Calligraphy Giant 'Samyeojae Kim Taegyun' Passes Away ... Former Director of Sosu Seowon Academy

Committed to Preservation and Development of Seowon, Yeongju·Andong Seodohwe Founded to Nurture Future Scholars

Teacher Kim Taegyun.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gwi-yeol] Kim Tae-gyun, a towering figure in Korea's calligraphy world known as Samyeojae, passed away at the age of 90 on the morning of the 19th at 11 a.m.

The late Kim Tae-gyun was a senior calligrapher from Gyeongbuk and a master of cursive script (Choseo), revered as the "Grass God" (Chosin, 草神) in the Korean modern calligraphy community.

He was the 34th generation descendant of the Uiseong Kim clan, born in 1934 into a traditional Confucian family in Nokjeon, Andong. From a young age, he was familiar with the brush and studied Confucian classics.

Around the age of 30, he studied under the great Korean calligraphy master Siam (時庵) Bae Gil-gi (裵吉基, 1917-1999), and mastered all five major scripts: seal script (Jeon), clerical script (Ye), regular script (Hae), semi-cursive script (Haeng), and cursive script (Cho).

He was especially known for his elegant yet rustic style in regular and cursive scripts, emphasizing the traditional calligraphic method called Beopgo. He also diligently studied classical Chinese literature. In the early 1970s, he founded the Andong Calligraphy Association and Yeongju Calligraphy Association, guiding disciples until recently, and taught at Keimyung University and Andong National University.

He held numerous solo exhibitions, invitational exhibitions, and exchange exhibitions. He served as a judge for the Korea Calligraphy Grand Exhibition, was an invited artist, executive committee member, and judge for the Gyeongbuk Art Exhibition. His disciples formed an academic research group called "Gyonam Calligraphy Circle," which holds annual exhibitions alongside theoretical studies.

His pen name "Samyeojae" refers to the three ample times suitable for reading books: winter, night, and rainy days.

He is survived by his wife Lee Min-ja and children Man-yong, Seong-yong, So-yong, and Ji-yong. The funeral is being held at Andong Hospital Funeral Hall, Room 9. The funeral procession will depart at 7 a.m. on the 23rd. The burial site is Seonsan in Samdae-ri, Nokjeon-myeon, Andong City.

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