The poetic world of Kim Daljin, sustained for over 60 years, appears outwardly unchanged, embodying the essence of Taoist philosophy infused with Buddhist thought. Independent of literary trends, he manifested pure spiritualism and the epistemology of Eastern philosophy in his poetry, creatively inheriting the traditional context of Korean poetry.

Kim Daljin’s poetry, deeply rooted in Eastern stillness and detachment, pursues an absolute world beyond material concerns, and secular desires and agony. From the perspective of litterary history, his work is seen as continuing the tradition of the Eastern spiritual world, following in the footsteps of Han Yongwoon, and belonging to the tradition of Buddhist and Laozi-Zhuang Zhou poetry, along with Shin Sukjung.

Kim Daljin (penname ‘Wolha’) was born in 1907 in Changwon City on South Korea’s southern coast. He is a distinguished poet representative of his native city, Changwon. He is also a renowned scholar of classical Korean poetry, Buddhist poetry and scriptures, focusing on Eastern classics and the translation of Buddhist scriptures. In 1934, he began training himself for monastery life at a Buddhist temple, Yujumsa, in the Kumgangsan mountains. Until the 1960s, he worked as a principal in a few secondary schools near his hometown and also taught at the Republic of Korea Naval Academy. After retiring from school teaching and moving to Seoul afterwards, he dedicated himself to the translation of Eastern classics and Buddhist scriptures as a member of the review committee of the Translation Center at Dongguk University. Throughout his life, he lived a secluded life without deeply engaging in social activities, immersing himself in his own consistent poetic world. Kim Daljin made his literary debut in 1929 as a poet and actively participated in major literary societies, including ‘Siwon’ and ‘Siinburak,’ composed of promising and distinguished poets. He was awarded the Silver Certificate of Merit from the Republic of Korea in 1991. The Kim Daljin Literary Award was also established in 1990, one year after his passing (June 7, 1989). The Kim Daljin Literary Award ceremony is held annually in Changwon. The Changwon Kim Daljin Literary Festival marks its 29th anniversary, along with the Changwon KC International Literary Prize, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary.