Manhae Han Yongun's 'The Silence of My Love' Marks 100th Anniversary with Exhibition of 100 Editions

A special exhibition is commemorating the 100th anniversary of the publication of "The Silence of My Love," a landmark poetry collection by the revered Korean poet Manhae Han Yongun. The collection, first published on May 20, 1926, by Hoedong Seogwan, has profoundly influenced Korean literature and thought.

The exhibition, titled "100 Years of 'The Silence of My Love,' 100 Editions," showcases a remarkable array of 100 different published versions of the work. Visitors can view the original 1926 edition alongside various subsequent printings that trace the poem's enduring legacy over the past century.

Located at the Hongju Castle History Museum in Hongseong County, Han Yongun's birthplace, the exhibition runs until May 23. Hoedong Seogwan, the publishing house behind the first edition, was a significant cultural institution in Seoul from 1897 until the mid-1950s. It published numerous important works, including Han Yongun's "The Silence of My Love" and "On the Reform of Korean Buddhism" (1913), as well as Lee Kwang-su's "The Murmur of the Heart" (1918), contributing significantly to modern Korean publishing culture.

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You are leaving, ah, my beloved you are leaving. Leaving the path, past the green mountains and the maple forest, I am leaving with a heavy heart.