Literary Translation
Poetry, fiction, essays. I carry over not just meaning, but rhythm, imagery, and the breath between the lines.
Poet · Translator · Correspondent
Junghwa Splendor Kim
Four languages, one voice.
I write and translate poetry, short stories, and essays in Korean, Spanish, English, and French.
About me
From Seoul
to Santiago
I write and translate in Spanish, English, French, and Korean, moving between languages and cultures as one continuous practice. After studying Spanish at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, I earned my master’s and doctorate in Latin American Literature from the University of Chile. Since then, translation, teaching, literary writing, and cross-cultural exchange have shaped a single path — one that keeps pushing the borders of language further out.
My work lives between humanities texts — art and literary criticism above all — and writing that reaches into psychology, sensibility, and the many layers of human experience. Poetry, essays, and short stories have grown naturally out of this ongoing crossing between critique and creation; one essay was recognized with the 18th Overseas Koreans Foundation Literary Award.
I currently work as KBS’s correspondent in Chile. In 2003, I served as the official Spanish–Korean interpreter at the signing of the Chile–Korea Free Trade Agreement, and have since interpreted for Korean delegations meeting with former Chilean presidents Michelle Bachelet, Ricardo Lagos, and Patricio Aylwin, among others.
- 4Working languages
- Ph.D.Latin American literature, University of Chile
- KBSCorrespondent in Chile
Services
Areas of Translation
I move fluidly between Korean, Spanish, English, and French, translating in either direction. My focus lies in art and literary criticism, and in humanities texts that explore sensibility and the human psyche — grounded in academic training and shaped by years of hands-on experience in journalism. I translate the nuance and texture that no machine can replace.
Art & Literary Criticism
Humanities texts where nuance and judgment matter as much as accuracy — with a focus on art and literary criticism.
Academic Translation
Papers, theses, and conference presentations in the humanities. Translated through the lens of years spent researching Latin American literature.
Media & PR Content
News, interviews, press releases, and corporate communications connecting Korea and the Spanish-speaking world, drawing on my experience as a KBS correspondent. I also handle video subtitles and copywriting, where brevity and precision are equally essential.
Cross-Language Translation
I move fluidly between Korean, Spanish, English, and French, translating in any combination.
Editing & Proofreading
A critical review of finished translations — refining style and adjusting for the cultural codes of the intended reader.
Working languages
- Korean
- Spanish
- English
- French
Publications
Poetry, fiction and essay
I have published and translated poetry, fiction, and essays in Spanish, English, French, and Korean. The language I write in changes — the reason I write does not.
- 2025 Pondering Stars on the Pond Poetry in English · Five Points Publishing, New York See details
- 2023 The Aroma Within You, Uniquely Yours Short stories in Korean · Seoul See more Watch video
- 2021 Seducing Longing through Poetry Poetry in Korean · Seoul See more
- 2018 The Truth of Mystery Hidden in 200 Million-Dollar Power Ball Translation, Korean → English · memoir by Woo Hyung Han · Seoul See more
- 2012 Cosmovisión ecológica en Homero Aridjis Doctoral thesis · EAE, Spain See more
- 2010 Caligrafía oriental Article · Armas y Letras no. 69, U. Autónoma de Nuevo León, Mexico
- 2007 Antécédents Nostalgiques Poetry in French · Nice, France
- 2004 His Heavens Shall Drop Down Dew Bilingual Spanish–Korean poetry · Seoul
- 1998 Burbujas del Ser Poetry in Spanish · Ed. Red Internacional del Libro, Santiago
Latest book · 2025
Pondering
Stars on the Pond
A collection of English poems steeped in nostalgia, melancholy, and wonder at the beauty of life. A time to feel, together, what the stars long for — stars held not in the sky, but on the water that mirrors it.
Also available at Waterstones.
What has been said
“A subtlety that renders it at once romantic, sensual, melancholic, and mystical.”
“It blends Oriental aesthetics with Spanish sensuality.”
Résumé
Education
- Diploma in Simultaneous Interpretation (English–Spanish) Instituto Profesional EATRI, Santiago · 2014
- Ph.D. in Latin American Literature Universidad de Chile · 2010
- Master’s in Literature Universidad de Chile · 1998
- B.A. in Spanish Language (minor French) Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, South Korea · 1994