DALIAN, China — As the late-autumn wind rustled through dry leaves in early November, the lyrical verses of Baek Seok (1912–1996), one of Korea’s most cherished and poignant poets, resonated across the Yellow Sea into the Liaodong Peninsula.

Despite the hardships of the Japanese colonial period and a lifetime of wandering, Baek Seok kept the brightest, warmest lamp of the Korean language burning across northern fields. His pure, rustic poetic diction filled the crisp Dalian air with the comforting scent of earth and human warmth.

Separated by the tragic division of the Korean Peninsula—which kept his works largely isolated in North Korea for decades—Baek Seok’s literary legacy was revived in Dalian, China. Korean and Chinese literary figures, along with future generations of students, united their voices in a shared breath of harmony.

The 4th Korea-China Poetry Recital Festival, themed "Romantic Poet Baek Seok, Imbuing Dalian," took place on November 6 at the auditorium of the Dalian International School. Organized by the e-Northeast 3 Provinces Korean Cultural Center (Chairman Park Shin-heon) and co-hosted by South Korea’s White Windshield Poetry Recital Academy (Director Kim Yang-kyung) and China’s Yalu River Poetry Recital Troupe, the festival celebrated a shared literary heritage that transcends national and ideological borders.

Breaking Down the Barriers of Division Through Sound and Movement

The core of the festival was a 40-minute performing arts epic titled "Baek Seok’s Poetry, the Play of Words and Flowers," presented by the White Windshield Poetry Recital Academy.

Director Kim Yang-kyung provided delicate commentary and emotive recitation, joined by recitalist Kim Dae-won’s resonant voice and traditional dancer Kang Hye-jung’s fluid movements. Together, they guided the audience deep into the poet’s inner world.

The performance featured five representative masterpieces—"Fox-Gathering Village," "The Seventh Month Baekjung," "There is a White Windshield," "A Buddhist Nun," and "Gujanro." Accompanied by evocative background visuals and music, these works traced Baek Seok’s journey from childhood memories and familial bonds to the loneliness of wandering, ultimately reaching a state of philosophical reconciliation and humor.

The absolute highlight of the event was "There is a White Windshield," where Kim Yang-kyung’s deeply emotional narration merged with Kang Hye-jung’s salpuri dance (a traditional Korean ritual dance meant to exorcise bad luck and sorrow). The performance vividly captured the poet’s desolate isolation in a cold, dim northern room as he struggled to protect his integrity and poetic spirit. When the pure white silk handkerchief cut through the air and the dancer executed graceful, restrained steps, the audience fell into a reverent hush, with many wiping away tears.

Living Korean Education Connecting Generations

Beyond a conventional performance, the festival served as a vibrant educational experience, instilling the living breath of the mother tongue in students at Dalian International School and local youth.

During the opening piece, "Fox-Gathering Village," five local children joined Director Kim Yang-kyung and Kim Dae-won on stage for a dynamic two-person choral recitation. The children re-enacted traditional games mentioned in the poem, vividly bringing to life the communal culture of extended families gathering for holidays.

In "The Seventh Month Baekjung," students actively participated by pronouncing and discovering the meanings of unique archaic words and regional dialects trapped in school textbooks. Through "A Buddhist Nun," delivered with poignant sorrow by Kim Dae-won, and "Gujanro," which embraced the generous breadth of life by Kim Yang-kyung, the audience physically experienced the rich texture and "flavor" of the Korean language.

A Beacon of Harmony Along the Yalu River

In his opening address, Park Shin-heon, Chairman of the e-Northeast 3 Provinces Korean Cultural Center, recalled Baek Seok’s time around the Yalu River in Dandong circa 1942, honoring the poet's indomitable spirit.

"Reciting Baek Seok's poetry together is an act of restoring the landscapes he witnessed across the rough northern plains and the beauty of the Korean language he fought to preserve despite destitution," Chairman Park emphasized. "Poetry crosses borders and transcends ideologies. True art bridges human hearts beyond nationality and division."

He added, "The Korean Cultural Center in the Northeast Three Provinces will continue unwavering in its role as a cultural bridge connecting South and North Korea, as well as China and South Korea."

The event received generous sponsorship from the Overseas Koreans Agency, the Dalian Consular Office of the Consulate General in Shenyang, Dalian International School, the Ahn Jung-geun Spirit Movement Headquarters, the Federation of Korean Associations in China’s Northeast Three Provinces, the Dalian Weekend Korean School, and the Online Korean School Cheongchodang.

https://thekoreajournal.com/View.aspx?No=4305571 

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