Kwon Jeong-saeng (; September 10, 1937 – May 17, 2007) was a South Korean writer.

Life

Kwon Jeong-saeng was born Kwon Gyeongsu in Tokyo, Japan in 1937. Shortly after the Liberation in 1946, he returned to

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

. Because he was extremely poor, Kwon never received a formal education, instead traveling Korea while working as a clerk, and sometimes resorting to betting to support himself. In 1967 Kwon settled in

Andong Andong () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in South Korea, and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. The Nakdong Ri ...

Gyeongsangbuk-do North Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a province in eastern South Korea, and with an area of , it is the largest province in the Korean peninsula. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remaine ...

as a church caretaker. His first publication, “ Puppy Poo” (, ) appeared in 1969 in Christian Education (, ); in 1971, his story “Lamb’s Shadow Ttallangi” (, ) was chosen as one of the winners of a spring literary contest sponsored by Daegu Maeil Sinmun, and in 1973, “Mommy and Cotton Jacket” (, ) was selected by

Chosun Ilbo ''The Chosun Ilbo'' (, ), also known as ''The Chosun Daily,'' is a Korean-language newspaper of record for South Korea and among the oldest active newspapers in the country. With a daily circulation of more than 1,800,000, ''The'' ''Chosun Ilbo ...

for its literary contest. Kwon fell ill in his later years, and made a will that left all of his royalties to charities, including some in

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 borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

, Asia, and Africa. He also requested that his cottage be destroyed, or left to nature, and wanted his body cremated and spread on the mountains behind his home.

Work

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea summarizes Kown's work: In 1996, Kwon's work "Puppy Poo" was turned into a successful children's picture book.

Awards

Source: * 1995 New Bud Literary Award * 1975 Korean Children's Literature Award * 1969 Christian Children's Literature Award

Works in Korean (Partial)

Children's books * Hantijae Sky ( * Jeomdeuk's House ( * Sister Mongsil ( * God's Tears ( * Seaside Children ( * The Moon in Apple Orchard ( * Black Boa Train ( * Moon World Ttolbae Has Seen ( * Traditional Tales for North and South Korean Children ( Essays * Our God ( * For the Youthful Wanderer (.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kwon, Jeong-saeng 1937 births 2007 deaths 20th-century South Korean male writers 21st-century South Korean male writers