“Blue Winds Blow”…Gwanghwamun Bulletin Board Renovated for Autumn Welcome

Excerpt from Poet Yun Dong-ju's 'Self-Portrait'

Kyobo Life Insurance announced on the 2nd that the Gwanghwamun Billboard has changed its message to one of encouragement for the autumn season.

The autumn edition message on the Gwanghwamun Billboard, "In the well, the moon is bright, clouds flow, the sky unfolds, blue wind blows, and autumn is here," was taken from the poem "Self-Portrait" by poet Yun Dong-ju.

Yun Dong-ju was arrested on charges of independence activism and passed away at the age of twenty-eight in February 1945. He was a national and lyrical poet who constantly reflected on his life while observing the pains of the era. He left works such as "Foreword," "Counting the Stars at Night," and "Self-Portrait."

This message carries the meaning of dreaming of a better tomorrow even in harsh realities, just like poet Yun Dong-ju who sang hope through self-reflection. It also conveys a message encouraging people to take the opportunity to look back on themselves.

Every year, the font and background design of the autumn edition of the Gwanghwamun Billboard are decided through a university student contest. Hong Sanha (Chugye University of the Arts, 21), the grand prize winner, explained, "I visualized the calm and serene atmosphere felt in the poem 'Self-Portrait,' and the ripples created by fallen leaves in the well express how the message spreads as comfort to people."

The Gwanghwamun Billboard has been delivering messages of hope and love for over 30 years since 1991. This autumn edition will be displayed until the end of November at the Gwanghwamun Kyobo Life Building and Gangnam Kyobo Tower, and can also be viewed on the Gwanghwamun Billboard website.