Korea Haiku Poets & Guest Poets

Profile Born in Yesan, Chungcheongnam-do, in 1962, Lim Seonnyeo has long been attentive to the subtle moments of everyday life and the changing seasons, developing a deep interest in short poetry that leaves a lingering resonance beyond explanation. Rather than describing fleeting emotions in grand or excessive language, she came to Korea Haiku through the process of leaving only the words that truly matter. In January 2025, she made her literary debut as a Korea Haiku poet.

In February 2025, her works were published in Vol. 2 of SUMNORGEE, and she received the Korea Haiku Grand Prize at the 2nd Publication Commemorative Event. In March 2026, her works were also featured in Vol. 3 of SUMNORGEE, and she continues to pursue Korea Haiku writing with dedication. She currently serves as a Standing Executive Committee Member of the Korea Haiku Federation, contributing to the creation and wider appreciation of Korea Haiku.

For Lim Seonnyeo, haiku is not simply a literature of linguistic “compression,” but rather a literature of selection—a question of what, among countless words, should ultimately remain. She regards the season word (Gyejeolmal) as a “coordinate of time,” indicating where a particular moment belongs within the passage of time and the seasons. While respecting the traditional aesthetics of Japanese haiku, she seeks not to imitate them directly, but to create new poetic space through the distinctive rhythm, breath, and sense of closure inherent in the Korean language.

In the principle of fueki ryūkō (不易流行), she finds a harmony between enduring essence and continual renewal. Rather than imposing excessive meaning upon objects or experiences, she seeks to reveal them with clarity and transparency. For her, poetic newness is found not necessarily in distant or extraordinary landscapes, but in walking the same road in another season and seeing familiar things with a changed heart.

With the conviction that “I do not want merely to write briefly; I want what I write to remain for a long time,” she continues to create Korea Haiku that offers no single answer, but instead leaves readers a space in which to reopen their own lives and senses.