▲ Woosuk University Special Education Professor Youngchul Lee

<Flower Praises Life>
By Youngchul Lee

Ups and downs are our life.
It once was a harsh desert
All lives were withered
Even with a dewdrop

The world could have been changed
Would have been a peaceful sea
When the desperate red rises; 
The sun above the distant mountain
Flower praises life

No flower is red for ten days
It is dust standing in the universe
Be humble and be thankful
And praise gently 
On the canvas of life

Professor Youngchul Lee is a professor poet who has published 7 books of poetry including <Wind Flower>, Gyeganmunye, 2018. He held <Camino de Santiago> photo exhibition in 2011 after traveling back from pilgrimage and published an essay book <Happy Mixed Rice>, Book & Tree, 2016. As a scholar, he has written and translated 20 books relating to his major and also 100 papers. He worked as a visiting professor at University of Oregon US and served as a member of the presidential education innovation committee. Currently, he is serving God as a steward at Pomo Church Daegu and living with his deaconess wife Hyangil Kim and daughter Jinmyeong Lee (Fulbright scholarship). 

Noblesse oblige requires study and a virtuous art of study is to know about the beauty of poetic painting. A good work of poetic painting is a symbol of an accomplished scholar and it takes a great amount of time and effort in order to reach the level. Youngchul Lee is a professor, poet, photographer and artist. He recently held his first solo exhibition <Flower Praises Life> at the Maeil Daily building in Daegu from October 23 to 29. He widened his view on the world by traveling 40 countries and made beautiful landscapes into photos. Lately taking up a brush, he is pouring his passion in drawing flowers. Flowers for him are like humans who have limited time of life and he gives praise to it as beautiful. 

The diversification of his career ascribes to a man whom he met at the international fellowship program of University of Oregon. The man was talented in music and art and knew how to enjoy his life by opening heart to new and different things. Lee had a good feeling toward him and they became friends. 

The credit for being a poet, on the other hand, goes to the famous poet Byunghwa Cho. Cho majored in physics but wrote many a great poem during his Korean literature professor years at Kyung Hee University. Lee admired his works and found inspiration from him. 

Painting, however, came from his own accord. While he was traveling the Silk Road in China, he happened to appreciate the vast and grandiose Urumqi and the Gobi Desert. Overwhelmed by nature, he started shifting the images he saw onto canvas. 

Lee majored in English literature at Keimyung University. He met his middle school teacher wife while working for Yuhan Co, Ltd and she opened his eye to the world of education.

“Among many educational careers, I chose special education out of my own will to do something meaningful while I’m still breathing in this world. Special education follows the principles of Christianity and I was naturally drawn to it. To put my good will into practice, I have engaged in activities of the World Vision for 15 years and I feel really proud and rewarded to have supported 2 children in South Korea and 3 children overseas.”

“I would like to give an advice to young people that there is nothing they cannot do if they invest their time and effort without a stop. No result is made from doing nothing and trying nothing. I hope they challenge for their life as I am still challenging for my life at this age.”

▲ 3송이 가족꽃 3Family flowers 90.9 X 65.1 oil on canvas