Korean-Born Poet Chloe Honum's Acclaimed "DMZ Colony" to Debut in South Korea

The literary world is abuzz with the upcoming release of "DMZ Colony," the first collection of poetry by Korean-born writer Chloe Honum to be published in South Korea. Honum, who gained international acclaim as the first US National Book Award winner for a poetry collection, has long been recognized in Korea primarily as a translator. Her skillful renderings of poets like Kim Hyesoon have garnered significant awards, including the Lucien Stryk Translation Prize and the Griffin Poetry Prize, cementing her reputation for bringing Korean voices to the English-speaking world.

However, "DMZ Colony" marks a significant moment, as it presents Honum's own poetic voice to her birth country. The collection delves into the lingering effects of extreme ideological conflict, utilizing experimental forms to capture the memories of war, civilian massacres, and the experiences of her father, who worked as a journalist during South Korea's dictatorial periods. This work is deeply personal, reflecting Honum's own sense of being an "outsider" as she left Korea at the age of 10.

“

The command to divide my country along the 38th parallel in 1945 took less than 30 minutes to execute. The commanding words globally impose division, war, and obedience. But... translation can also create other words. In my case, I call them mirror words. Mirror words resist and rebel. Mirror words defy neo-colonial borders and blockades. Mirror words fly along borders, often crossing seas, even galaxies. Mirror words are nostalgia. Mirror words are a halo. Mirror words are orphaned words. Now look at your words in the mirror. Translate, translate! Did you do it? Do it again!

Honum's approach to poetry is as unique as her background. She describes her method as creating "mirror words" that defy division, war, and forced obedience, resisting neo-colonial borders and blockades. These "mirror words" are born from a sense of "nostalgia" and "orphanhood," a profound connection to fragmented experiences. The collection itself is a testament to this, blending poetry, prose, and images to "translate" the memories of those lost in Korea's modern history, from the Korean War and division to the authoritarian regimes.

What makes Honum's work particularly resonant from a Korean perspective is her sharp and persistent focus on the echoes of neo-colonialism, war, division, and dictatorship. Unlike Western coverage, which might focus on the geopolitical aspects, Honum's poetry, as published by Hankyoreh, emphasizes the deeply human cost and the fragmented memories that persist. Her "Korean-American Trilogy," which includes "Hardly War" and "Mirror Nation" (about the Gwangju Uprising), positions her as a vital chronicler of the Korean experience, offering a perspective that is both intimate and critically engaged with the nation's tumultuous past.

“

I was on the 9th planet... The torturer asked me... What if I shatter the 9th planet?... I answered... Even blood rusts.