Jin Ah Lee
on translating Hwang Ji-woo
Some poems are devised while others are improvised. This poem is the latter. In an interview, Hwang revealed that he wrote the poem in five minutes when his journalist friend asked him to write a piece for a teen magazine. Although he forgot about writing the poem, it became one of his best-known works after being recited on a radio show. The poet himself was ashamed of the poem for a while because of its “cheesiness,” but many readers could certainly relate to the excitement and frustration of waiting for someone or something dearly, and saw themselves in his writing. As you know, not all literature needs to be sophisticated. Some just brings you back to a different time and a different space.
about the author
Hwang Ji-woo (황지우) is a famous twentieth-century poet from South Korea. He developed an interest in poetry after studying aesthetics and philosophy at two notable universities, Seoul National University and Sogang University. After fulfilling his military duty, he was expelled from university for participating in political protests against the Korean government. His political activism influenced his poetry to the extent that he has written poems to deliver his political message. His poems are also influenced by Buddhist philosophy, most likely as a result of his philosophy studies at Sogang University. He is one of the leading figures of the deconstruction poetry movement of 1980s Korea with his unique way of utilizing satire and depicting absurdity through experimental approaches. On the other hand, the general public is more fond of his talent for grasping ordinary moments with fine sensitivity — this poem is a good example.
about the translator
Jin Ah Lee is a graduate of the Integrated Product Design Program at Penn and is currently working as a startup consultant in Los Angeles. She has always been interested in learning new languages, and she considers language not only as a medium through which to communicate but one that expands her horizons. As a child, she learned English by singing Disney songs, and now thanks DoubleSpeak for helping her continue to revisit her passion for cross-cultural connection through her contribution to the magazine.
