Hong Sok-jung (), born in

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

in 1941, is a

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

n writer. He is the grandson of novelist

Hong Myong-hui Hong Myong-hui or Hong Myung-hee (; July 3, 1888 – March 5, 1968) was a Korean novelist during the colonial period, and later a North Korean novelist and state official. He was born in Dongbu-ri, Goesan county, Chungcheongbuk-do, where h ...

. Sok-jung moved to North Korea with his family after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He served in the

Korean People's Navy The Korean People's Army Naval Force (KPANF; Korean: 조선인민군 해군; Hanja: 朝鮮人民軍海軍; ''Chosŏn-inmingun Haegun''; ) or the Korean People's Navy (KPN), is the naval service branch of the Korean People's Army, which contai ...

, and obtained a degree in

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

Kim Il Sung University Kim Il-sung University, founded on 1 October 1946, is the first university built in North Korea. It is located on a campus in Pyongyang, the nation's capital. Along with the main academic buildings, the campus contains 10 separate offices, 50 l ...

. His first published work was a

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

, "Red Flower", in 1970. In 1979, he joined the Central Committee of North Korea's official literary organisation, the Joseon Writers' Alliance(Now under Korean Federation of Literature and Arts). In 1993, he published his most successful work, ''Northeaster'', an

epic novel Epic is a genre of narrative defined by heroic or legendary adventures presented in a long format. Grant, John, and John Clute. 1997. "Arabian fantasy." ''The Encyclopedia of Fantasy''. London: Orbit Books. . . Originating in the form of epic po ...

. In 2002, he published ''Hwang Jin-i'' (), a

historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...

set in the sixteenth century, which depicts

courtesan Courtesan, in modern usage, is a euphemism for a "kept" mistress (lover), mistress or prostitute, particularly one with wealthy, powerful, or influential clients. The term historically referred to a courtier, a person who attended the Royal cour ...

Hwang Jin-i Hwang Jini or Hwang Jin-Yi (; 1506 – 1560), also known by her gisaeng name Myeongwol ("bright moon", ), was one of the most famous gisaeng of the Joseon Dynasty. She lived during the reign of King Jungjong. She was noted for her exceptio ...

's discovery of the people's starvation and encounters with corrupt officials. ''Hwang Jin-i'' was awarded South Korea's Manhae Literary Prize () in 2005 - the first time it had been awarded to a North Korean writer. An excerpt from the novel was translated into English and published by

Words Without Borders ''Words Without Borders'' (''WWB'') is an international magazine open to international exchange through translation, publication, and promotion of the world's best writing and authors who are not easily accessible to English-speaking readers. The ...

(WWB) in ''

Literature from the "Axis of Evil" ''Literature from the "Axis of Evil"'' is an anthology of short stories, poems and excerpts from novels by twenty writers from seven countries, translated into English (often for the first time), and published by Words Without Borders in 2006. ...

'' in 2006.

Sources

* Br. Anthony of Taizé, introductory remarks to the excerpt of ''Hwang Jin-i'', ''in'' ''Literature from the "Axis of Evil"'' (a

anthology), , 2006, pp.99–101. 1941 births North Korean novelists Living people People from Seoul Kim Il Sung University alumni {{NorthKorea-poet-stub

See also

Sources