Born in early 1930 in Japan,he returned to Korea with his family in 1945 and resumed his interrupted schooling at Masan.The first of his poems to be published was the poem "River water" that appeared in the monthly review Munye in 1949,when the poet was still at school.Deeply traumatized by the violence he had undergone,he began to roam about,drinking wildly until atlast,in 1971,he disappeared.Months passed,his friends and relatives could only conclude that he had died and been buried somewhere anonymously,unknown.In sorrw, they collected the poems they could find ,and published a posthumous memorial volume.Chon Sang Pyong and Mok Sun Ok were married in 1972.Until at last he made his final journey Back to Heaven on April28,1993.

"I may be a poor wretched poet but I live as well as I can without any regrets.Love is the greatest happiness in life.I may be poor and sad,I am happy too."