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Kim Jiha

キム・ジハ

Kim Jiha

Pen Names: Kim Jiha (pen name)（Pen name used for dissident poetry and plays; includes 'Jiha', meaning 'underground' in Korean.）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1941-02-04 （Mokpo, Zenranan Province (now South Jeolla), Korea (then under Japanese rule)）
Died
2022-05-08 （Wonju, South Korea） age 81
Nationality
South Korea
Languages
Korean
Religion
Catholicism
Residence History
Mokpo (birthplace) → Seoul (education and activity) → Wonju (later years)

Career

Occupations
poet, playwright, writer, democracy activist
Active Years
1963-2022

Education

Seoul National University
Aesthetics / Aesthetics
Degree: 学士
Period: 1962–1966
Year of Graduation: 1966
Country: South Korea
Graduated in aesthetics; participated in April 1960 student demonstrations.

Awards

Lotus Prize for Literature
1975
Organization: Afro-Asian Writers' Association (awarder of the Lotus Prize)
Result: 受賞
Grand Poet Prize at the International Poets' Conference
1981
Organization: International Poets' Conference
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Yellow Earth

Poetry collection

An early poetry collection combining social critique with lyrical expression.

social critiquepovertyland
Translations
  • Selected poems translated into multiple languages

Five Bandits

1970 Narrative / Satirical poem

A representative satirical poem in pansori rhythm targeting regime corruption; its publication led to a ban and the poet's arrest.

political satirecritique of powerhistorical consciousness
Translations
  • Thai translation (Five Thieves) and other language translations

The Gold-Crowned Jesus

1978 Play / Writings

A play and collection of writings presenting an allegory in which the outcast help liberate an imprisoned Jesus, stressing solidarity with the poor.

religious allegorymarginalized peopleliberation
Adaptations
  • [Theatre] The Gold-Crowned Jesus (stage production)
Translations
  • The Gold-Crowned Jesus and Other Writings (1978)

Looking up at a Starry Field

Lyric poetry collection

A lyric collection focusing on the individual's interior and connection with nature; marks a turn toward more Romantic elements.

natureintrospectionRomanticism

Bibliography

  • The Yellow Earth
  • With a Burning Thirst
  • South (Nam)
  • Love Thy Neighbor 1-2
  • Black Mountain, White Room
  • A Rain Cloud in These Days of Drought
  • My Mother
  • Looking up at a Starry Field
  • The Agony of the Center
  • Rice
  • Boat Songs of the South Land
  • Livelihood

Adaptations

  • The Gold-Crowned Jesus — adapted for the stage (various productions)

Translations of Works

  • Cry of the People and Other Poems (1974)
  • The Gold-Crowned Jesus and Other Writings (1978)
  • Heart's Agony: Selected Poems of Chiha Kim (1998)
  • Thai translation of Five Thieves (1989)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
blend of pansori rhythm and lyricismsatirical, direct political critiquereligious and philosophical allegory
Recurring Motifs
power and corruptionperspective of the oppressed/poorreligion and salvationnature and introspection

Legacy

Kim Jiha was a poet and playwright closely linked to South Korea's pro-democracy movement; through political satire and religious allegory he exerted wide influence. His publications led to bans and arrests, and his literary activity intersected directly with political struggle.

Archives

  • LTI Korea (Korean Literature Translation Institute) author database and archives

In Popular Culture

  • Often cited as a symbol of pro-democracy activism and dissident poetry

Trivia

  • His pen name 'Jiha' includes the Korean word for 'underground', reflecting his dissident stance.
  • Publication of 'Five Bandits' led to a ban and his arrest; in 1974 he was sentenced to death, later commuted to life imprisonment amid public outcry and eventually released.
  • He was a Catholic and referenced religious themes in his works and public statements.