Acclaimed South Korean poet Kim Hye-soon has been elected as an International Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Kim was named among eight new members in the Literature section of the Academy's Humanities and Arts division, part of this year's incoming class of 248 new members.
The 69-year-old poet is the first Korean writer to be elected to the Academy's literature section. Korean American novelist Lee Chang-rae and poet Choi Don-mee were previously inducted as members in 2021 and 2023 respectively.
Kim joins a cohort of American writers selected this year, including the poet Kwame Dawes; playwright Katori Hall; novelists Claire Messud, Caryl Phillips, Amy Tan and Jacqueline Woodson; and human rights activist and author Rebecca Solnit.
Born in Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province in 1955, Kim debuted as a poet in 1979.
She is widely celebrated both in Korea and abroad. In 2019, she became the first Asian woman to win Canada’s Griffin Poetry Prize for "The Autobiography of Death" (2016), translated by Korean American poet Choi Don-mee. She also received the Swedish Cicada Prize in 2021, and in 2024, became the first Korean writer to win the National Book Critics Circle Award for her collection "Phantom Pain Wings," also translated by Choi. In 2022, she was recognized as "International Writer" by the Royal Society of Literature in London.
Since 1780, the AAAS has honored excellence and convened leaders from across disciplines to examine new ideas, address issues of importance and work together “to advance the interest, honor, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent and virtuous people.” The first members elected to the Academy in 1781 included Benjamin Franklin and George Washington.
“These new members’ accomplishments speak volumes about the human capacity for discovery, creativity, leadership and persistence. They are a stellar testament to the power of knowledge to broaden our horizons and deepen our understanding,” said Academy President Laurie L. Patton in a press release.
While the majority of members are American, the Academy also selects a number of international honorary members each year. Of the 248 members elected in 2025, 23 — including Kim — are from outside the United States. Kim is the only Korean among them.
Induction ceremonies for new members are scheduled to take place in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in October.
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