New Interpretation of Ancient Japanese Poetry Collection Manyoshu... Former Lawmaker Lee Young-hee Passes Away

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] Former lawmaker Lee Young-hee (李寧熙) passed away from a long illness around 10 a.m. on the 25th at Namhae Hospital in Namhae-gun, Gyeongnam. Lee was a children’s literature author who caused a great sensation by claiming that the ancient Japanese poetry anthology Man'yoshu was written in ancient Korean.

Lee was born in 1931 in Tokyo, Japan, and returned to Korea in 1944. After graduating from Ewha Girls' High School and Ewha Womans University with a degree in English literature, she began her career in journalism at the monthly magazine Saebot. In 1960, she moved to the Korea Daily, where she served as head of the culture department, head of the political department, and editorial writer. In 1981, she served as a member of the 11th National Assembly representing the nationwide constituency for the Democratic Justice Party.

Her 1989 book published in Japan, "Another Man'yoshu," overturned existing academic theories by asserting that the Man'yoshu was written in ancient Korean, causing a great stir. It became a bestseller, selling over one million copies in Japan. In Korea, it was published under the title "Singing History." It is reported that until her final years, she lamented that there was no one to continue researching the relationship between ancient Korean and the Man'yoshu after her.

She is survived by three daughters (Kim Yi-seon, Kim Yi-jeong, Kim Yuri) and son-in-law Park Se-jung. The funeral is being held at Namhae Chumonuri Cemetery Funeral Hall, Room 2. The funeral procession will take place at 7:30 a.m. on the 27th, and the burial site is Chumonuri Cemetery.

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