Editor's Note: The following opinion article is contributed by Choe Chong-dae, a longstanding member of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea and an enthusiast of international cultural and historical affairs.
My longstanding interest in literature led me to attend the monthly gathering of the Space Poetry Reading Society on July 2, 2026, at the gracious invitation of Choi Chong-ko, Emeritus Professor of Law at Seoul National University.
During the event, I had the privilege of introducing my recently published book, Bridging Cultures: The Korea Times Columns of a Citizen Diplomat (1979–2025). By a happy coincidence, the Space Poetry Reading Society was founded in April 1979—the same year I began contributing articles to The Korea Times in June. The parallel between the society's history and my own writing journey made the occasion especially meaningful.
Although literature is often regarded as an art rooted in the printed page, poetry transcends the boundaries of both medium and time. At its heart, poetry is meant to be heard. Long before the invention of printing, poems were passed down through the spoken word, preserving both memory and emotion across generations.
When poetry is recited aloud, listeners experience its meaning through the cadence, rhythm and emotion of the human voice. Each reading is unique, shaped by the reader's breath, interpretation and feeling. This is the enduring appeal of poetry recitation. It lifts literature from the printed page and brings it vividly to life, transforming words into a shared human experience.
During the 1970s, poetry flourished alongside the vibrant cultural life of Seoul's Myeong-dong and Jongno districts. Poets gathered in quiet tea houses and intimate cafés, reciting their works before attentive audiences who came simply to listen. Those evenings reflected an era when literature occupied a cherished place in everyday life.
Among Korea's poetry recital organizations, the Space Poetry Reading Society (공간시낭독회) is widely recognized as one of the country's longest-running and most respected. It was founded in April 1979 by the distinguished poets Ku Sang, Park Hee-jin and Sung Chan-kyung. Since then, the society has maintained a proud tradition of presenting monthly poetry readings.
Its regular sessions were first held on the last Wednesday of each month at the renowned cultural venue "Space Love." In June 1986, the gatherings moved to the Batangol Art Center before eventually settling at their current venue, North Terrace in Seoul's Jongno District, near Anguk Station.
Attendance has naturally fluctuated over the decades. The society attracted particularly large audiences during its early years at Space Love, while gatherings at the Batangol Art Center generally welcomed between 20 and 60 participants. The meeting I attended, however, was exceptionally well attended, reflecting the society's enduring appeal despite an era in which poetry readership has steadily declined.
The late poet Ku Sang envisioned the society not simply as a literary gathering but as a means of preserving, refining and celebrating the beauty of the Korean language. Although nearly five decades have passed, that vision continues to resonate.
The society's origins are closely connected with one of Ku Sang's overseas experiences. While teaching at the University of Hawaii in the early 1970s, he visited San Francisco during a vacation. Near the Golden Gate Bridge, he stopped at a café in an artists' village where he witnessed poets and musicians performing together in an atmosphere that blended literature, music and conversation. Some performers recited poems accompanied by stringed instruments, while others spoke informally with the audience between readings. The experience left a lasting impression on him.
After returning to Korea in the mid-1970s, Ku Sang visited a well-known café on Toegye-ro that featured live orchestral performances. During a conversation with the conductor, he suggested that poetry readings might be presented during the musical intermissions. The idea was enthusiastically received.
Encouraged by the audience, Ku Sang stepped onto the stage and recited Jeong Cheol's famous Seongju-ga("A Drinking Song"), followed by one of his own poems. The audience responded warmly. Yet after several weekly gatherings, he concluded that poetry deserved a quieter and more contemplative setting than a drinking establishment could provide.
A more enduring opportunity soon emerged. At the end of 1978, during a gathering of senior artists, Ku Sang happened to be seated beside the renowned architect Kim Soo-geun. Kim shared his plans for a new cultural complex known as the Space Art Museum and invited Ku Sang to organize regular literary events there.
That meeting led directly to the founding of the Space Poetry Reading Society in April 1979. Operating on a modest budget supported largely by small admission fees and the generosity of cultural patrons, the society has continued its monthly gatherings for nearly half a century—a remarkable achievement in Korea's literary history.
Standing before the audience that evening to introduce my book was both a privilege and a deeply personal experience. It brought together my own 46-year journey as a newspaper columnist with the society's equally long commitment to preserving the tradition of poetry recitation. I could think of no more fitting place to present a book devoted to fostering cultural understanding.
As I looked around the room, I was encouraged to see that the society's spirit remains vibrant. I sincerely hope that a new generation of Korean writers, students and lovers of literature will continue to join the Space Poetry Reading Society and carry its tradition into the future. By preserving this unique cultural institution, they will help ensure that poetry continues to enrich Korean society for many years to come.
With its unwavering dedication to literature and the spoken word, I am confident that the Space Poetry Reading Society will continue to nurture future generations of writers—and perhaps inspire another Korean recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature.
[About the Columnist: Choe Chong-dae is a prominent columnist and a longstanding member of the Royal Asiatic Society Korea. An enthusiast of international cultural and historical affairs, he has contributed regular opinion columns to The Korea Times for more than four decades. He also serves on the editorial board of the Newsletter of the Korea-America Association and is the founding director of the Korea–Swedish Association. In 2010, he was awarded Sweden’s Royal Order of the Polar Star, one of the country’s most prestigious honors.]
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