Yun Hyon-seok facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yun Hyon-seok
윤현석 |
|
|---|---|
| Born | August 7, 1984 Changjeondong, Byupyong street, Incheon, South Korea
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| Died | April 26, 2003 (aged 18) Dongdaemun, Dongdaemun street, Seoul, South Korea
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| Nationality | Korean |
| Other names | Yook Woo Dang, Seolheon, Midong |
| Occupation | Poet, writer, Human right activists, Critics |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 윤현석 |
| Hanja | 尹賢碩 |
| Revised Romanization | Yun Hyeon-seok |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yun Hyŏn-sŏk |
| Pen name | |
| Hangul | 육우당, 설헌, 미동, 동화, 안토니오 |
| Hanja | 六友堂, 雪軒, 美童, 童花 |
| Revised Romanization | Yuk U-dang, Seolheon, Midong, Donghwa, Antonio |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yuk U-dang, Sŏlhŏn, Midong, Donghwa, Antonio |
Yun Hyon-seok (Hangul: 윤현석; Hanja: 尹賢碩; August 7, 1984 – April 26, 2003) was a South Korean LGBT poet, writer and LGBT activist.
From the 2000s until his death, he was a controversial figure in the eyes of the public and fought against opponents of homosexuality and homosexual psychopath theorists. Throughout his school years, he had been pushed away from a similar peer group. In December 2002, he planned to leave school in order to attend Seil High School. From 1999 to 2003, he was active in the anti-LGBT discrimination movement, the LGBT rights movement, and homophobia opposition movement. In 2001, he debuted in literary world, involving himself in poetry, writing and columnist activities also, but mainly poetry. He received much discrimination and was the victim of prejudice, because of his sexual identity. In 2002, he joined the Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea, and was also a peace activist and a conscientious objector to military service. Up until his death, he wrote more poetry and prose, but his work was rejected, as he was gay.
After 2000 he was involved in an LGBT human rights, anti-discrimination, disability rights, and an anti-war peace movement.
He wrote under the pen name Yook Woo Dang (육우당, 六友堂, home of six friends) and Seolheon (설헌, 雪軒) and was also known by his nickname Midong (미동, 美童, beautiful boy) or Donghwa(동화, 童花, Boy flower). His Catholic baptismal name was "Antonio".
Contents
Life
Early life
Hyon-seok was born in 1984, at Bupyong, Incheon. He was born into a devoted Roman Catholic family, and was baptised with the name "Antonio". His parents were school teachers. He was bullied throughout his school years, and eventually dropped out of Incheon High School in 2002.
His family disapproved of his homosexuality and pressured him to be heterosexual, but Yun said, "I can't be heterosexual and don't want to be heterosexual." He was thoroughly isolated, about which he would complain in his diary. In October 2002, one diary entry from Yun said, "I do not think I'm abnormal. In this world born and living right-handed, also naturally left-handed is born and living. This road exists as also another road exists. Most persons use the well-worn path, but I have to go on a lone desolate path." He enjoyed reading, The Diary of Anne Frank and Thus Spoke Zarathustra.
Poetry and writings
During his adolescence, he tried to drown his pain in writing and also went to volunteer in orphanages and disabled groups. He harbored ill feelings towards South Korean political leaders due to the institutionalized homophobia rampant in South Korea, and because the majority of South Korean political figures were opposed to homosexuality, feeling that it violated traditional social norms and values. He was deeply upset by the assertion by political figures that his work violated traditional Korean social mores, due to the conservative attitudes prevalent in South Korean society.
LGBT rights movement
Due to the widespread criticism of the homosexual themes in his writings, especially by fundamental Christians, he was unable to write under his real name despite wanting to do so. Instead he used the pseudonym Yook Woo Dang.
In January 2001, he joined the D Sijo(시조 詩調) poet club and W Sijo poet club, with a rank as a student member. He continued his activity and contributed many writings, including poetry, to Sijo for a period of two years. In February 2001, he joined and later worked for the organization Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea. In autumn of 2002, Yun sought after more volunteers or full-time employees for the Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea. His earnest desires were approved for March of the following year.
Death and commemoration
On April 26, 2003, Yun took his own life as a result of the homophobia and closed-mindedness in South Korea. He was 18 years of age. His death led to the implementation of the South Korean Youth Protection Act (청소년 보호법) which granted protection to homosexual and transgender individuals. A posthumous collection of his work was published in 2006.
Books
- Yook Woo Dang: 《Let My Spirit Rain Down as Flower Petals》(육우당: 내 혼은 꽃비 되어) (2013)
- 《Diary of Yook Woo Dang》(육우당일기 六友堂日記, unpublished)
Miscellaneous
In addition to "Yook Woo Dang" he also used the pen name "Seolheon" in reference to pre-modern Korean poet Heo Nanseolheon (허난설헌, 許蘭雪軒).
See also
In Spanish: Yun Hyon-seok para niños
- Conscription in South Korea
- Jeon Tae-il
- Emily Wilding Davison
- Sylvia Plath
