[5] Kim's work takes as its point of departure that which is forgotten in the bustle of modern life - the countryside, a leaf of grass, the smell of one's mother's hair.
Kim's affectionate and delicate treatment of the everyday affairs of people living in the countryside offered urban dwellers an unadulterated account of rural farming communities.
In "Beat the Drums of Protest” (Madangeun bittureojyeosseodo jangguneun baro chija), for example, the poet offers a powerful disapprobation of city politicians and government policymakers who distort and pervert reports on the actual conditions confronting farmers in the countryside.
This approach, however, has rendered the poet vulnerable to criticism as anachronistic and incapable of offering a solution to the harsh realities of modern society.
Kim's stance affirms the spirit of the people, whom he believes derive their identity and dignity from a long history of agrarian life.