Suwon-born poet and essayist Kook-dong Kim has donated approximately 2,200 personal books to the Sunkyung Library in Suwon, South Korea. The donation ceremony took place on Oct. 29 at the Suwon Studies Archive room inside the library.
Donation Ceremony at Sunkyung Library
Library officials, including Library Business Division Director Hyuk-joo Kwon and Sunkyung Library Director Kyung-soo Cho, gathered with Kim for the formal handover in the Suwon Studies Archive. Sunkyung Library announced plans to showcase the donated collection within a dedicated personal collection corner inside the archive space. Director Cho stated that the acquired volumes represent a valuable asset to share with local citizens, adding that the library will systematically organize and preserve the materials to expand public cultural literacy.
Literary Career and Civic Contributions
Born in Suwon in 1944, Kim maintains an active career as a poet, essayist, and columnist. His published works include the poetry and essay collections It’s Just So Good Right Now, a 13-volume collection of his works titled Kim Hoon-dong’s Collected Works, I Become a Forest, Suwon Hwaseong’s Breath Woven with Poetry and Painting, and Beyond the Fortress Wall, Suwon’s Hidden Expressions.
Throughout his career, Kim has received several honors, including the Model Book Collector Award, the Suwon Literature Award, the Proud Gyeonggi Person Award, the Korea Essay Literature Award, and the Korea Federation of Arts and Culture Grand Prize. Beyond his writing, he has shaped regional culture by serving as the Gyeonggi Provincial Branch President of the Korean Red Cross, President of the Suwon Writers Association, President of the Suwon Federation of Artistic and Cultural Organizations, and Director of the Suwon Municipal Museum of Art.
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