Today, more than ever before, Korean women poets are cultivating a determined voice all their own. Their works are diverse and their ability is impressive. Indeed, their literary achievement surpasses that of “men's poetry” in quantity and quality to such an extent that classifying “women's poetry” as a separate genre seems embarrassing.

Although the problem of establishing exactly when Korean women's poetry originated leaves room for discussion, scholars generally view women poets who became active around the 1920s as the pioneers. This was when Korean society was transformed from authoritarianism to enlightenment and Koreans experienced a radical change of consciousness. Yet the change in women was even more radical than in men – it was a case of vertigo. Women poets who initiated a certain “realistic” revolution not only in their work but also in their lives can be regarded as its extreme manifestation.

THE FIRST WAVE

If we divide modern Korean women's poetry into periods for the sake of discussion, the first wave of poets would include Kim Myŏngsun (1896–1951?), Kim Wŏnju (1896–1971), and Na Hyesŏk (1896–1946). These poets are celebrated more for their lives, however, than for their work: Kim Myŏngsun is said to have suffered from delirium; Kim Wŏnju and Na Hyesŏk turned to religion after scandalous extramarital affairs. Judging from the attitudes of Korean society, where adultery is still a crime, one can easily imagine how deviant their behavior must have seemed at the time.