The founding history of the Korean Physician Poets Association/ Yoodarm

[유담]

https://youtu.be/Nrd5rl_hzVw?si=iFAp4oEHwqkZjUtt

The founding history of the Korean Physician Poets Association(KPPA)

Yoodarm (First President, KPPA)(유담 in Korean)

The mental and physical experiences of pain related to diseases are precious themes of poetry. Just as a doctor diagnoses and treats patients, poet writes poetry, focusing all his attention on human suffering and changes. Both deeply understand and heal the pain and the meaning of life. When medicine and poetry that share their origin come in contact with each other, stimulate and enrich fundamentals mutually. To further embody this truth, Korean physician poets gathered together.

It was Monday, November 7, 2011 at 8 p.m. At a meeting of physician writers, poet Yoodarm who was a professor of internal medicine at Hallym University School of Medicine, proposed the establishment of a group of doctor poets.

 Yoodarm explained the purpose of the founding to poet Hong Ji-heon, the director of the otolaryngology private clinic, at Caffe Bene in Daechi-dong, 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, 2012, and formed a consensus with each other. Soon after, they announced the founding intentions and plans to the physician poets such as a pathologist Manha Heo and a radiologist Chonggi Mah. Poet Ma sent an encouraging email to the founding team from the United States.

 Finally, the founding meeting was held at 6 p. m. on June 9, 2012 at the KTX5 meeting room inside Seoul Station. The Founding Declaration written by Yoodarm was read and adopted in the order of the meeting.

 “It is inadequate to demarcate medicine into the realm of experimental verification and scientific reasoning. True medicine is deeply related with poetry in that it focuses on a profound understanding of human beings. Therefore, the fusion of poetry and medicine enriches each other based on intuition, imagination and creative empathy.

 However, the reality is that medicine and poetry are divided into science and art, and each lies on its own realm. This situation calls for the active role of a physician poet with communication with each other, breaking down the luxurious distinction that lies between medicine and poetry.

To this end, doctor poets established the Korean Physician Poets Association with the aim of contributing to the development of medical care and the enhancement of poetic abilities by providing a basis for mutual exchange to promote poetic literacy.

 In order to achieve its founding purpose, the Korean Physician Poets Association will conduct unique shining activities through the integration of medicine and poetry, including poetry meeting, poetry publications, and lectures.

  In the distant future, we hope that today's first step by the Korean Physician Poets Association will be remembered as a boundless possibility of wisdom and comprehension for the people in both medical and poetry world.” (written by Yoodarm)

Subsequently, Yoodarm was elected as the first president, and Chonggi Mah, Choon-Choo Kim, Seung-Cheol Shin, and Kyong Su Kim were appointed as advisors.

Sei-Heun Song and Eon-Hwi Park were appointed as vice president, and Yeon Jong Kim as general secretary.

Figure 1. Photo taken at the founding ceremony of the Korean Physician Poets Association (clockwise from the right of the front row): Kyong Su Kim, Choon Choo Kim, Yoodarm, Eon-hui Park, Seung Chul Shin, Sei-Hun Song, Yeon Jong Kim, Hae Cheol Na, Hyun Sik Kim, Won Eui Jang, Yong Woo Lee, Geon Hwang, Jihun Hong.

Fig. 2. Founding signature board