Poet Shin Sehoon, Pioneer of "Minjosi," Passes Away... Led Korean Writers’ Association for Six Years

Served as the 22nd and 23rd President of the Korean Writers' Association
Dedicated to Inter-Korean Literary Exchange and Reforming Literary Institutions

Published Over 30 Works Including "Song of a Beautiful Woman" and "Dong-i Shinwacho"

Passed Away at 85

Veteran poet Shin Sehoon, who served as the 22nd and 23rd president of the Korean Writers’ Association, passed away on the 19th. He was 85.

Born in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province in 1941, Shin graduated from Chung-Ang University’s Department of Theater and Film and completed graduate studies at Dongguk University. He made his literary debut in 1962 when his poem “The River, the Wind, the Sunflower, and Me” was selected in the poetry category of the Chosun Ilbo New Year’s Literary Contest. He also worked as a reporter for the Hankook Ilbo.

He continued to publish poems such as “Viet-Nam Postcards,” “The River, the Wind, and the Mountain,” “The Sky of the Roots,” “Love, That Is Fallen Leaves,” “Captain Buriba,” “Questions After Everyone Is Done,” “Song of a Beautiful Woman,” and “Ah, Dongdong Cheonbugyeong Nation.” By the time he received the 2022 Lee Seol-ju Literature Award, he had published a total of 33 books.

One of the most notable aspects of Shin’s literary career was his pioneering of “Minjosi,” a new fixed verse poetry form. Based on the traditional rhythm of the Korean language, he proposed poetic meters in 3, 4, 5, and 6 lines, seeking to establish them as a singular poetic style through works such as “The Flower of Reunification Blooms,” “Ah, Dongdong Cheonbugyeong Nation,” and “Selected Minjosi Poems by Shin Sehoon.” When the Korean Writers’ Association introduced the Minjosi category into the “Monthly Literature” New Writers’ Award in the 2000s, Shin personally took part as a judge.

He was also actively involved in literary administration for many years. Elected as the 22nd president of the Korean Writers’ Association in 2001 and re-elected in 2004, he led the association for six years through the 23rd term.

Shin held several key positions in the literary community, including president of the Korean Contemporary Poets’ Association, vice president of the International PEN Korean Centre, and president of the Korean Youth Literati Association. In 2016, he served as president of the Chung-Ang University Alumni Writers' Association. As recently as January this year, he participated as a committee member in the selection process for the next president of the Korean Contemporary Poets’ Association, continuing his involvement in the literary world until recently.

He received several honors, including the 3rd Si Moonhak Award, the 10th Yetjong Arts and Culture Grand Prize, and the 14th Cheongma Literature Award in 2013 for his epic poem collection “Song of a Beautiful Woman.” In 2022, he won the 10th Lee Seol-ju Literature Award for his epic poem “Dong-i Shinwacho.”

He is survived by his wife, Kim Hyangja, sons Shin Haneul and Shin Saehae, and daughter Shin Saebyeol.

The funeral service will be held at Room 2 of Seoul National University Hospital Funeral Hall, with the dedication ceremony scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on the 21st. The national writers’ funeral will be conducted with solemnity at 4:00 p.m. on the 20th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.