Seoul turns to language of poetry to welcome international visitors

Commuters walk on a subway platform in Seoul on Nov. 8. [YONHAP]

Iconic poems by international poets will now be featured on different subway platforms in Seoul.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on Tuesday that 24 poems in 13 different languages will be displayed on safety screen doors installed at subway platforms in the capital. This marks the first time international poems are being exhibited since it began showcasing Korean poems on platform screen doors in 2008.

The city government initiated this project to present poetry by Korean poets and citizens, allowing passengers to read and appreciate literary works during their commute.

This year, 286 poems by Korean poets and citizens and 24 pieces by international poets will be displayed.

The city government plans to showcase all 24 international pieces by next week at the latest to convey a welcoming message to international tourists and create a moment for them to appreciate literary works in their mother tongue.

The displayed pieces will be in 13 languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Malay, Mongolian, Turkish, German, French, Spanish and Dutch. These languages were chosen based on the countries that visited Korea the most in the past year.

Some of the featured pieces include “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” (1888) by William Butler Yeats and “Adieu” (1915) by Guillaume Apollinaire.

The poems, chosen through recommendations by embassies and experts, will be displayed in both the original language and Korean on subway platforms at 13 stations, including Seoul, City Hall, Ichon, Myeong-dong, Jongno 3-ga and Itaewon Station in central Seoul, as well as Hongik University and Yeouido Station in western Seoul. The selection of subway platforms considered the location of the embassies and areas in the capital related to each country.

For instance, a Japanese poem will be featured at Ichon Station in central Seoul, where many Japanese residents live, while a Chinese poem will be displayed at the platform of Daelim Station in western Seoul, where many Chinese nationals reside.

According to the city government, more international pieces will be displayed in the coming years.

“We anticipate the display of poems by overseas poets will give an impression that Seoul embraces global citizens,” said Choi Kyung-ju, director-general of the city government’s culture headquarters.

“We hope foreign tourists and Seoul residents will come together without facing language barriers during everyday life.”

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]