Choi In-hun
Choi In-hun (Korean: 최인훈; Hanja: 崔仁勳; 13 April 1936 – 23 July 2018) was a South Korean novelist[1] and professor of creative writing at Seoul Institute of the Arts from 1977 to 2001. He is well-known for his 1960 novel The Square, which depicts "the troubled life of a Korean prisoner of war (POW) who ends up taking his own life amid an intensified ideological rift in the post-Korean War era."[2]
Choi In-hun | |
---|---|
Born | Hoeryong, Japanese Korea | 13 April 1936
Died | 23 July 2018 82) Goyang, South Korea | (aged
Occupation | Novelist Poet Playwright Literary Critic |
Language | Korean |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 최인훈 |
---|---|
Hanja | 崔仁勳 |
Revised Romanization | Choe Inhun |
McCune–Reischauer | Ch'oe Inhun |
Life
Choi In-hun was born on 13 April 1936 in Hoeryong, North Hamgyong Province, which is now in North Korea. When the Korean War broke out in 1950, he took refuge with his family to South Korea aboard a U.S. Navy landing ship.[3] He was admitted to the college of Law at Seoul National University in 1952.[4] He did not finish his academic work; instead, he joined the army without completing the final semester of his college studies. He served as an English interpreter and TI&E (troop information & education) officer for seven years until he was discharged in 1963.[3] From 1977-2001 he served as a Professor of creative writing at Seoul Institute of the Arts.[4]
Choi died from colorectal cancer in Goyang on 23 July 2018.[5]
Work
While still in the military, Choi made his literary debut. Most of his work centers on individuals suffering from the ideological conflicts centering on Korean national separation.[3] He is both prolific and controversial. His most famous work is The Square, which was published in 1960 and immediately became successful.[6]
The Square was published on the heels of the Student Revolution on April 19, 1960. This revolution overthrew President Syngman Rhee and Choi was one of the first novelists to publish in that era. Consequently, it is regarded as having been the starting point for a new era in Korea's modern literature.[3]
The successor to The Square was A Grey Man, which also focused tightly on issues of current politics in South Korea, particularly "the political decadence that culminated in the ouster of Syngman Rhee".[7]
Works in Translation
- A Grey Man Si Sa Yong O Sa Pub (1988)
- The Square Spindlewood (Sep 1985)
- House of Idols Jimoondang Publishing Company (Feb 2003)
Works in Korean (Partial)
Novels
- Reflections on a Mask
- The Square (1960)
- A Dream of Nine Clouds (1962)
- A Grey Man (1963)
- Journey to the West (1966)
- The Sound of Laughter (1967)
- One Day in the Life of Kubo the Novelist (1969)
- Typhoon (1973)
- The Keyword (1994)
Plays
- Where Shall We Meet Again? (1970)
- Shoo-oo Shoo Once Upon A Time (1976)
Essays
- Meditation on the Road (1989)
Awards
- 1966, Dong-in Literary Award
- 1977, Best Playwright Prize, Baeksang Arts Awards
- 1978, Meritorious Prize in the Arts Category of the JoongAng Cultural Awards
- 1979, Seoul Theater Critics Group Award
- 1994, Isan Literary Award
- 2011, Park Kyong-ni Prize[8]
- 2004, Distinguished Alumnus Award of Seoul National University's College of Law
References
- "'광장'의 소설가, 최인훈 별세". The Chosun Ilbo. 2018-07-03. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
- Jung Da-min (2018-07-23). "Award-winning novelist Choi In-hun of 'The Square' dies of cancer". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
- http://www.drama21c.net/text/3plays/novelist.htm
- "Choi In-hoon: "The flame in my mind has never died down for the past 48 years."". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
- "Novelist Choi In-hun who delves into ideological rift of post-war Koreas dies of cancer". Yonhap. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- Minmusa, p 38
- Choi, In-hoon. A Grey Man. Si-sayong-o-sa. p. Preface. ISBN 978-0872960329.
- "Park Kyung-ni Prize First Winner". tojicf.org. September 27, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2014.