제주에서 나고 자랐다. 『실천문학』으로 등단하여 『어디에 선들 어떠랴』 『신호등 쓰러진 길 위에서』 『바람의 목례』 『생각을 훔치다』 『빙의』 『물에서 온 편지』 등의 시집을 펴냈다. 4.3항쟁 70주년을 맞아 쓴 4.3시선집 『꽃 진 자리』과 산문집 『김수열의 책읽기』 『섯마파람 부는 날이면』 등이 있다. 제4회 오장환문학상, 제3회 신석정문학상을 받았다.

Born in Jeju in 1959, he still lives in Jeju. In 1982, he began his career by being published in Practical Literature, his published collections of poetry include: It doesn’t matter where I am standing, On the road where the traffic lights fell, Turn of the Wind, Stealing Your Thoughts, Possession, Letters from Water, and a verse collection about the Jeju Incident There is a place for flowers, a book of prose, “Kim Sooyeol’s Book Reading”, and On the Day of the Sukmaparam. After giving up his 30-year teaching career in his hometown, he wakes up in the morning, wondering where he will walk today and who he will meet. He received the 4th Oh Jang-Hwan Literary Award and the 3rd Shin Seokjeong Literary Award.