Shin Kyungrim Remained Unwavering Until the End... Posthumous Poetry Collection "All Living Things Are Beautiful"

The First Anniversary of the Late Shin Kyungrim
Posthumous Poetry Collection "All Living Things Are Beautiful" Published
Includes 60 Previously Unreleased Poems

"All living things are beautiful/ The kite soaring high in the sky is beautiful/ The grub crawling slowly on the ground is beautiful (...) The sun setting with the red glow as its companion is beautiful/ Still alive,/ Beautiful simply because it is alive/ Beautiful because soon it will be gone far away/ Everything that is alive is beautiful"

To mark the first anniversary of the passing of poet Shin Kyungrim, who sang of the beauty of breathing life until his final moments, a posthumous poetry collection titled "All Living Things Are Beautiful" (Changbi) has been published. Since his debut in 1956, the poet had been active for nearly 70 years, and even while battling illness at the end of his life, he never put down his pen. With moving poems such as "Does poverty mean I do not know love?" ("Song of Poor Love"), he touched the hearts of many. His final message to the world was the poem "All Living Things Are Beautiful." This new collection, his first in 11 years since "The Upstairs of the Photo Studio" (Changbi) was published in 2014, brings together 60 previously unpublished poems.

On the 14th, at the Changbi building in Mapo, Seoul, poet Do Jonghwan (left) and Shin Byungkyu are speaking at the press conference for the posthumous poetry collection of poet Shin Kyungrim.

Poet Do Jonghwan, who was especially close to the late Shin Kyungrim during his lifetime, participated in editing and titling the collection. At the publication press conference held on the 14th at the Changbi building in Mapo, Seoul, Do Jonghwan said, "When I was an unknown poet in the countryside, he made it possible for me to publish my poetry at Changbi," and "He nurtured me into a poet." Regarding the works, he reflected, "I wondered how he could write such wonderful poems in his mid to late eighties," and added, "I came to realize that it is the poet's task to pay attention to and reveal things that are not easily noticed or seen."

The posthumous works were published after Shin Byungkyu, the poet's youngest son, discovered unpublished poems on the computer his father had used. According to Shin Byungkyu, the poet began writing poems on the computer around 1986. Even in his final moments, when his mind was clouded, he would repeatedly say, "I need to write."

The late poet's works shine even brighter because they break free from the trap of being overly difficult or limited to personal experience, allowing anyone to easily understand them. Do Jonghwan explained, "As I reviewed the poems, I was struck by their consistency. He never tried to show off or boast, and his compassion for small and humble things was unwavering," and continued, "He never became arrogant or forceful just because he was famous, and his compassion for neighbors and love for humanity remained constant." He also added that while poets often lose energy in their work as they age, Shin Kyungrim did not.

Even in his final moments, when his consciousness was fading, the late poet would clearly respond to his granddaughter's voice. His love for his granddaughter is evident throughout his works.

"The distant world beyond the moon/ For a moment, tears well up in my eyes// Grandfather, calls my granddaughter/ Hearing her voice from afar, I open my eyes/ There, outside the window, a bright, round moon floats" - From "During Illness"

According to Shin Byungkyu, there was a day when one of Shin Kyungrim's poems appeared on his granddaughter's school exam, but she got all the answers wrong. The poet laughed heartily and tried to solve the exam himself, but even he got it wrong, so everyone laughed together.

Do Jonghwan recalled how, in 2012, when he was offered a position as a proportional representative in the National Assembly, the late poet opposed the idea. "He was strongly against it for quite some time, but in the end, he told me to go to the National Assembly and work, but ultimately to return to literature," he said. "I engraved those words in my heart, but it took me too long to return. I only came back last year, but when I did, he was already in the intensive care unit. He must have been very disappointed, and it broke my heart," he said, his eyes welling with tears.

Meanwhile, on the 15th, Shin Kyungrim's alma mater, Dongguk University, will hold a memorial night of literature. In addition, on the first anniversary of his passing, on the 22nd, the Shin Kyungrim Literary Festival, hosted by the Jangbaek Cultural Arts Foundation and the Shin Kyungrim Literary Festival Promotion Committee, will take place in Noeun-myeon, Chungju, starting at 11 a.m. The event will feature a memorial service, an academic conference, poetry recitation contests, and performances.