ソン・サンヒョン

SangHyun Song

On February 16, 1945, a 27-year-old Korean named Yun Dong-ju lost his life in Fukuoka Prison, Japan. The exact cause of his death remains unknown, but according to the testimony of a friend who was imprisoned with him, various theories exist. Three years later, his only poetry collection, Sky, Wind, Stars, and Poems, was published, and he came to be revered in his beloved homeland as a national poet.

Upon learning that a memorial to Yun Dong-ju is located at Doshisha University in Kyoto, I visited Japan and met a Japanese man. This person told me that through Yun Dong-ju’s poetry and life he had come to understand the value of peace and been inspired to reflect on Japan’s past. Hearing this, I realized that I had not fully understood Yun Dong-ju, and I resolved to try to capture his way of life in my work.

Yun Dong-ju had considered naming his poetry collection Hospital, as he wished for his poetry to heal people and bring about peace. I hope to preserve Yun Dong-ju’s perspective through photography, and to build a new ‘hospital for the heart.’