ART TODAY_Poet_04

I’m Shipalyee

Sangwook Ha, defines himself as a ‘Shipalyee.’ ‘Shi’ in Korean means ‘poem,’ and ‘Palyee’ means ‘seller,’ hence he refers to himself as a ‘poem seller.’ Around 10 years ago, his poems were trending on social media. He used to post one or two pictures, each containing just two lines of text as a poem, offering insights into everyday life. To enjoy his poems, I would read the title first, adding to the zest of his work. We would feel curious or moved by the context but soon realize it was humor sympathizing with the title.

Sangwook, suit MZ’s taste

Many young Koreans were mesmerized by his poems. And it making him a reference among youth. His posts were collected into a book titled ‘Seoul Shi’. It has becoming a sensation to the point where even my mother knows his name. His book is full of humor, starting from the Table of Contents. ‘Mokcha,’ the Korean word for Table of Contents, where each syllable can have its own meaning: ‘Mok’ for ‘neck’ and ‘Cha’ for ‘kick.’ Now, you can understand the photo’s meaning.

Has own realm

Meanwhile, there were some skeptical opinions about his poems. As they appeared to be merely playing with words without offering any philosophical insights. He preferred to call himself Shipalyee or an artist rather than a poet because he didn’t start his career through competitions. He carved out his own realm separate from the classical literature realm judged by critics. 

His collection of poems continues to be released Although he wasn’t well-received by critics. Two of his poems have included in textbooks. It may be too early to judge his artistic world. I recommend his collection to those who enjoy playing with Korean words.

EZsPEDIA © 2024 by YUNMI LEE is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0