Written by: Yeabun. Park

His smile is as shiny and childlike as his children’s poems. His boyish appearance feels people bright and smiling. He has a soft and emotional character but sometimes, he is as stubborn as a scholar. Also, his voice has an attraction for warm relations. He is like a clear autumn sky by breaking a boundary of an old master to attract his colleagues. He requests children literature writers to act up to their words as ‘what the person writes is who the person is’. He loved children’s poems and embraced all the objects like his children.

1. Bud Sprouting During the War

Yoon was born in March 30, 1941 as the eldest son of 4 sons and 3 daughters in Wonchon-ri, Sandong-myeon, Gurye-gun, Jeonnam under Changhyeok Yoon, the father and Bongeup Gwak, the mother. When he was born, the world surrounding him was in the middle of the world war. Japan forcibly occupied Korea and China and tried to colonize the whole Asia. Finally, Japan invaded the Pearl Harbor and caused the outbreak of the Pacific War. The people under the Japanese colonial rule became worse.

Even worse, he had no idea what the liberation and involvement of the US and the Soviet Union were in 1945 and establishment of the two Koreas in 1948. His father who was a public servant and the mother raised him with love.

At the age of 8, he entered Suchang Elementary School in Gwangju, learned Korean characters, enjoyed singing and was interested in singing while hanging out with friends. However, it was short.

In his 3^rd grade, the Korean War broke out. He went to his relative house in Sandong-myeon, Gurye-gun with bare hands. He just walked from Gwangju to Gurye because he could not ride trains or buses. He kept walking about 440km from dawn to the evening. He could not wear the black rubber shoes because they slipped his feet when he walked such a long distance. He walked along newly paved road and took off the shoes on the road except gravel roads. In the evening, he was fainted due to toes with a lot of blisters.

The evacuation for 3 months was desperate and the bombardment gave him awe and shock. The B29 (bomber) flew into the sky and bombs were dropped like rugby balls. When the bombs were grounded, black smoke came out. The war was desperate. Many people lost their lives or became crippled.

He went to Namwon after 2 years living in Gurye. There were 3 big elementary schools in the city but they could not provide classes. The schools were assembly places of communist soldiers and under bombardment. Students studied in the tents or the temporary buildings and he graduated from Namwon Yongseong Elementary School.

He could not think about entering a middle school due to poor life. However, as he took a good grade from the national exam, his 6^thgrade teacher and his father recommended him to enter the middle school. Yun entered Jeonju Sabeom Middle School with the wish of his father that his children would be raised well. There were only 2 students who entered the school. Even Yun was the one out of two; his father said that was good enough to be with him for the lifetime.

He earned scholarship with his excellent achievement since the middle school. He tutored for 6 years in the middle school while living alone and became the 11^th graduate from the school.

2. Singing Song while Playing the Reed Organ

His first workplace as a teacher was Namwon Deoggwa Elementary School in 1959. He took more than 30 students in their 3^rdgrade. The number was relatively high despite a wide area and distant commute. All the students wrapped their books in the cloths to go to school. They usually walked for 3km from home to school while wrapping their books on their waists or shoulders. There was nothing better for him than being with the pure eyes of the children. The students felt distant from their teacher but liked when he ordered even a small chore. The warmhearted students often came to meet him even after they graduated.

He wrote questions on the oilpaper with a steel pen and copied with the mimeograph for exam paper. Ink was on his clothes and hand while mimeographing. He sang songs with his students accompanying his excellent playing the reed organ. He was overjoyed like a boy when he was with his students.

Children played Jegi, Ddakji, Pinwheel, Jachigi and Gomujul. Also, they played ‘finding treasure’ with stamps on pieces of paper hidden in places. Yun gave a pencil or an eraser as a present to the students who found the pieces. Children were delighted like they won lotteries. He spent more time with students and became childlike.

General Jeonghee Park, deputy commander of the 2^nd Military Headquarters and some officers from the 8^th and the 9^thgraduates of the Korea Military Academy seized the power by mobilizing the artillery in the 6^th division, Marine Corps and the 1^st airborne division under the name of inability of the Jang Myeon Administration and social instability. The military junta declared the martial law. The fearful mood made people careful of speaking or gathering. However, teaching students at schools remained calm.

He went to the military service in August. Elementary school teachers were supposed to serve for one year. However, all the soldiers serving for a short time were dispatched to the frontline. He spent the whole year at the DMZ in Mt. Baekam of the 27^th Division in the mid-eastern line. A river peacefully flew over the demarcation line and he could see North Korean soldiers. The weather was cold enough to have the frostbite when he guarded in the winter wearing a pair of socks and combat shoes. He had to put his feet into the cold water to thaw his frozen feet.

He came back to school after discharged, met and married Jeonghyo Lee who was 2-year junior from Jeonju Teaching School and colleague teacher. He was transferred to the Elementary School of Jeonju National University of Education in September 1971 and lived apart from his family. His wife quit her job and came to Jeonju next year to raise their children. It was good for him to live his wife and children (Jeongran, Buseong) together even in a rent house in Gyodong, Jeonju. He could have stable and happy life few years later with a small house and the youngest daughter (Nara).

He was interested in studying more and spent 3 years and a half taking ‘Teachers’ Training Course’, 1 year in an university of education, 3 years in the department of Korean language education at Jeonju National University at night, entered the Graduate School of Education at Wongwang University and earned the master degree of the mathematics education from 1970 to 1983.

3. Educational Aspect of Iheon Yun

He retired as a principal at Jeonju Yangji Elementary School (August 2003) after 44 years of work. The goal on which he concentrated with his distinct love for children was to nurture creative human resources who will lead the next century. To this end, he changed ‘the instruction from the principal’ to ‘telling interesting and touching’ fairy tales in student meetings every Monday. He published ‘small stories in Monday morning’ by collecting simple, light and touching stories to give the students a funny week. The book helped much guiding characters of children.

He expanded the movement writing poems to nurture rapid reaction and creativity. All the students wrote poems starting with their names to give their names pride, published and distributed the poem collection ‘Dreams Come True’. This played a role in providing achievement-oriented, prophecy and auto-suggestion for children.

Yun expanded an activity called having ‘weird thought’ as a plan of nurturing children good at expressing their thoughts and feelings. His school made and distributed ‘weird thought’ files to students and let them write down their thoughts. Then, the thoughts were exhibited and awarded. These various activities expanded thoughts of children and developed imagination and exploration, nurturing creative thinking.

He thought it was important for children to have distinctive creativity and live with warm hearts. Therefore, he asked a favor for the teachers to teach their children with heart, impression, enthusiasm and good memories than hands.

4. Kyunghwan Yu’s ‘I like Deer’

He liked children’s poems while teaching them in the textbooks to children. In particular, the poem titled ‘Deer’ written by Kyunghwan Yu gave him impression. The name, deer, itself is pretty, soft and beautiful. Yun felt peaceful and happy imagining that a child sleeping under the linen with deer print playing in the dream.

The new linen of the baby / is covered with deer // the new linen with soft new cotton

The sleeping baby / is playing with riding a deer / in the dream – ‘Deer’ by Kyunghwan Yu

He read a lot of children’s poems and fell in love with them to give good poems to his students. He wanted to write children’s poems while doing so. He often wrote poems as a member of ‘the Korea Writing Instruction Association’. He wanted to write poems as soft and rhythmical as a deer. However, he had no place to study. He could not help learning by himself. He published his poems as a contribution to an educational magazine, ‘New Classroom’. Jaekyun Seo was attracted and called Yun before establishing the ‘Jeonbuk Children Literature Association’. The association was founded with Jaekyun Seo as an advisor, Gapcheol Yun as a president and members including Ihyeon Yun, Yongjae Kim, Yeonghwan Oh and Okcheol Kang in 1971.

At that time, the association consisted of people who taught literature and teachers. It was because the readers of the children’s literature emphasized ‘the literature for children’ and educational and literal viewpoints. The members created and compared their works in every monthly meeting. They withstood critics for mutual development. Ihyeon was more interested in children’s poems, created more and assumed the 2^nd presidency of the association. He made his debut to monthly ‘Children’s Literature’ in 1976 with the recommendation of Hwamok Park and expanded activities.

5. Unforgettable Writer for Children

He selected 4 people who he could not forget in the field of the children’s literature. They were Yeongil Kim, Hwamok Park, Jaekyun Seo and Yongjae Kim. It was a summer seminar of ‘Jeonbuk Children’s Literature’at Muju in 1973 that he met Kim for the first time in 1973. He was the writer of ‘Squirrel’, ‘Blow the Horn’ and ‘Shoeprint’, favorite children’s songs in schools. It was great honor for Yun to be with and be taught by Kim. He delivered a presentation with the theme of ‘the Image Structure of Children’s Poems’. Yun met Kim for 5 or 6 times before Kim died and Kim delivered a congratulatory speech when Yun published ‘Deer, in its eyes’ and held an event for the publication. He spent the night while discussing the literature with strong impression to the audience. Kim was healthy and energetic and had unique accent of Hamgyeong Province. Also, Yun treated Kim as a mentor for the exemplary cases of children’s poems with succinct and clear expressions.

Yun had relations with Hwamok Park when Park recommended Yun’s ‘Mid-afternoon’in the ‘Children’s Literature’. They met the joint publication of the ‘Korea Children’s Literature Association’ in every January and the summer seminars in every August. Park always guided Yun with warm hearts and Yun thought him as a mentor with Park’s songs like ‘Barley Field’ and ‘the Road to the Orchard’.

Jaekyun Seo was considered as a master of ‘Jeongbuk Children’s Literature Association’. He wrote a long fairy tale titled ‘Mountain Flower’ and leaders in 3 newspapers including ‘Jeonbuk Ilbo’ and was the president of the Jeonbuk Writers Association after retirement. He served as an advisor to the ‘Jeonbuk Children’s Literature Association’ over 40 years and guided the members. Among others, Yun was junior to Seo. Yun followed Seo’s aspects as a natural person and writer and was guided by him. Such relations between them will continue as they live.

Yongjae Kim, a fairy tale writer, is a friend of Yun for more than 50 years and was a colleague of Jeonju Teacher’s School. Kim still writes a collection titled ‘A Village in the Harbor’ (2010) for the young and 12^th fairy tale collection titled ‘Bell Ringing in the Animal Village’. He was a founder of the Jeonju Children’s Literature Association in the early 1970s and a close friend who discussed and reasonably handled events with Yun, as well as holding various children’s literature events and attending seminars. He is a real man of character who shows mercy from himself.

6. Father Filled with Academic Desire

Yun’s father was always proud of him for being with him. The father lived in Namwon and he lived in Jeonju but they were always together in various home affairs by writing verbal statements. It may be because Yun is the eldest son.

The grandmother in Gurye suddenly moved a tomb to the Baekjang grandfather’s in Sannae, Namwonand borrowed 100,000 KRW from the Trust Union. Send the money ASAP. How about coming to Sannae when Seoran’s mother went there to help cooking food for ritual ceremony? Try to make in. From 11:30 am to 15:00 pm on April 9.

From your father.

- Father’s statement

Confucius’s quote, ‘The tree tries to stand still but the wind keeps blowing and the child wants to take care of parents but they do not wait’, reminded Yun of his father. He almost cried because he should have cared more about his father. Yun’s father had a tough life and was born in a remote place (Wian-ri, Sandong-myeon, Gurye-gun) under the Japanese occupation period (1907).

Yun’s father was born as the youngest son of 4 brothers and 2 daughters from the father, a teacher in a traditional Korean school and learned the Chinese literature. The father was taught under the formal school system and worked as a public servant by 2 years after the liberation from Japan, enjoying an ordinary life. However, the Korean War caused him to lose his job and gave him desperate and poor life. He felt the aftermath of the war more than others. He spent miserable life in 1950s and 60s but fortunately his life became relatively stable in 1970s and 80s. Since then, Yun's father joined 'Hansihoi' and focused on writing poems. He released his works in various contests and wrote a lot of works by joining monthly meetings of 'Sihoi'.

Enjoy the nice scenery in a late autumn with whom / Look at the forest with a lot of red branches.//

Much better with the Geomungo sound in a clear night / Deep in the silence with the joy of reading.//

The river under sunset became red with the sky / Foggy cloud in the forest becomes darker after touching the ground.//

The west-bound wind mildly breezes / Wish more to come back to my hometown.

- 'Late Autumn' in the 'Sosan Poem Collection

His father had a desire for academy but could not spread his dreams. It was because he was poor and had few stages to act as a writer. His brothers felt sorry and published 'Sosan Poem Collection' of Changhyeok Yun with works full of Changhyeok's breath and efforts. Professor Geumkyu Park at Jeonbuk National University translated the father's Chinese poems into Korean. He dedicated the collection to his father feeling sorry for not publishing the collection while the father was alive. Yun's talent for literature was largely affected by his father.

7. Into the Ihyeon Yun's Works

During the Korea War, (6.25) he evacuated to Gurye. He spent his childhood there and had dream with nature. All the people had tough lives under the ashes of the war but the nature was intact, humble and peaceful. The nature he saw remained in his mind with faint longing and memories. The emotions in his children's poems may be mixed with the feeling at that time.

He published his first collection 'Deer, in its eyes' (Haedong) in 1980. Youngil Kim, president of the Korea Children Literature Association who wrote the recommendation of the collection and deputy president Mokwol Park joined the publishing event and congratulated.

'Ihyeon Yunhas had a joyful and fruitful life with children and I really wish he will live in the world of the children' literature where he waters and nurtures filled with fresh and beautiful flowers and butterflies.' - Congratulatory speech of Youngil Kim, on the Liberation Day in 1980

'Considering that the worry about the human character today comes from the emotional poverty, the emotional context is very crucial and the effectiveness of poem affects the children forming their characters. I expect that Yun will grow further and this makes me happy.' - Hwamok Park, August 1980.

Now, a point / leaning against longing / like a blue sky,/ longing eyes/ flowing far away / with the flowing cloud.// The rose is more beautiful / over the fence / and the breeze / freely blows carrying flower scent// hanging around the fence / the deer / is standing where it is / Its deep eyes / show hometown far away / with longing. - 'Deer, in its deep eyes'

He published 'A Beauty and An Ugly', a collection of children's poems and fairy tales, in 1982. The writer tried to write beautiful stories with new voices. Yun tried to collect morning dew under the sunlight at dawn and wanted to smile like a sunlight glowing over a blue lake. That is why he published the collection hoping that children with clear eyes and adults would read it. 1985. He published 'A Squirrel Land', his first fairy tale collection in November and 'Autumn, Autumn Sky' (Children Literature), his 3rd poem collection in 1987. He wrote a whopping amount of 30 sequels about the blue autumn sky hoping to live like the sky in the blue. One of the poems was in the Korean Literature Textbook for the 2nd term and 4th graders in the 5th through 7th curriculum (2010) and gained love from children.

The blue sky/ far, far away/ "Tick" / want to touch // "Flip" / want to draw// "Wow"/ want to shout// "Splash"/ want to jump into. - 'Autumn Sky'

The sky is an object for longing and love while looking at the essay 'Love the Autumn Sky' in Jeonbuk Essay (Issue 73, 2011). That is why he had his nickname 'Gaha' from 'Gaeul Haneul (blue sky)'. 'Dr. Kong and Robot Rookie' consisting of 21 short fairy tales was released in 1993. Yun felt wonder while looking at stars in the night sky and grew his dream in the stories told by twinkle stars. It is his memory in the childhood that made him still happy. Various flowers bloom and fall in mountains and fields. He collected 21 short fairy tales hoping that the world would be filled with beautiful stories like the flowers. Among them, 'The Purple Purse' is a story about a father working in Saudi Arabia bought and gave a purple purse to his daughter, Yunhee. But she wanted to have a magic lamp like in 'the Arabian Night'. Surprisingly, she found a 5,000 KRW bill in the purse whenever she woke up. Yunhee thought and thought again and decided to give to her mom. It was because her mom would become a Santa Claus if she had a lot of money. The 'Purple Purse' contains a dream that all the children live happy everyday like receiving gifts from Santa Claus through Yunhee. Yun published his 4th poem collection, 'Buddy' (Sina) in 1994 and the 5th collection 'I want to go to school first' (Children Literature) in 2000.

One day / I enter the classroom late // A rose with dews in the vase / opened in a row with the window / the eraser is in its place / I felt / very good. // Right. / I / will come to school first / opening the window / and say hello to friends / with smiling.

- 'I want to go to school first'

He published 'What is My Age', (Korea Pasteur) a collection of short fairy tales in 2001. A kid asked his father why he read the newspaper upside-down. The father answered because the world is going on the opposite way. Since then, the kid looked, counted and thought everything backward including calling 'rabbit' as 'tibbar'. The 9-year-old children counted backward from 100 and he said he was 91 years old. It is a funny fairy tale twisting a tough world. Yun published his 6^th poem collection, ‘An Autumn Sky in My Heart’ (Children’s Literature) in 2003. He said he had published several books but selected poems from them despite humble. Yun said it would be happy for readers to be in the children’s hearts themselves even for a while.

Oh / A butterfly is a flower leaf / Folding it is a leaf / Unfolding it is 2 leaves // From this to that flower // Two leaves // flying softly. – ‘Yellow Butterfly’

‘Yellow Butterfly’ is in the Korean Language textbook for 1^stgraders of middle school. The poem has clear images and simple expression. The poem was awarded by the ‘Subway with poem’ project by the Seoul City government, posted in the subway screen doors and bus stops in Jeonju. Yun published his 7^th poem collection, ‘Answer with Shadow’(Children Literature) with the sponsor by the Korea Culture and Art Commission fund in 2006.

The Sun checks attendance / by shadow every day. // All the objects answer / like 1^st graders / would blow the Earth. // A tall tree has a long / a 3-year-old baby has a short / a 6^thgrade sister has a long a little bit shadow / Everything answers with their shadows.//

- ‘Answer with the Shadow

When mom smiles / it is a good day / When parents smile / it is a very good day

- ‘Weather Forecast of My Home’

Yun wanted to inject imagination into children. Beethoven read poems while composing music, Edison read poems while having a break and Napoleon carried poems in the battlefield. That is because they thought poems would give a lot of imagination. Yun hoped children to be raised with smiles and there are a lot of Yun’s poems with fun and smiles. He published his 8^th poem collection ‘The Kitty is Fine’ (Seom Ai) supported by the Jeonbuk Literature Promotion fund in 2010.

A bunch of wool / put aside while / knitting one by one / A kitty tried to take it / but rolled// Tried again but // rolled // Again / rolled// Didn't know the wool was mingled / The kitty trying to catch / rolled / rolled / rolled // - Oh my god // The kitty is fine / without worrying about mother // The kitty is fine / alone. – ‘The Kitty is Fine’

Yun wanted to write pure and beautiful poems like Kyunghwan Yu’s ‘Deer’. This led Yun looking at even a tiny object with beautiful and sincere viewpoint. The plot, fun, emotion and uniqueness are based on his open heart and love.

8. The World is Beautiful with Children’s Hearts

Wangi Kim made a slogan of the day of Children’s Literature, "The World is Beautiful Living with Children’s Hearts’ in May 1, 2002. Wordsworth said, "A child is a father of an adult". The dictionary defines the children’s heart as ‘a pure mind as a child’. It is adults’ duty to keep children’s pure hearts intact. It means that the adults should keep the heart always. In addition, a gathering of writers whose children’s poems were listed in elementary school textbooks and poets of children’s poems established ‘a gather of mothers reading children’s poems’ in the Korea Children’s Poem Association in 2004. Then, the mothers’ gatherings spread nationwide.

The gathering focuses on sharing children’s hearts with families, schools and neighbors to keep children intact and restore lost hearts for adults. Yun established ‘Jeonju Children’s Poem Association’with Yebun Park and acted as the head of Jeonju branch in July 2005. He selected good poems every month, shared the poems and stories with members to have healthy lives of children’s hearts. The members who met children’s poems for the first time were excited. They concluded doing anything with excitement and optimism.

Junkwan Lee, the 5^th president of the Korea Children’s Poem Association changed the gathering of mother’s reading children’s poems to gathering of reading poems for expansion (2011). The gathering welcomes those who like and love poems regardless of their genders or ages. It would be the best to read a short poem and live like a bright sunlight in the morning. It is ‘children’s poem’ that he lives with bright smile and health like a boy even over 70 years old. Yun praises the poem as a God for him. It means the poem becomes a literature to obey in his life.

Ando, a children’s literature critic said, "Ihyun Yun keeps discovering new words like a boy with pure heart and shines existing tainted words. He is a poet who can get rid of inertia of existing writers and has capabilities who can see an object from different views. His poems are the world with rainbow as beautiful as a picture drawn by a kid. In addition, it is the prototype of the purist life before the world is cursed by the sin. Therefore, his poems are the message of beauty and joy for all of us and a pleasure trip to maze finding real egos lost in topsy-turvy lives. (Literature Research, Autumn Issue, 2012)"

Poet Hwaju Lee said, "Yun’s poem, ‘What Can I do?’ is clear and concise. It wholly delivers children’s hearts with right words. Yun comes into children’s hearts and becomes a child. So, he can deliver their feelings intact. In addition, he poses a question, saying "What Can I do?" The readers, children, think the speaker in the poem is themselves. That is the children’s poem. It is the poem that I want to give to the children. Yun’s voice is clean and clear. His voice is filled with warmth and love for children." (Today’s Poem Literature, Summer Issue, 2012)

Yun’s smile is childlike and pure as he is. People feel bright and smile when they meet him. He has a soft and emotional character but sometimes, he is strict as a scholar. In addition, his voice has the power leading relations warm. He is like a clear blue sky. He breaks the border of a master for his juniors to come closer with open hearts. He requests children literature writers to act up to their words as ‘what the person writes is who the person is’. He loved children’s poems and embraced all the objects like his children.

Reference

Ihyun Yun....... ‘Deer, in its eyes’ (Oct 1980, Haedong)

Ihyun Yun....... ‘A Beauty and an Ugly’ (Dec 1982, Kyohaksa)

Ihyun Yun....... ‘A Squirrel Land’ (Nov 1985, Dream Hill)

Ihyun Yun...... ‘ Autumn, Autumn Sky’ (May 1987, Children’s Literature)

Ihyun Yun....... ‘Dr. Kong and Robot Rookie’ (Aug 1993, Seojin)

Ihyun Yun....... ‘Buddy’ (Nov 1994, Sina)

Ihyun Yun....... ‘I want to go to school first’ (Oct 2000, Children’s Literature)

Ihyun Yun....... ‘What is My Age?" (July 2001, Korea Pasteur)

Ihyun Yun....... ‘An Autumn Sky in my Heart’ (June 2003, Children’s Literature)

Ihyun Yun....... ‘Answer with Shadow’ (2006, Children’s Literature)

Ihyun Yun....... ‘The Kitty is Fine’ (April 2010, Seom Ai)

.................. Literature Research (Autumn Issue, 2002, Literature Research)

.................. Literature and Children (March 2003, Literature and Children)

.................. Sosan’s Chinese Poem Collection (2010, Sina)

.................. The History of Children’s Literature (March 2011, Sunri)

.................. Jeonbuk Essay (No. 73, 2011, Sina)

.................. Yun’s poem collection, ‘The Kitty is Fine’(Jeonbuk Ilbo, May and June, 2010)

1941. 03. 30 Born as the eldest son of 4 sons and 3 daughters of Changhyeok Yun and Bongeup Gwak

1950. 06 Faced the Korean War in Gwangju

1953. 03 Graduated from Yongseong Elementary School in Namwon, Jeonbuk where he was evacuated

1956. 03 Graduated from Jeonju Teachers’ Middle School

1959. 03 Graduated from Jeonju Teachers’ College (11^th)

1959. 04 Dispatched to Deoggwa Elementary School in Namwon, Jeonbuk as the first workplace

1965. 08 Married Jeonghyo Lee, 2 years junior to him and had a son and 2 daughters

1971. 09 Transferred to the Elementary School of Jeonju National University of Education

1972. 02 Graduated from Jeonju National University of Education

1972. 12 Joined the Jeonbuk Children’s Literature Association

1975. 01 Assumed the presidency of the Jeonbuk Children’s Literature Association

~ 1980. 01

1976. 02 Graduated from Jeonju College (Korean literature education)

1976. 03 Joined a member of the Jeonbuk Essay Club

1976. 10 Debuted monthly "Children’s Literature"with the poem, ‘Mid-afternoon’ (recommended by Hwamok Park)

1977. 09 Published traditional fairy tales "Kongjui Patjui, Onggojipjeon"

1979. 01 Joined a member of the Korea Writers Association

1979. 09 Transferred to Namwon Daejeong Elementary School as vice principal

1980. 10 Published the first children’s poem collection ‘Deer, in its eyes’ (Seoul, Haedong)

1982. 12 Published poem and fairy tale collection ‘A Beauty and an Ugly’ (Seoul, Kyohaksa)

1983. 01 Joined a member of the Korea HQ of the International Pen-pal Club

1983. 04 Transferred to the Jeongeup Education Office as a superintendent

1983. 08 Graduated from the Graduate School of Education at Wongwang University (Master’s degree of education)

1985. 10 Transferred to the Jeonbuk Research Institute of Education as a researcher

1985. 11 Published fairy tale collection, ‘A Squirrel Land’ (Seoul, Dream Hill)

1986. 12 Transferred to Jeonju Pungnam Elementary School as a vice principal

1987. 05 Published the 2^nd poem collection, ‘Autumn, Autumn Sky’(Seoul, Children’s Literature)

1988. 03 Transferred to the Elementary School of Jeonju National University of Education as a vice principal

1988. 11 Published biography ‘Einstein’ (Seoul, Yongjin)

1990. 02

-92. 12 Established the Korea Future Culture Research Institute (first president)

1990. 03 Listed ‘Autumn Sky’ in the Korean literature textbook of the 5^th graders in the 5^th curriculum

(6^th: 6^th graders, 7^th: 4^th graders)

1990. 05 Published a lyric collection "We are buddies"(Jeonju, Gongiksa)

1990. 06 Published biography collection "Pestalozzi, Coubertin" (Seoul, Samik Munhwasa)

1991. 04 Published the 3^rd collection "In the Wind" (Seoul, Children’s Literature)

Published traditional fairy tale "Rabbit and Terrapin" (Seoul, Samik Munhwasa)

Published "Niels’s Wonderous Travel (Seoul, Samik Munhwasa)

Published "Newton" (Korea Montessori), "Gyebaek" (Seoul, Gyerim)

1991. 09 Transferred to Imsil Dong Elementary School as a vice principal

1991. 09 Awarded the grand prize in the KBS children’s song contest (lyric of "Paengichigi")

1992. 03 Transferred to Muju Jeungsan Elementary School as the principal

1993. 03 Transferred to Imsil Sinpyeong Elementary School as the principal

1993. 04 Lectured in Baekje Arts College (Children’s literature theory)

~ 1995. 12

1993. 08 Published fairy tale collection ‘Dr. Kong and Robot Rookie’ (Seoul, Seojin)

1993. 05 Wrote lyrics for Jeonju Samcheon Nam Elementary School, Jeonju Deokil Elementary School, Jeonju Jungsan Elementary School, Jeonju Yongwa Elementary School, Namwon Students Education Center and Namwon Chamsarang Kindergarten

1993. 08 Joined a member of the Korea Buddhism Children’s Literature Association

1994. 11 Published the 4^th poem collection’ Buddy’ (Jeonju, Sina)

1995. 05 Joined a member of the Korea Children’s Song Research Club (lyrics)

1996. 03 Transferred to the Jeonbuk Educational Information Institute as a researcher

1999. 09 Transferred to Jeonju Pungnam Elementary School as the principal

2000. 10 Published the 5^th poem collection, ‘I want to go to school first’ (Seoul, Children’s Literature)

2001. 05 Vice president of the Korea Children’s Literature Association

~ 2003. 04

2003. 08 Advisor to the Korea Children’s Literature Association

~

2001. 07 Published the fairy tale collection, ‘What is my age?’ (Seoul, Korea Pasteur)

2001. 09 Transferred to Jeonju Yangji Elementary School as the principal

2002. 01 Published ‘Wisdom of life in proverbs’ (Educational fairy tale, Korea Pasteur)

2002. 02 Joined a member of the Korea Children’s Poem Literature Association (currently, a director)

2003. 06 Published the 6^th poem collection, ‘Autumn Sky in my Heart’ (Children’s Literature)

2003. 08. Retired

2005. 07 Head of Jeonju Branch of ‘the gathering of mothers reading children’s poems’ (hosted by the Korea Children’s Poem Literature Association)

2006 Published the 7^th poem collection, ‘Answer with Shadow’ (Children’s Literature) funded by the Korea Culture and Arts Committee

2007. 02

- 2011. 01 Director of the Korea Writers’ Association

2007. 03 A member of the Korea Children’s Song Culture Association (lyrics)

2010. 04 Published the 8^th poem collection, ‘The Kitty is Fine’ (partly funded by the Jeonbuk Literature Promotion fund)

2011. 03 Designated as an advisor to the Korea Writers’ Association

[Award]

1981. 01 Jeonbuk Children’s Literature

1983. 05 Korea Children’s Literature Writers

1991. 10 Jeonbuk Literature

1998. 12 Korea Children’s Poem

2001. 05 Korea Children’s Songs (lyrics)

2003. 10 Jeonju Literature

2006. 05 Grand prize of the Korea Youth Culture

2006. 12 Mokjeong Culture (literature)

2007. 05 The 8^th Youngil Kim Children’s Literature

2010. 12 The 27^th Korea Buddhism Children’s Literature

[Honor]

1967. 10 Blue badge of the 11^th Korea Research Competition

1971. 11 Blue badge of the 15^th Korea Research Competition

1989. 12 Citation from the MEST Minister

1994. 05 Citation from the MEST Minister

2003. 05 The 22^nd Korea Educators Award (Award of teachers by Hankuk Ilbo)

2003. 08 Hwangjo Geunjeong Medal