E2024-G168

A Leader of Modern Literature: The Poet Bak Yong-cheol

Narrative

Bak Yong-cheol (1904-1938) (pen name: Yonga) was a Korean poet and translator born in Gwangju. Bak, a leader of the modern literature movement, is best known for his poem, “Tteonaganeun bae” (The Departing Boat). There are several monuments throughout Gwangju that feature Bak’s poetry, such as those in Songjeong Park, Hwangnyongchinsu Park, High Tech Life and Sports Park, and Gwangju Park, as well as one at his birthplace. Yonga-ro Road is also named after him.

Story Map

• Literary Voices: Poets and Writers of Gwangju
  • Showing Jeolla Culture in Literature: Writer Yi Chong-jun
  • A Leader of Modern Literature: The Poet Bak Yong-cheol
  • The Tradition of Poetry: Civil Official and Poet Bak Sang
  • From Gwangju to the World: Nobel Prize Laureate Han Kang