Poetry Reciter Kim Sook-hee Achieves Historic 11 Crowns at First Nationwide Poetry Recitation Contest, Not Just Regional Competitions

Kim Sookhee, Poetry Reciter

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Chunsu Kim] At the Chuseok Hangawi ‘2021 Internet Newspaper Master National Poetry Recitation Contest,’ Kim Sookhee, a poetry reciter from Mokpo who is currently working as an English teacher at the public Haenam Technical High School in Jeonnam, won the grand prize.

This contest was widely announced on the cafes of the National Poetry Recitation Association and the Literary Association as well as on internet newspapers, and was hosted and organized by the internet joint newspapers such as Korea Times, Joongang Communication News, and Jeonnam Internet Newspaper, and held on the 26th.

The contest was postponed several times due to COVID-19 but was held with difficulty to celebrate Chuseok Hangawi, with three judges participating: a poet, a poetry reciter, and a journalist. The award ceremony is scheduled to be held again in October in accordance with the COVID-19 situation.

The main purpose of holding this contest was to revive traditional rituals through poetry recitation during the Hangawi holiday and to find and award the highest level of poetry recitation that can widely spread traditional-themed poems worldwide.

Poetry reciter Kim Sookhee is the current holder of the 2021 Korea Highest Record Certification Grand Prize, which is awarded only to the top record holders in each field, and is the number one multi-champion in national poetry recitation contests to date.

With this victory, Kim became the first poetry reciter to win 11 crowns in a nationally recognized poetry recitation contest, not just association or regional contests, and achieved a great accomplishment of a total of 12 crowns including association contests.

Kim Sookhee has completed the doctoral course in Creative Writing and is scheduled to present a thesis next spring based on the works of poet Song Sugwon.

He has a brilliant career as the president of the Seoul Kim Sowol Recitation Association, having served as chief judge four times so far, and as a recipient of the Korea Highest Record Certification Grand Prize. He is actively involved not only as a poetry recitation artist but also as an executive in various literary and artistic organizations.