Hong Sok-jung (; born 1941), born in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

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

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 ...

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

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He served in the

Korean People's Navy The Korean People's Army Navy (KPANF; ) or the Korean People's Navy (KPN) is the Navy, naval component of the Korean People's Army, the North Korean armed forces. There are some 780 vessels including 70 midget submarines (including the Yono-cla ...

, and obtained a degree in

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially novels, Play (theatre), plays, and poetry, poems. It includes both print and Electroni ...

Kim Il Sung University Kim Il Sung University () is a public university in Taesong, Pyongyang, North Korea. It was founded on 1 October 1946 and was the first tertiary education institution established in post-war North Korea. The 15-hectare campus, along with the m ...

. His first published work was a

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single 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 old ...

, "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 The Korean Federation of Literature and Arts, (KFLA; , abbreviated as , "Mun-ye-chong") is an organizational group of artists in North Korea. It was founded as the North Korean Arts Alliance on March 25, 1946, Function As a representative arts ...

). In 1993, he published his most successful work, ''Northeaster'', an

epic novel Epic is a narrative genre characterised by its length, scope, and subject matter. The defining characteristics of the genre are mostly derived from its roots in ancient poetry (epic poems such as Homer's ''Iliad'' and ''Odyssey''). An epic is not ...

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

historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the setting of particular real historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to oth ...

set in the

sixteenth century The 16th century began with the Julian year 1501 (represented by the Roman numerals MDI) and ended with either the Julian or the Gregorian year 1600 (MDC), depending on the reckoning used (the Gregorian calendar introduced a lapse of 10 days in ...

, which depicts

courtesan A courtesan is a prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele. Historically, the term referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other powerful person. History In European feudal society, the co ...

Hwang Jin-i Hwang Jini or Hwang Jin-yi (; 1506–1567), also known by her '' kisaeng'' name Myeongwol ("bright moon", ), was one of the most famous '' kisaeng'' of the Joseon period. She lived during the reign of King Jungjong. She was noted for her except ...

'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. T ...

'' 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 Writers from Seoul Kim Il Sung University alumni South Korean emigrants to North Korea {{NorthKorea-poet-stub

See also

Sources