Hwang, Sok-yong

Hwang Sok-yong emerged as one of the leading contemporary Korean writers with such masterpieces as “The Land of Strangers” and Jangkilsan(A novel in a series of 12 volumes). These works were heralded not only as the finest examples of the art of realism but also as the most outstanding achievement of Korean Literature. He was enlisted by the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, and he participated in the Gwangju Uprising and antiestablishment cultural movement against the military dictatorship. Wang visited North Korea in 1989 when he received an invitation from the Literature and Art Union of North Korea, and afterwards, went into exile in Germany and the United States. He returned to South Korea in 1993, and was sentenced to 7 years in prison for violating the National Security Law. In 1998, he was released on a special pardon by the new president. Hwang has produced works of unique verbal energy and unparalleled wit that entertain as well as instruct the readers. Wang has received numerous literary awards and prizes such as 1989 Manhae Literature Prize, 2000 Danjae Literature Prize and 2001 Daesan Literature Prize. Hwang was chosen as the ‘Best Writer in Hundred Years of Korea’ by hundred literary writers and critics(2002). He was elected for a president of The ‘Korean People’s Artist Federation’(2003). His works have been translated into many languages including English, French, Japanese and Chinese.