In 1993, she published her first poem “Urineun chanyanghanda” (우리는 찬양한다 We Praise) in the journal Poetry & Thought.

She studied Korean literature at the Catholic University of Korea, where she also earned her master's degree.

She was a part of a literary circle called 21-segijeonmang (“21st century outlook”), which was formed in 1989 and included fellow South Korean poets Jin I-jeong, Yoo Ha, Cha Chang-ryong, and Ham Min Bok.

She published four poetry collections: Geuge dalhada (극에 달하다 Pushed to the Limit) in 1996; Bitdeurui pigoni bameul kkeureodanginda (빛들의 피곤이 밤을 끌어당긴다 The Exhaustion of Stars Pulls the Night) in 2006; Nunmuriraneun ppyeo (눈물이라는 뼈 Bones Called Tears) in 2009; and Suhakjaui achim (수학자의 아침 A Mathematician’s Morning) in 2013.

She gained wider recognition with the success of her 2008 essay collection Maeum sajeon (마음사전 Dictionary of the Mind).

[6] Kim also participated in the writing and production of Gulttuk Shinmun, a newspaper dedicated to the controversial mass layoffs conducted by Ssangyong Motor Company in 2009.

[7] More recently, she was an active member of “With No References,” a project to help victims of sex crimes reported within South Korean literary circles.

[10] Kim So Yeon’s poetry often describes the physical experience of pain in youth.

The poems are filled with the sense of fatigue, futility, loneliness, and emptiness one feels when looking back on past hardships.

Her third poetry collection Nunmuriraneun ppyeo (눈물이라는 뼈 Bones Called Tears) is also replete with such lyricism.

Kim’s fourth poetry collection Suhakjaui achim (수학자의 아침 A Mathematician’s Morning) won the 12th Yi Yuksa Poetry Award and received the following commentary from the judges: “Using language that alternates between refreshingly lucid and boldly convoluted, Kim bridges the gap between the older generation who fought for a reason and the younger generation who clamor without a reason.”[12] Poetry Collections 1.

"Oh, Bartleby," "Shadow," "The Pit," "Opposites," "A Blanket’s Insomnia," "The River and I" in The Colors of Dawn: Twentieth-Century Korean Poetry (MANOA 27-2)[1] (University of Hawaii Press, 2016) (English) 2.

AZALEA (Journal of Korean Literature & Culture) : Volume Eight (English) Source:[14] LonelinessThe word “lonely” is not an adjective.