Former Minister Do Jong-hwan's New Poetry Collection: "I Don't Know If the Role of Politician Will Be Given Again"

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"Noon is the warmest time, the bright and radiant time. It is the time when living things grow most vigorously. So, the poetry collection title 'The Time Farthest from Noon' means the darkest time."

Former Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-hwan explained the meaning of his poetry collection title 'The Time Farthest from Noon,' released after 8 years. It has been 8 years since Do published a poetry collection, following 'April Sea' in 2016, which contained his harrowing feelings about the Sewol ferry disaster. At a press conference held on the 14th at Changbi Seogyo Building, he said that the new collection reflects his anguish over how to create a better world during the past 8 years.

Former Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Do Jong-hwan shares his thoughts on the 40th anniversary of his literary debut at a press conference for his new poetry collection "The Time Farthest from Noon," held on the 14th at the Changbi Seogyo Building.
Photo by Changbi

Former Minister Do is about to conclude his 12 years of legislative activity. Returning to his primary profession as a poet, he confessed that entering politics to make a better world was not easy.

Do said, "If you ask me whether I made a better world, there is a poem in this collection that answers, 'I think I just swept the yard a little.'" Just when it seemed a bit cleaner, the wind would blow again, covering everything with dust and trash. While living as a politician, he said, "I endlessly wondered why I was here." He added, "Sometimes I found answers, and sometimes I missed them. The traces of anguish accumulated when I couldn't find proper answers are included in this poetry collection."

Although the path to finding answers for creating a better world is difficult, former Minister Do said he would support younger literary figures if they decided to enter politics.

"People who work for culture and the arts are absolutely necessary. If any juniors say they want to enter politics, it is to do that kind of work. If they seek positions or power, I would tell them not to enter. Politics is a place to use given authority well. Therefore, people are needed to act on behalf of others to use authority fairly and warmly. If they have that attitude, I would tell them to go in."

Former Minister Do said he does not know if he will be given a role as a politician again, but he believes now is the time to fulfill his role as a literary figure.

However, he said that the concerns about how to make a better world are not different between writers and politicians.

"There is a poem in this collection that mentions the words of Monk Beopjeong: 'The secular path and the path of spiritual pursuit are not different.' People say they are separate paths, questioning how the secular path and the spiritual path can be the same, but in the end, they all meet."

He also referred to Tolstoy's short story 'Two Old Men.' Two old men went on a pilgrimage, but one of them cared for the sick and starving people during the journey and could not complete the pilgrimage. Tolstoy asks who among the two old men actually met God.

Former Minister Do marked the 40th anniversary of his literary debut this year. He said, "During 40 years of writing poetry, the time spent with poetry was a time to restore spirituality, a time to become earnest, a time to regain calm and balance," adding, "That is why I could not let go of poetry." Conversely, he said, "The time when I could not meet poetry felt very dry and barren," and "Even while serving in the National Assembly as a politician, I kept writing poetry because I could not let it go."

As the poetry collection title suggests, Do's view of the current world is filled with regret. Therefore, he will continue writing poetry and begin contemplating the roles he will be given as a literary figure in the future.

"Albert Camus said noon is a balanced time. The poetry collection title also implies a time when that balance is broken. We are living in a harsh, brutal time, a time of death. But if you look closely, darkness does not contain only darkness; there are stars and the moon within it. That is why poets have always said that even in the darkest times, we must love all things that are dying. Even in this dark time, there must be people who reflect and say that reflection is necessary. I think that person is the poet."