Jeong Ji-yong’s 117th Birthday

Today marks the 117th birthday of Jeong Ji-yong, a writer, translator, and teacher whose work experienced a resurgence in the late 1980s and who is now widely considered a pioneer of modern Korean poetry. The Doodle was created by Seoul-based guest artist, Mikyung Lee.

Born in the village of Hagye-ri in Okcheon county, Chungcheong Province on this day in 1902, Jeong Ji-yong grew up during the Japanese occupation of Korea. He published his first poem in 1919 and then traveled to Japan to study English at Doshisha University, writing his thesis on the British artist and poet William Blake.

As a Korean living in a different country, his poetry from this period expressed a sense of longing for home. Among his best-loved poems is 향수, or “Nostalgia,” published in 1923. Adapted into a song, it has become popular on Korean radio, evoking memories of life in a country village, punctuated with the haunting refrain: “Could it ever be forgotten, even in one's dreams?”

Renowned for his powerful imagery and simple yet evocative verse, Jeong Ji-yong continued publishing poetry and teaching high school English at his alma mater—and later at Ewha Women's University—until his unexplained disappearance around 1950. The Jeong Jiyong Literature Prize was established in 1989 to recognize emerging writers and keep his legacy alive.

Guest Artist Q&A with Mikyung Lee

Today's Doodle was created by Seoul-based guest artist Mikyung Lee. Below she shares her thoughts behind making the Doodle:

Q: Why was this topic meaningful to you personally?
A: I've loved Jung Ji-Yong's poems ever since I was in high school. His lyrics and beautiful words have given me a lot of emotions, which are evoked in my daily life. I cherish the fact that his poems have brought about a monumental development of Korean poetry.
 

Q: What were your first thoughts when you were approached about the project?

A: At first, I could not believe that the topic of this project was about Jung Ji-Yong. It was a great honor to draw him and his beautiful lyrics within my illustration style. As I worked I began to study his life story and use it as inspiration.
 

Q: Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle?
A: I couldn’t help but draw inspiration from his great poems. I was inspired by the poem “향수 (Nostalgia)” and his tradition-oriented natural poems. “Nostalgia” is popular to many Korean people. I imagined how much he missed his Korean home while he was studying abroad in Japan. I wanted to draw the moment when he was writing this poem while missing his home at the time.
 

Q: What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle?
A: I would like Korean people to remember Jung Ji-Yong and his beautiful poems when they see this Doodle. Also, I hope people will be inspired by his poems and by this Doodle.

Early concepts by guest artist Mikyung Lee