Manhae Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 0 (1998) Winner
Ko Un
コ・ウン
Ko Un
Pen Names:
Ko Un（Used as a pen name for poetry and other writings）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1933-08-01 （Gunsan, Jeonrabuk Province, Korea (then under Japanese rule)）
- Nationality
- South Korea
- Languages
- Korean
- Religion
- Buddhism
- Residence History
- Gunsan (birthplace) → Jeju (established a charity school) → Seoul (long-term residence) → Anseong (later residence) → Suwon (recent residence)
Career
- Occupations
- poet, novelist, translator, lecturer/visiting scholar
- Active Years
- 1958-
- Affiliations
- Association of Writers for Practical Freedom (founder), Association of Korean Artists (chairman), Association of Writers for National Literature (president)
- Memberships
- Associated with Korean writers' organizations
- Influenced By
- Han Ha-un (Korean wandering poet, inspiration in youth), Seon (Korean Zen) Buddhism
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunsan Middle School | — | — | — | — | South Korea |
| Seoul National University (visiting scholar, lectures) | — | — | — | 2007（客員） | South Korea |
Gunsan Middle School
Country:
South Korea
Early education; learned Korean reading and writing from his grandfather
Seoul National University (visiting scholar, lectures)
Period:
2007（客員）
Country:
South Korea
Served as a visiting scholar from 2007, giving lectures on poetry and literature
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Korean Literature Prize | — | — | — | Winner |
| 1987 | Korean Literature Prize | — | — | — | Winner |
| 1989 | Manhae Literary Prize | — | — | — | Winner |
| 1992 | Joongang Literary Prize | — | — | Joongang | Winner |
| 1993 | Daesan Literary Prize | — | — | Daesan Foundation | Winner |
| 1998 | Manhae Prize (Poetry) | — | Poetry | Manhae Foundation | Winner |
| 2002 | Order of Cultural Merit, Eungwan | — | — | Government of South Korea | Recipient |
| 2004 | Danjae Prize | — | — | — | Winner |
| 2005 | Late Spring Unification Award | — | — | — | Winner |
| 2005 | Bjørnson Prize / Order for Literature | — | — | Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression | Winner |
| 2006 | Cikada Prize | — | — | Swedish Cikada Prize (for East Asian poets) | Winner |
| 2007 | Yeongrang Poetry Prize | — | — | — | Winner |
| 2008 | Griffin Poetry Prize Lifetime Recognition Award | — | Lifetime Recognition | Griffin Poetry Prize | Recipient |
| 2008 | Republic of Korea Arts Award for Literature | — | — | Republic of Korea | Recipient |
| 2011 | America Award in Literature | — | — | — | Winner |
| 2014 | Golden Wreath (Struga Poetry Evenings) | — | — | Struga Poetry Evenings | Winner |
| 2014 | NordSud International Prize for Literature | — | — | — | Winner |
| 2018 | New Golden Age Poetry Prize (Mexico City Poetry Festival) | — | — | Mexico City Poetry Festival | Winner |
Korean Literature Prize
1974
Result:
Winner
Korean Literature Prize
1987
Result:
Winner
Manhae Literary Prize
1989
Result:
Winner
Joongang Literary Prize
1992
Organization:
Joongang
Result:
Winner
Daesan Literary Prize
1993
Organization:
Daesan Foundation
Result:
Winner
Manhae Prize (Poetry)
1998
Category:
Poetry
Organization:
Manhae Foundation
Result:
Winner
Order of Cultural Merit, Eungwan
2002
Organization:
Government of South Korea
Result:
Recipient
Danjae Prize
2004
Result:
Winner
Late Spring Unification Award
2005
Result:
Winner
Bjørnson Prize / Order for Literature
2005
Organization:
Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression
Result:
Winner
Cikada Prize
2006
Organization:
Swedish Cikada Prize (for East Asian poets)
Result:
Winner
Yeongrang Poetry Prize
2007
Result:
Winner
Griffin Poetry Prize Lifetime Recognition Award
2008
Category:
Lifetime Recognition
Organization:
Griffin Poetry Prize
Result:
Recipient
Republic of Korea Arts Award for Literature
2008
Organization:
Republic of Korea
Result:
Recipient
America Award in Literature
2011
Result:
Winner
Golden Wreath (Struga Poetry Evenings)
2014
Organization:
Struga Poetry Evenings
Result:
Winner
NordSud International Prize for Literature
2014
Result:
Winner
New Golden Age Poetry Prize (Mexico City Poetry Festival)
2018
Organization:
Mexico City Poetry Festival
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Griffin Poetry Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 8 (2008) Special Award
America Award in Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 18 (2011) Winner
Golden Wreath of Struga Poetry Evenings
1 appearances
-
Edition 49 (2014) Winner
Works
Major Works
Otherworld Sensibility (early poetry collection)
1960 PoetryAn early poetry collection published during his monastic years, showing Zen sensibility and imagery.
Zen spiritualitydeath and rebirthpersonal memory
Translations
Cherry Tree in Another World
1961 NovelAn early novel dealing with spiritual quest and Buddhist themes.
Buddhist practicespiritual quest
Paektu Mountain (seven-volume epic)
1987 Epic / Historical poetryA major multi-volume work about the Korean independence movement under Japanese rule (1987–1994).
independence movementhistory and memorynational identity
Ten Thousand Lives (Maninbo)
1983 Poetry (collective/series)A monumental series of poems written to commemorate every person he had met, composed across decades (1983–2010).
personal reminiscencesociety and historymemory of the dead
Translations
- Ten Thousand Lives (selections translated to English)
Bibliography
- About 155 volumes including poetry, fiction, essays, travel books and translations
- Morning Dew: Selected Poems (English translation, 1996)
- The Sound of My Waves: Selected Poems 1960-1990 (bilingual edition, 1996)
- Little Pilgrim: A Novel (English translation, 2005)
- Ten Thousand Lives (selections in English, 2005)
Translations of Works
- Flowers of a Moment (selected poems in English)
- Maninbo (selections translated as Ten Thousand Lives)
- Himalaya Poems (English translation, 2011)
- This Side of Time (English translation, 2012)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- imagistic and lyrical poetryblend of colloquial rhythm and documentary fragmentsmonumental serial poems compiling memory
- Recurring Motifs
- remembrance of the deadmodern Korean historyBuddhist enlightenment and Zen imagery
Health
-
Hearing impairment (deaf in one ear)朝鮮戦争時および1979年の拘束・暴行後Hearing was impaired due to war trauma and later beatings; this affected his life and creative outlook.
Legacy
Recognized internationally as one of Korea's leading poets with many translations and awards. Since 2018, allegations of sexual misconduct have divided domestic opinion and led to removal of some works from textbooks; internationally he has remained active in readings and has continued to receive recognition.
Academic Societies
- Association of Korean Artists
- Association of Writers for National Literature
- National Academy of Arts (associated)
In Popular Culture
- After 2018 #MeToo-related accusations (the poem 'The Beast' / 'Monster'), some of his poems were removed from Korean textbooks, sparking public debate
Quotes
-
Some say they can recall a thousand years / Some say they have already visited the next thousand years / On a windy day / I am waiting for a bus.
Source: Flowers of a Moment (poetry collection) (2006)
Trivia
- Worked as a grave digger during the Korean War and poured acid into his ear to block the noise, resulting in partial deafness.
- Ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1952 and later returned to lay life.
- Vowed while imprisoned that if he survived he would write a poem for every person he had met; this resulted in the Maninbo series.
- Was not issued a passport until 1990, limiting foreign activity until then.
- Since 2018 several women accused him of sexual misconduct, causing a split in domestic reputation.