Ma Kwang-soo (; 14 April 1951 − 5 September 2017) was a South Korean poet, professor in Korean literature, novelist and essayist. He died in an apparent suicide in September 2017. For most of his life, he taught at

Yonsei University Yonsei University () is a Private university, private Christian university, Christian research university located in Seoul, South Korea. Yonsei is one of the three most prestigious universities in the country, part of a group referred to as SK ...

. He was imprisoned for eight months, and discharged from his university for six years, for publishing 'sexually explicit' novels in 1995. His novel, ''Happy Sara'' () was deemed obscene by the Supreme Court and is banned for teenagers. He made his literary debut in 1977, releasing six poems on a monthly basis on the recommendation of poet Park Doo-jin. Later in 1989, he created a sensation for her free sex discussion, including poems, roses, novels, and essays. In particular, his 1991 novel, "Happy Sara," had changed his life forever, creating a heated controversy over obscenity in Korean society. His arrest was a classic cultural event that revealed aspects of the times, including freedom of expression and limits, the emergence of

liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law. ...

and the conflict of

conservatism Conservatism is a Philosophy of culture, cultural, Social philosophy, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, Convention (norm), customs, and Value (ethics and social science ...

in the 1990s. He was dismissed from school in 1995 when the Supreme Court confirmed that he was sentenced to two years in prison and suspended execution. He returned to Yonsei University after receiving a special pardon in 1998, but after being disqualified in 2000, he changed his job. He returned to work in 2003 and retired in August 2016. However, he reportedly suffered from depression after a series of incidents. In 2011, the author published a novel titled "A Letter of Crazy Words" and "Youth of Beautiful Youth."

References

External links

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Ma Kwang-soo's poetry reading and mini lecture

Lecture by Ma Kwang-soo: the exhibition event of 'Let's go back to the Rose Inn'
South Korean novelists South Korean male poets South Korean essayists South Korean journalists Liberalism in South Korea Academic staff of Yonsei University 1951 births 2017 deaths Mokcheon Ma clan {{Korea-writer-stub