Kang Byeong-Cheol - Biography and poetry cycle (bilingual)
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Full biography of Byeong-Cheol Kang
Poet Dr. Kang Byeong-Cheol is a Korean author and poet, born in Jeju City, South Korea, in 1964. Kang Byeong-Cheol is a Korean author, poet, translator, and Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science. He was born in Jeju City, South Korea, in 1964. He began writing in 1993 and published his first short story, Song of Shuba, at the age of twenty-nine. In 2005, he published a collection of short stories. Over the course of his career, he has received eight major literary awards and published more than 20 books, spanning poetry, fiction, and essays.
He earned his Ph.D. in Political Science from Jeju National University in February 2012, after completing a B.A. in Management at the same university in 2004. In addition to his academic degrees, Dr. Kang has completed several internationally recognized training programs in peacebuilding and mediation. In 2006, he received a certificate in Mediation Theory and Practice, jointly delivered by the University of South Australia and Southern Oregon University in Suva, Fiji. The following year, in 2007, he completed a program on East Asian Peace Governance and Peace Culture, co-organized by Suffolk University (USA) and Jeju National University. In 2008, he participated in two intensive peacebuilding courses hosted by PATRIR in Cluj-Napoca, Romania: From Conflict to Peace Processes and Designing Peacebuilding Programs.
Dr. Kang has also actively participated in a number of international conferences. These include the 3rd Asia-Pacific Mediation Conference in Fiji; the 2006 Diaspora Conference on peace and development in Toronto, Canada; and the 2007 World Conference against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs in Nagasaki, Japan. These engagements reflect his longstanding interest in peace studies and global cooperation.
Throughout his professional career, Dr. Kang has served in a number of significant roles. From 1992 to 1996, he was the Jeju Branch Director of the Korea Herald. He worked as a columnist for the Jeju Times from 2004 to 2010, and served as Special Research Fellow at the Jeju National University Peace Institute between 2007 and 2010. From 2010 to 2013, he was CEO of the Jejuin News internet press. Since 2010, he has been a Senior Research Fellow at the Society of Ieodo Research, and since 2016, a Special Appointed Professor at Jeju International University. He is currently Vice President of the Korean Institute for Peace and Cooperation. He was also a member of the Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) of PEN International from 2009 to 2014, and previously served as an editorial writer for New Jeju Ilbo, a local newspaper in Jeju.
Dr. Kang’s literary world is defined by profound philosophical inquiry and a deep reflection on the human condition. His major poetry collections include The Sound of the Bamboo Forest, Reading the Loom at the Waterfall, and God Does Not Throw Dice. The Sound of the Bamboo Forest is a bilingual English-Korean work that integrates Buddhist philosophy and Zen-inspired imagery to explore universal themes of nature, existence, and spiritual quietude. Reading the Loom at the Waterfall presents a poetic dialogue between natural rhythms and human life, while God Does Not Throw Dice takes its cue from Einstein’s famous statement, exploring the convergence of science, theology, and poetic imagination.
Dr. Kang's literary excellence has been widely recognized. In 1993, he won the New Writers’ Prize for Fiction from the Jeju Literary Association. In 2014, he received the Grand Prize in Fiction at the 11th Literary World Awards. He was also honored with the 19th Blue Poetry Award for his refined poetic expression and philosophical insight. In 2023, he received the “Best International Poet and Translator Award” from the International Center for Poetry Translation in China in recognition of his contributions to global literary exchange. In 2025, he received the “Best Asian Poet of the Year” award at the 5th Silk Road International Poetry and Art Festival.
POEMS
Cat’s Cry in the Deep Night
From the corner of the deep night,
a cry soaked in starlight flows out.
A lone cat, groping through the arms of darkness,
searches for its lost heart.
Its cry rides upon the wind,
suckling the nipple of the moon -
all the world’s longing
seeps into that small voice.
For a moment, silence drapes the sky.
A mother’s shadow returns,
gathers one fragile warmth into her arms.
Only then does the night find its breath.
Yet far away, through Gaza’s smoke,
beneath the moon stained by sorrow,
another cat is crying.
Its cry licks the wounds of the stars and asks -
“Peace, when will you awaken?”
Toward Border less Freedom, Like a Bird
The falcon circles above the dark,
and iron rule
cracks
within its own fear.
Even in the heart of ruins,
the poets of the world
cry out together-
with the descendants of Persia.
Now is the time.
Now is the time to awaken.
Be free like a bird,
like the wind,
like the clouds-
for border less freedom.
The Soaring Eagle
A flock of crows in dark disguise,
With jealous hearts and spiteful cries,
Ascend to claw the eagle's flight
But falter in the blinding light.
They do not know how high he flies,
Nor see the wisdom in his eyes.
They grasp not purpose, strength, or grace
They only chase what they can’t face.
The eagle climbs in silent might,
Riding winds to endless height.
The crows grow tired, drop one by one,
Their foolish game is lost and done.
A noble soul, so pure and wide,
Will never drift with envy’s tide.
It walks alone, but walks with fire
On paths that reach forever higher.
You are the eagle, calm and wise,
Above the noise, above the lies.
You do not fight with birds below;
Your silence says what words can't show.
No answer to their bitter breath,
No counter to their rage or death.
You rise instead beyond their call,
Where only quiet skies enthrall.
They shriek and flail, they mock and sneer,
But all dissolve when you draw near.
And with compassion, not with pride,
You watch them fall, and gently glide.
The sky is vast, the stars are few
Not all who flap can follow through.
So now I ask, with heart made true
Where do your wings carry you?
And where does your spirit settle into?
비상하는 독수리
어두운 탈을 쓴 까마귀 떼,
시기와 분노에 찬 채,
독수리의 비상에 달려들지만
눈부신 빛에 그만 휘청이지
그들은 알지 못해, 그의 고도.
그 눈에 서린 지혜를.
그 뜻도 힘도, 고운 품격도
마주할 용기조차 없이 쫓을 뿐
독수리는 조용히 솟아오르며
끝없는 하늘을 바람 타고 흐른다.
지친 까마귀, 하나둘 흩어지며
그 어리석은 장난은 끝나버린다.
고결한 영혼은 맑고 넓어,
시기와 질투에 흔들리지 않지.
홀로 걸어도, 그 걸음은 불꽃 같아
영원히 높아지는 길을 따라 간다.
그대는 독수리—차분하고 지혜롭지.
소음 위에, 거짓 위에 나는 이.
아래 새들과 싸우지 않으며,
그대의 침묵이 말보다 날카롭다네.
그들의 독한 숨결엔 응대하지 않고,
그 분노와 죽음에도 맞서지 않는다.
그대는 대신 더 높이 솟아오르지,
고요한 하늘만이 당신을 사로잡는다.
그들은 비명을 지르고, 몸부림치며
조롱하고 웃어도, 당신이 다가오면
그 모든 것이 사라진다.
당신은 교만 아닌 자비로 그들을 본다.
하늘은 넓고, 별은 드물다—
날개짓한다고 다 나는 것은 아니지.
그래서 묻고 싶다, 진심으로:
그대의 날개는 어디를 향하는가?
그대의 영혼은 어디에 머무는가?
Sounds of Bamboo Forest
No matter how strong the wind blows,
the green forest never crumbles.
When the wind passes by,
the green forest stands tall and proud,
inspiring admiration.
The sounds of bamboo forest,
echo through the trees,
whispers of wisdom and peace,
carried on the gentle breeze.
A symphony of rustling leaves,
Soft words win hard hearts,
a melody of harmony,
ringing in the bamboo forest glen.
So let the forest speak to you,
let its wisdom guide your way,
listen to the sounds of bamboo,
and find peace in each passing day.
대나무 숲의 소리
아무리 강한 바람이 불어도
푸른 숲은 무너지지 않아
바람이 지나가면
푸른 숲은 높고 자랑스러운 모습으로 서 있어,
감탄할 만한 영감을 주네
대나무 숲의 소리,
나무들 사이로 울려 퍼지네.
지혜로운 평화의 속삭임,
부드러운 바람에 실리네.
속삭이는 잎들의 교향곡,
부드러움이 강한 것을 이겨,
대나무 숲의 계곡에서 울리는 화음
숲이 말하는 것을 들으며
지혜의 길로 이끌게 두어야 하네.
대나무의 소리를 들으면서,
하루하루 평화를 찾을 수 있으니
The Sharp Rocks by the Seashore
Even the strong black rocks
can be shattered by the waves
the never-tiring power of the waves.
I used to be one of the sea's sharp rocks,
strong and sharp-edged,
fighting against the waves.
Now, I have crumbled into a round pebble,
having learned a lesson over time.
Softness can conquer strength,
and the pen is mightier than the sword.
The truth of the universe,
Sharp rocks turn into pebbles,
and sharp things change into round and soft things.
The pebbles playing with the waves on the shore,
no longer fight against the waves.
They live in harmony with the peaceful waves.
…………………………………………..
Prepared for publication by Angela Kosta
