[2] According to Choe Chong-dae, "His reputation grew as a young promising poet after composing the poem entitled 'Does spring come to these stripped lands?'

In the early twenties, he joined the White Tide (Baekjo) circle along with Hong Sayong, Park Jonghwa, Park Yeonghui, Kim Gijin, and others, and began his career in poetry with the publication of the poems "Joy of the Corrupt Age" (Malseui huitan), "Double Death" (Ijungui samang), and "Toward my bedchamber" (Naui chimsillo) in the journal Torch (Geohwa).

[1] The poet went on to create the literature study group PASKYULA with Kim Gijin and others, and in August 1925 he helped the Korea Artists Proletariat Federation (KAPF; Joseon Peurolletaria Yesulga Dongmaeng).

After his release, he taught at the Gyonam School in Daegu for a time before devoting himself to reading and study in order to produce an English translation of The tale of Chunhyang (Chunhyangjeon).

The Korean Literature Translation Institute summarizes Yi's contributions to poetry as: A monument was erected in memory of the poet in Daegu's Dalseong Park in 1948 and his collected poems were published in 1951.