Kim Youngtae (; November 22, 1936 â July 12, 2007) was a South Korean poet. After his debut in 1959, he continuously wrote modernist poetry that expressed diverse artistic experiences through the use of sensual language.
Kim was born in 1936 in Seoul, South Korea. He majored in Western painting in college. As an artist that began with literature and soon expanded in multiple directions to work in dance, art, theatre, and music. Apart from working as a poet, dance critic, and painter, Kim Youngtae also actively worked as a music and theatre critic. He first began his career as a critic as a music critic. He was enormously interested in classical music and had a collection of over 1,400 LPs. In 1967, he established a music fan club organization and actively participated in addition to writing his own collection of music criticism. In 1966, he participated in the Jayu geukjang (Freedom Theatre) collective and was active as a theatre critic for around ten years. he was an incredibly prolific writer that left around 60 works related to art. Kim Youngtae is famous for his diverse writings, covering poetry, dance criticism, and Western painting. A surprising point is that much of his writing was done as he was simultaneously working at the Korea Exchange Bank from 1968 to 1992. He noted that his work performance was not very good as he would leave work early at 5:30PM to attend performances at dance theatres while his colleagues worked overtime or accumulate his vacation time to spend 20 days overseas watching performances.
In 2005, he was diagnosed with renal cancer and died in 2007.
Since his student days, Kim dreamed of being a poet and wrote poetry. Kim himself also considered his main profession to be that of a poet. In 1959, on the recommendation of poet Park Nam-su, he made his debut in the literary magazine Sasanggye with the poem "Siryeonui sagwanamu" (ìÂÂë ¨ì ì¬과ëÂÂ무 The Apple Trees of Hardship) and three other poems.àKim Youngtae, along with poets Lee Seunghoon and Lee Su-ik, was considered part of the " coterie. The Contemporary Poetry Coterie was established in June 1961 and published 26 magazine issues of their group's works until 1972âÂÂthe longest-active coterie in Korea. With Issue 6 in 1964, older members were replaced with newer poets and Kim Youngtae was one of them. Through this coterie, Kim Youngtae, Lee Seunghoon, Lee Su-ik, and other unique poets that appeared through this coterie magazine later became the cornerstone of 1980s Korean modernism poetry. Poets affiliated with avant-gardism and modernism participated in this "Contemporary Poetry" coterie, and their poetry was generally characterized by modern people's exploration of interiority, experimental language, and pursuit of fantasy. Kim Youngtae's poetry has been reviewed as an exploration of love's ambivalence through the relationship between the self and the Other. His poetry has also frequently inspired other works of art. For instance, he has written over 30 works on dance that have used his poetry as their foundation. His poem, "Meolli inneun mudeom" (ë©Â리 ìÂÂë 무ë¤ Faraway Tomb), was written in memorial of Kim Soo-young, a South Korean poet that greatly influenced Kim Youngtae in his youth, and was later made into a dance performance and play.
When Kim was a middle school student, he saw a photobook on ballet and became enchanted with dance. Beginning in 1969, he began officially writing dance criticism. At the time, dance criticism generally existed only as translations of foreign writings, and Kim Youngtae's dance criticisms received highly favorable reviews because he was one of the first people in Korea to personally attend performances and write extensively on them. He has contributed to the popularization of contemporary dance genres and has been noted as an "on-site dance critic" for his impressionist criticism rendered through detailed descriptions and poetic writing style. He watched performances and wrote reviews for over thirty years, to the extent that the Grand Theatre at the Daehangno Art and Culture Center, where he was a frequent patron, left seat ga-123 (later seat ga-L10) empty for him as a permanently designated seat. After he died, the theatre also held commemorative performances for him every season.
In line with his college major, Kim frequently held private exhibitions of his own drawings, which centered around the subjects of dance and music. Beginning in 1977, he (along with novelist Lee Ze-ha) also began drawing caricatures of poets for the covers of Moonji Publisher's line of poetry books. His drawings are characterized by rough and coarse lines that seem on the verge of crumbling. His personal typefaceâÂÂchogaenurinche ()â is also similar to his drawing style, distinguished by how it seems to easily flow with unique arches.
With Kim's unique aesthetic sense and sensual language, his poetry tends to be somewhat abstruse and difficult. His poetry has been reviewed as demonstrating aspects of aestheticism. Aestheticism is a critical terminology that refers to art that pursues beauty. It asserts the autonomy of art and that aesthetic value is art's main priority with its arrangement of exotic subject matters and erotic poetic diction to combine heterogeneous poetic language in an unfamiliar way.
In his earlier writings, Kim often described sensual impressions of objects under examination in an unfamiliar way. Although the subject was described in an objective manner, he would simultaneously use strange words and diction in order to construct a fantasy-like atmosphere. By simultaneously representing two objects that seemingly had no relation to each other whatsoever, readers are thus able to imagine a different world.
In his later writings, the sensuous impressions of objects still appear, but his own subjective voice intervenes in these descriptions, revealing Kim's own introspection regarding himself and his life. The distance between the object and the self disappears, and the object is felt to provide some sort of consolation to the self. With his final poetry collection released in 2005, Nugunga danyeogatdeusi (ëÂÂêµ°ê° ë¤ë Âê°Âë¯ì´As If Someone Stopped By), Kim Youngtae's poetry becomes "a conversation with the self." The narrator observes the object, experiencing it in a sensuous manner until he finally inserts himself and completes the landscape. While feeling a sense of impotence towards the self and the life that one has lived, through the sheer existence of minor things and seeing them in a new light, life is illuminated with a new meaning and undergoes an active transformation.
Kim Youngtae constructs his poetic world by giving language to diverse forms of art. He has been noted for perceiving and expressing art in and of itself in his works, especially for using his personal artistic experiences as the foundation for his worksâÂÂan unusual characteristic that is difficult to find in other Korean poetry. For instance, his poem "Balladeu" (ë°Âë¼ë Ballad) is a linguistic rendering of Frédéric Chopin's piano compositions. Chopin's music is constructed as a preceding text to poetry, so that the sound of music is rendered into metaphors such as "water drops falling at the bottom of the spine" and "a fleshy piece of trembling zephyrs." Sounds, the body's movements, and visual images are linked to the other senses and manifested through languageâÂÂa common writing technique that threads Kim Youngtae's poetry.
ãÂÂ물거ÃÂÂì ë§ÂìÂÂë©´ì ìÂÂê»´ê°Âë©´ìÂÂãÂÂ, ì²Âë Âì ìÂÂìÂÂ, 2005 / Mulgeopumeul masimyeonseo akkyeogamyeonseo (To Drink and Save Bubbles), Poem sijak, 2005.
ãÂÂì ÃÂÂì¸ì´ ì‘ ë§ÂìÂÂì 겨ì¸ãÂÂ, ì¤ÂìÂÂ문ÃÂÂì¬, 1965 / Yutaeini saneun maeurui gyeoul (Winter in the Village of the Exile), Jungang munhwasa, 1965.
ãÂÂë°ÂëÂÂì´ ì¼ ë ì ì¸ìÂÂãÂÂ, ÃÂÂëÂÂìÂÂÃÂÂì¬, 1970. / Barami sen narui insang (Impressions of Windy Days), Hyeondaesihaksa, 1970.
ãÂÂì´Âê°ÂìÂÂ첩ãÂÂ, ÃÂÂëÂÂ문ÃÂÂì¬, 1975. / Chogaesucheop (Notebook of Worthless Straw), Hyundae Munhak, 1975.
ãÂÂê°Âì´ÂãÂÂ, 문ìÂÂë¹ÂÃÂÂì¬, 1978. / Gaekcho (Cigarettes for Guests), Moonye, 1978.
ãÂÂ쓸목 ë¹Âì¤리ãÂÂ, 문ÃÂÂê³¼ ì§Âì±ì¬, 1981. / Yeoulmok biori (The Duck in the Neck of the River Rapids), Moonji, 1981.
ãÂÂ결üìÂÂê³¼ ìÂ¥ë¡ÂìÂÂãÂÂ, 문ÃÂÂê³¼ ì§Âì±ì¬, 1986. / Gyeolhonsikgwa jangnyesik (A Wedding and a Funeral), Moonji, 1986.
ãÂÂ매ùãÂÂ, ì²ÂÃÂÂ, 1989. / Maehok (Captivation), Cheongha, 1989.
ãÂÂëÂÂ리고무ê²Â겠그리고ì°ì¸ÃÂÂê²ÂãÂÂ, 민ìÂÂì¬, 1988. / Neurigo mugeopge geurigo uulhage (Slowly, Heavily, and Sorrowfully), Minumsa, 1989.
ãÂÂê³ ëÂÂë 몠ìÂÂê°ÂãÂÂ, 민ìÂÂì¬, 1993. / Goraeneun myeongsangga (Whales Are Contemplators), Minumsa, 1993.
ãÂÂë¨몰ë ÃÂÂ르ë ëÂÂ물ãÂÂ, 문ÃÂÂê³¼ ì§Âì±ì¬, 1995. / Nammollae heureuneun nunmul (Secretly Flowing Tears), Moonji, 1995.
ãÂÂê·¸ë ë°Âê·¼ãÂÂ, 문ÃÂÂê³¼ ì§Âì±ì¬, 2000. / Geuneul bangeun (The Shadow's Entangled Roots), Moonji, 2000.
ãÂÂëÂÂêµ°ê° ë¤ë Âê°Âë¯ì´ãÂÂ, 문ÃÂÂê³¼ ì§Âì±ì¬, 2005. / Nugunga danyeogatdeusi (As If Someone Stopped By), Moonji, 2005.
ãÂÂë¶ÂøàÂãÂÂ, 민ìÂÂì¬, 1979. / Bukotel (Book Hotel), Minumsa, 1979.
ãÂÂì´ë¦Âì‘ÂÂì 보ÃÂÂãÂÂ, ì§ÂìÂÂì°ì ì¬, 1984. / Eoreumsaniui bohaeng (The Tightrope Walker's Steps), Jisik, 1984.
ãÂÂê°ÂìÂÂ, ê³Âë©´ì¡° 무ê²ÂãÂÂ, 미ëÂÂì¬, 1991. / Gaeul, gyemyeonjo muge (Autumn, The Weight of the Musical Scale), Milaesa, 1991.
ãÂÂê³¼ê½ÂãÂÂ, ì§Âë§Âì§Â, 2012. / Gwakkot (China Aster Flower), Jimanji, 2012.
ãÂÂÃÂÂê· ì¨ãÂÂ, ì°½ì°ì¬, 1968. / Pyeonggyunyul (Average Rate), Changusa, 1968.
ãÂÂÃÂÂê· ì¨ 2ãÂÂ, ÃÂÂëÂÂ문ÃÂÂì¬, 1972. / Pyeonggyunyul 2 (Average Rate 2), Hyundae Munhak, 1972.
ãÂÂü문ì´ã ì¸ 2ø, ãÂÂ1987렠øì§ÂãÂÂ, ì²ÂÃÂÂ, 1987. / "Pimuneo" and Two Other Poems in 1987nyeon pyeonji ("Devil Fish" and Two Other Poems in Letter from 1987), Cheongha, 1987.
ãÂÂê°Âì´ì ë¬린 ìÂÂëÂÂã ì¸ 4ø, ãÂÂÃÂÂëÂÂì 94ãÂÂ, 문ÃÂÂì¸ê³Âì¬, 1994. / "Gaseume dallin seorap" and Four Other Poems in Hyeondaesi 94 ("Drawer Hanging from the Chest" and Four Other Poems in Contemporary Poetry 94), Munhak Segyesa, 1994.
ãÂÂë³Â주ì ìÂÂìÂÂë ¥ãÂÂ, ê³ ë ¤ìÂÂ, 1984. / Byeonjuwa sangsangnyeok (Variations and Imagination), Goryeowon, 1984.
ãÂÂìÂÂ¥ÃÂÂ짠ìÂÂì ì“´ë¤ ëÂÂë³ÂãÂÂ, ì± ì¸ìÂÂ, 2002. / Jangpanji wie saida dubyeong (Two Bottles of Cider on Top of the Linoleum Floors), Chaek Sesang, 2002.
ãÂÂì§Â구ìÂÂì 조그ë§Âà방ãÂÂ, ì§ÂìÂÂì°ì ì¬, 1977. / Jiguwie jogeumahan bang (A Small Room on Top of the Earth), Jisik, 1977.
ãÂÂëÂÂì¹ì 그리ë ê´ÂëÂÂãÂÂ, 문ìÂ¥ì¬, 1977. / Nunsseobeul geurineun gwangdae (The Eyebrow-Drawing Performer), Munjangsa, 1977.
ãÂÂê°Â주곡ãÂÂ, 문ìÂÂë¹ÂÃÂÂì¬, 1979. / Ganjugok (Musical Interlude), Moonye, 1979.
ãÂÂ물 ìÂÂì Ã¼ìÂÂë ¸ãÂÂ, ê³ ë ¤ìÂÂ, 1980. / Mul wie piano (Piano on Top of the Water), Goryeowon, 1980.
ãÂÂì§Â기고ø른 ë¹µãÂÂ, ìÂÂì¤문ÃÂÂì¬, 1981. / Jilgigo pureun ppang (Tough Green Bread), Soseol, 1981.
ãÂÂë°±ì ì ë¶Âë¤ìÂÂê²ÂãÂÂ, ìÂÂì 문ÃÂÂì¬, 1987. / Baeksaek sinbudeurege (To the White Brides), Jayu, 1987.
ãÂÂìÂÂì ê°Âì ì¶ãÂÂ, ÃÂÂÃÂÂë¹, 1993. / Yesulgaui sam (The Artist's Life), Hyehwadang, 1993.
ãÂÂÃÂÂì§Âì½ÂðëÂÂê°Âì ì ÂìÂÂãÂÂ, ìÂÂê°Âì¤ëÂÂì¤ì¬ì¶ÂÃÂÂë¶Â, 1993. / Pinjikontinigaui jeongwon (The Garden of the Finzi-Continis), Wolgan Audio, 1993.
ãÂÂì§Âê²Âë¤리ãÂÂ, ÃÂÂÃÂÂë¹, 2002. / Jinggeomdari (Stepping Stones), Hyehwadang, 2002.
ãÂÂì´Âê°Âì¼기ãÂÂ, ëÂÂë¹Â, 2017. / Chogaeilgi (Diary of Worthless Things), Noonbit, 2017.
ãÂÂê°Âì 몸매ë¤, ìÂÂë¦Âë¤ì´ ì°ì°ë¤ãÂÂ, ì§Â문ì¬, 1985. / Galsaek mommaedeul, areumdaun usandeul (Brown Figures, Beautiful Umbrellas), Jimunsa, 1985.
ãÂÂë§Âê°ÂãÂÂ, ì²ÂÃÂÂ, 1987. / Makgan (Intermission), Cheongha, 1987.
ãÂÂì Âë Âì ì½Âà리ìÂÂãÂÂ, ê³ ë ¤ìÂÂ, 1988. / Jeonyeogui kopellia (Coppélia in the Evening), Goryeowon, 1988.
ãÂÂì°ëÂÂì ì ì ê°Â구ë¤ãÂÂ, ìÂÂì ìÂÂÃÂÂì¬, 1991. / Yeondusaek sinui gagudeul (The Yellow-Green Furniture of the Gods), Siwa sihaksa, 1991.
ãÂÂëÂÂì ëÂÂë¼ ì¬ÃÂÂë¹ÂëÂÂë¤ãÂÂ, ëÂÂë¹Â, 1993. / Nunui nara satangbinudeul (Candy Soaps in the Land of Snow), Noonbit, 1993.
ãÂÂë©Â리ì 렸ëÂÂÃÂÂë¯ãÂÂ, ëÂÂë¹Â, 1995. / Meolliseo noraehadeut (Like Singing from Afar), Noonbit, 1995.
ãÂÂ쑼ì§Âë ì“ ìÂÂì ë“´ ë´리고ãÂÂ, ëÂÂë¹Â, 1997.à/ Sarajineun sawon wie dari naerigo (The Moon Descends Above the Disappearing Temple), Noonbit, 1997.
ãÂÂë¨ì²Âë 조ê¸ÂãÂÂ, ëÂÂë¹Â, 1999. / Namcheondo jogeum (A Little Bit of the Southern Sky), Noonbit, 1999.
ãÂÂ춤ì¼론ÃÂÂê²½ì ë§Âë ë¤면ãÂÂ, ìÂÂì¸문ÃÂÂѼ, 2000. / Chumeuro punggyeongeul mandeundamyeon (Creating Landscapes Through Dance), Seoul Munhak Forum, 2000.
ãÂÂì¬물ì ëÂÂì´ ë§ÂìÂÂì¼ë¡Âã ëÂÂë¹Â, 2001. / Samureul neomeo maeumeuro (Beyond Objects and With the Heart), Noonbit, 2001.
ãÂÂìÂÂ무ê²Âë ìÂÂëÂÂì§Â맠ì°리ë 'ìÂÂë¤'ãÂÂ, ëÂÂë¹Â, 2002. / Amugeotdo anijiman urineun titdat (We Are Not Anything, But We "Exist"), Noonbit, 2002.
ãÂÂë¹ì ì ë°ÂëÂÂì¼ë¡ÂãÂÂ, ëÂÂë¹Â, 2003. / Dangsinui balkkeuteuro (To the Tips of Your Toes), Noonbit, 2003.
ãÂÂì´ìÂÂìÂÂë 춤 ëÂÂì¼론ì´ ìÂÂãÂÂ, ëÂÂë¹Â, 2004. / Sarainneun chum nuneuro sseun si (Vibrant Dance, Poetry Written with the Eyes), Noonbit, 2004.
ãÂÂì  ë©Â리 ì리ì¤ÃÂÂãÂÂ, ëÂÂë¹Â, 2006. / Jeo meolli keuriseutal (That Faraway Crystal), Noonbit, 2006.
ãÂÂÃÂÂê²½ì 춤춠ì ìÂÂìÂÂê¹Â(1969âÂÂ1996)ãÂÂ, ëÂÂë¹Â, 1996. / Punggyeongeul chumchul su isseulkka (1969âÂÂ1996) (Can You Dance the Scenery? (1969âÂÂ1996)), Noonbit, 1996.
ãÂÂÃÂÂê²½ì 춤춠ì ìÂÂìÂÂê¹Â(1996âÂÂ2005)ãÂÂ, ëÂÂë¹Â, 2005. / Punggyeongeul chumchul su isseulkka (1996âÂÂ2005) (Can You Dance the Scenery? (1996âÂÂ2005)), Noonbit, 2005.
ãÂÂì ì 머물ë Âë ÃÂÂìÂÂë¤ãÂÂ, ì´ÃÂÂë¹, 1980. / Jamsi meomulleotdeon hwanyeongdeul (Visions of Brief Stays), Yeolhwadang, 1980.
ãÂÂì¬ ì“´ì ì‹ÂÂ, ÃÂÂìÂÂì¬, 1982. / Seom saie seom (Islands Between Islands), Hyeonamsa, 1982.
ãÂÂì¸ê°Âì ì§ÂãÂÂ, 보리ìÂÂ, 1985. / Inganui jip (House of Humans), Borisu, 1985.
ãÂÂì°ìµ곡 98ë²ÂãÂÂ, ìµì±ì¶ÂÃÂÂ, 1987. / Yeonseupgok 98beon (ÃÂtude no. 98), Yungseong chulpan, 1987.
ãÂÂìÂÂëÂÂãÂÂ, ëÂÂìÂÂì¸ì¬, 1989. / Wangnae (Coming and Going), Design, 1989.
ãÂÂøë ëÂÂ무ë¤ãÂÂ, ÃÂÂë§ÂìÂÂì¬, 1991. / Pyeondo namudeul (Almond Trees), Hanmaeumsa, 1991.
ãÂÂì ì ëÂÂê·¸ë¤ãÂÂ, ë§Âê³¼ê¸Â, 1992. / Seonui nageune (The Traveler of Lines), Malgwageul, 1992.
ãÂÂì¡ë ê°Â격ì ì°챠ãÂÂ, ì“ÂÂ, 1997. / Yukdo gangyeogui sanchaek (A Six-Way Walk), Jaewon, 1997.
ãÂÂìÂÂì¸ì ì´ÂìÂÂãÂÂ, ì§ÂÃÂÂë¤, 1998. / Siinui chosang (The Poet's Mourning), Jihyene, 1998.
ãÂÂìÂÂì ÃÂÂê²½ÃÂÂê°Âë¤ãÂÂ, ìÂÂì Âì, 1991. / Eumui punggyeonghwagadeul (Landscape Painters of Sound), Seojeokpo, 1991.
ãÂÂé³, ê¿Âì ì ÂëÂÂãÂÂ, ëÂÂìÂÂìÂÂê¹Â, 2004. / Eum, kkumui jeollam (Sound, the Exhibition of Dreams), Doduls, 2004.