Award Winning Poet

Jung Myung Seok’s Poetry Publications

After appearing in the monthly “Literary Fiction” in 1995, Poet Jung Myung Seok published five volumes of “Spiritual Poem.” These include 

• “Spiritual Poem 1 영감의 시 1” Written in 1989 but published on 27 Sep 1998 (ISBN: 8986813041) (Article on Spiritual Poem 1)
• “Spiritual Poem 2 영감의 시 2” Published on 1 May 1996 (ISBN: 9788986813012) (Article on Spiritual Poem 2)
• “Spiritual Poem 3 – Woman of Poetry 영감의 시 3 – 시의 여인” Published in July 2013 (ISBN: 9788991459137)
• “Spiritual Poem 4 – Conversations through Poetry 영감의 시 4 – 시로 말한다” Published in July 2013 (ISBN: 9788991459144) (Newswave Article on Spiritual Poem 3 & 4)
• “Spiritual Poem 5 – Happiness Comes 영감의 시 5 – 행복은 온다” The most recent poetry book published by Jung Myung Seok (2016), containing 77 poems in 3 segments titled “Longing”, “Life and Wind” and “With all of one’s heart.” (ISBN: 9791187420064) (Article on Spiritual Poem 5 – Happiness Comes)

Spiritual Poem 1

Spiritual Poem 2

Spiritual Poem 3 (Woman of Poetry) & 4 (Conversations through Poetry)

Spiritual Poem 5 – Happiness Comes

Jung Myung Seok’s Best Sellers

In particular, “Spiritual Poem 3 – Woman of Poetry” and  “Spiritual Poem 4 – Conversations through Poetry” became #1 and #2 Kyobo Bookstore best-sellers (South Korea). (ref | archived ref)

Spiritual Poem 3 & 4 achieving Kyobo Bookstore best selling status in 2013

National Winner of Literature Award

As a result of his poetry accomplishments despite the challenges he is currently facing, Jung won the “The 2013 Most Beautiful Person” Seoul Literature Award which is awarded annually by a collaboration between Korea University Broadcast and Seoul Education Broadcast. Jung won the award alongside the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon who won the “The 2013 Most Beautiful Person” Seoul Peace Award that same year. Jung was selected because his writings were evaluated as being able to revive the dying literary genre of poetry in South Korea. (ref 1 | archived | translated,  ref 2 | archived, ref 3 |archived)

This was wide publicized in the news. Korea News System wrote that “The poet Jung Myung-seok, who won the Seoul Literary Prize, wrote a book’s worth of writing a week in a harsh environment. He wrote his weekly bestseller and continued to work enthusiastically.” (ref | archived ) News Today also reported that “The 11 most beautiful people were selected. The most beautiful characters of 2013, sponsored by Seoul Education Broadcasting and Korea University Broadcasting, were recommended by various people in each field. The organizers prepared the strict examination criteria and conducted the examination for two weeks. > Seoul Literature Prize Jung Myung-seok. > UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who won the Peace Contribution Award, was awarded a prize for being very active in the African poverty eradication campaign.” (ref | archived )

2013 Most Beautiful People. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Poet Jung Myung Seok, and 9 others.

Poetry Achievements Recorded in the History Books

Ten of Jung’s poems were also listed in The Encyclopedia of Korean Poetry (2011), which encompasses 3,500 poems that represent over 100 years of Korean poetry history since 1908. This includes the “Happiness Goes” poem which portrays happiness and hope in an easy yet deep manner. (ref | archived ref)

The Encyclopedia of Korean Poetry (2011)

Jung Myung Seok and his poems are featured on Page 2717 of The Encyclopedia of Korean Poetry (2011)

Most importantly, Jung Myung Seok’s poetry contains his deep love and thanksgiving towards God, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Son, no matter what trials he has to go through. Through the poetry, he seeks to convey to the reader deep inspiration and realizations about spiritual matters. This is the core of why his poetry is truly special.

Influences on His Poetry

The reason all of Jung Myung Seok’s poetry directly connects to life can be attributed to his past. Since he had experienced death at such a young age, during his adolescence, he often pondered deeply in solitude about life. Later on, while serving in the Vietnam War, he realized the value and futility of life, and the fundamental world of God through first-hand experiences. He lived because of his mother’s love, which had compelled her to peer through the blanket to see her son’s face one last time.

Jung’s affinity towards lives stems from this experience of love. His past also produced an unquenchable earnestness in him that is carved deep into his poems. His poems thus carry a unique fragrance, just like each type of flower has its own fragrance, that reveal Jung’s life in a genuine manner. (ref)