Kim Takhwan (born 1968) is a South Korean novelist and literary critic.
1. Life
Kim Takhwan is from Jinhae, South Gyeongsang Province. He studied Korean literature at Seoul National University, earning a Ph.D in classical fiction. He taught at various universities before making his debut as a critic in 1994 with the essay "Dongasia soseorui him" (동아시아 소설의 힘 The Power of the East Asian Novel), published in Sangsang. Kim made his fiction debut in 1996 with the publication of his first novel, Yeoldu mari goraeui sarangiyagi (열두 마리 고래의 사랑이야기 A Love Story of Twelve Whales). Since then he has become a tour de force of the historical novel. Many of his works have been successfully adapted for the screen. Bulmyeorui isunsin (불멸의 이순신 The Immortal Yi Sun-sin), Na, hwangjini (나, 황진이 I, Hwang Jini), Heogyun, choehuui 19il (허균, 최후의 19일 The Last Nineteen Days of Heo Gyun) were made into television dramas, while Noseoa gabi (노서아가비 Russian Coffee), Joseon masulsa (조선마술사 Joseon Magician), and Daejang gimchangsu (대장 김창수 Chief Kim Chang-su) have been made into films.
Kim's latest novel, Dangsini eotteoke naegero wasseulkka (당신이 어떻게 내게로 왔을까 How Did You Come to Me), breaking from the author's previous works, is set in the present day. Kim is the recipient of the 2016 Yosan Literary Award and the 2018 Chameleon Literary Award.
2. Writing
Almost all of Kim's novels take place in the mid to late Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), a period when the feudal dynasty still remained unchallenged though the demand to respond to the advent of modern era was beginning to be heard. Kim is not content with mere replication of historical characters and events, but always desires that his readers discover a sense of continuum and ongoing communication between the past and the present through his works.
Bulmyeol (불멸 Indestructible), a four-volume novel about Yi Sun-sin, the famed admiral who led Korean fleets to victory against Japanese invaders from 1592 to 1598, focuses on the humanistic depiction of the hero and his internal struggles. Kim eventually expanded this novel into eight volumes, published under the title Bulmyeorui isunsin. Another historical novel, Heogyun, choehuui 19il, details the life of Heo Gyun, a mid-Joseon dynasty writer, revolutionary and the author of the classic novel Tale of Hong Gildong, and at the same time conveys the sense of despair as well as fervor experienced by the intellectuals of the 1980s. In a similar manner, the sentiments expressed in Apnokgang (압록강 Apnok River) a seven-volume novel about the life of the legendary general Im Gyeong-eop, parallels the sense of chaos that plagued the intellectuals in the 1990s as a result of the fall of the eastern bloc. Na, hwangjini dramatizes the life of Hwang Jini, the famed gisaeng from the Joseon dynasty who was also a gifted writer and an intellectual.
Several of Kim's novels have adapted for the screen, including the historical television series Roll of Thunder, Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-sin and Hwang Jini. His works are the basis of the Detective K film franchise, with the first film, Detective K: Secret of the Virtuous Widow, being based on Yeollyeomunui bimil (열녀문의 비밀 Secret of the Virtuous Widow) and the third, Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead, on Banggakbon sarinsageon (방각본 살인사건 Death by Fiction).
