so I took part in the poem reading contest. I like reading poems out loud, but there are so many of his fans here today that I felt rather small and very nervous. I was so tense that my hand holding the microphone shook. I didn’t get to practice that much. But at the end I was happy because this was an occasion for the admirers of Chun Sang-byung to get together and remember him.

Classical music flows out from one corner of the Euijeongbu Arts Center where the festival is held. The music is from the poet’s café Gwicheon. The music and tea café was the couple’s livelihood but it was also the place where they spent most of their time and met with many fellow poets and fans. The festival has recreated the 25-year-old tea shop to bring back the nostalgic ambience of those days when Chun Sang-byung was still alive. Here’s Mr. Kim Byung-ho, executive officer of the Chun Sang-byung Memorial Society, to tell us more.

This is the first time that we’ve set up the music and literature café at the festival. Poet Chun Sang-byung loved classical music. He left about 100 classical music albums and a classical music club in Euijeongbu suggested that we set up a music café here. There is a sort of a disc jockey, who tells visitors anecdotes associated with the albums, and some of the visitors bring their own albums to be played at the café. There used to be many tea and coffee houses in Seoul where famous writers and artists congregated. We wanted to bring back that wistful atmosphere and share that experience with ordinary people during the festival.

The small café features a DJ booth and a small stage and a microphone so that anyone can go up and read a poem. The old albums may not sound as flawless as today’s CDs, but their scratchy sounds are the perfect vessel for carrying the sentiments of the good-hearted poet.

I can feel the same atmosphere as in the café ran by Chun’s wife. It’s as if I can almost feel the physical presence of the great poet. They’re selling quince tea today, which used to be the signature menu at the café. It’s interesting to see quince tea sold here.

An exhibition of Chun Sang-byung’s belongings was held as well. The items displayed do not amount to much, just some ballpoint pens given by his friends, some hand-written drafts, a writing table, and his wristwatch. But that wristwatch brings back special memories for those who still remember him well. Here’s Mr. Kim Byung-ho again.



Chun Sang-byung used to check his watch every 30 minutes. He had an unusual way of checking time. I don’t know why he did it that way. He also smoked one cigarette every hour. He had a strange sense of timekeeping. He had a drinking rule, too – two bowls of makgeolli막걸리 every day. He never missed it. Even while he was talking to guests, he would check the time and smoke or drink at the designated time. Many people thought that was unforgettable and special. We can’t forget how he would look at his wristwatch.

Poet Chun Sang-byung lived his life in poverty. He was poor even in death. The condolence money from the poet’s funeral, which amounted to just one million won, or about 1,000 dollars in today’s value, was the largest sum his family had ever gotten. The poet’s mother-in-law hid the money in the stove for safekeeping, but later the wife unknowingly lit the stove, burning up the whole bundle of bills. It seemed that money was never meant to stay with the poet. In his poem “My Poverty Is…” he wrote, “What I think of happiness this morning is that even after having a cup of coffee, buying a pack of cigarettes, and enjoying hangover soup, there’s still money left for a bus ride.” It’s been 21 years since he returned to heaven. He taught us through his poems how to look for happiness in our daily lives. Let’s think about what little slices of heaven we are missing and try to fill our lives with satisfaction and gratitude.