Lee Oisoo (1946-) was a South Korean novelist. He first garnered attention with his full-length novel Kkumkkuneun sikmul (꿈꾸는 식물 The Dreaming Plants) (1979), where he showcased his delicate emotions and idiosyncratic writing style.[1] Lee secured a strong following with his later works Deulgae (들개 Wild Dog) (1981) and Kal (칼 Blade) (1982), which focused on the perfection of art and human salvation.[2] Lee makes regular appearances on media such as television and radio, and interacts frequently with readers through social media.[3]
1. Life
Lee Oisoo was born in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province, in 1946. Since childhood, he dreamed of becoming an artist, even winning an art competition as a student at Chuncheon National University of Education in 1964 From 1968 to 1971, he served in the Republic of Korea Army, and in 1972, he dropped out of Chuncheon National University of Education. The same year, Lee made his literary debut when his short story Gyeonseupeorinideul (견습어린이들 Children in Training), which he wrote to pay his late rent, won the Kangwon Ilbo New Writers’ Prize.[4] Following his debut, Lee worked at the Gaekgol branch of Inje Nam Elementary School in Gangwon Province[5] and kicked off his literary career in 1975 when his novella Hunjang (The Medal) won the Sedae Literary Competition in 1975.[6] After the popular reception of his novel Kkumkkuneun sikmul (1979), Lee quite his job and became a full-time writer, publishing a large number of titles in a variety of genres. His representative works include the poetry collections Pulkkot suljan nabi (풀꽃 술잔 나비 Grass, Wineglass, and Butterfly) (1987) and Geuriumdo hwaseogi dwenda (그리움도 화석이 된다 Longing Also Becomes a Fossil) (2000), the essay collection Gamseongsajeon (감성사전 Encyclopedia of Emotions) (2000), and the self-illustrated fable books Sabunim ssabunim (사부님 싸부님 Teacher Tteacher) (1983) and Weppul (외뿔 Unicorn) (2001).[7]
2. Writing
Although Lee is active in a variety of genres, his literary home is in the novel genre. His first full-length novel Kkumkkuneun sikmul features a young person who fails to acclimatize to the corruption of society and dies. The extreme artistic tendency and the sarcastic tone drew particular attention.[8] His novella Jangsuhaneulso (장수하늘소 Longhorned beetle) (1981) contains multiple fantastical elements and describes a fourth-dimensional world, and is considered another representative work of Lee’s early aesthetic period. This characteristic continues in Lee’s novels Hwanggeumbineul (황금비늘 Golden Scale) (1997) and Gwemul (괴물 Monster) (2002), and is one of the reasons for his hardcore readership.[10]
A common thread throughout his 40-year writing career is the search for true salvation. In Kal and Byeogogeumhakdo (벽오금학도 Byeogogeumhakdo) (1992), the protagonists depart the real world and its contemptible nature, entering an idealized paradise.[11] In Jangweingan (장외인간 Outsider) (2008), the protagonist suddenly finds himself the only person in the world who can remember the moon, and sets out to find out where the moon has gone. Through these stories, Lee questions contemporary people, whom he accuses of having lost the essence of humanity, what the essence of humanity truly is, and asks if true salvation is really possible.[12] His novel Bobokdaehaengjeonmunjusikhwesa (보복대행전문주식회사 Proxy Revenge Inc.) (2017), a young person who can communicate with plants uncovers social injustice and corrects the wrongs of the world with their help,[13] through which Lee Oisoo points to potential solutions to environmental pollution and the loss of humanity.[14]
Reference
[1] “Lee Oisoo,” Doosan Encyclopedia, https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=1217750&cid=40942&categoryId=33385.
[2] Yoon, Hyeon-ju, “Yoon Hyeon-ju’s Delicious interviews: Lee Oisoo, Writer of Emotion—‘How do I write steadysellers? By writing with an artisan’s spirit’,” Busan Ilbo, April 2, 2019, http://www.busan.com/view/busan/view.php?code=2019040218111250004.
[3] Kwon, Youngmin, Encyclopedia of Contemporary Korean Literature, Seoul National University, 2004, https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=334097&cid=41708&categoryId=41737.
[4] Heo, Yeon, “Weekend Interview: Lee Oisoo, Korea’s Representative Million-Seller Writer with 2.6 million Social Media Followers,” Maeil Business Newspaper, August 25, 2017, http://news.mk.co.kr/v2/economy/view.php?sc=30000001&year=2017&no=571401.
[5] Lee Oisoo official homepage, http://www.oisoo.co.kr/ik_ct/bbs/board.php?bo_table=db1&wr_id=1.
[6] Kwon, Youngmin, Encyclopedia of Contemporary Korean Literature, Seoul National University, 2004, https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=334097&cid=41708&categoryId=41737.
[7] “Lee Oisoo,” Doosan Encyclopedia, https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=1217750&cid=40942&categoryId=33385.
[8] “Kkumkkuneun sikmul,” Doosan Encyclopedia, https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=1217749&cid=40942&categoryId=32876.
[9] “Jangsuhaneulso,” Doosan Encyclopedia, https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=1217749&cid=40942&categoryId=32876.
[10] Kwon, Youngmin, Encyclopedia of Contemporary Korean Literature, Seoul National University, 2004, https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=334097&cid=41708&categoryId=41737.
[11] Yoo. Hyeonsan, “Lee Oisoo on Enduring the World,” Hankyoreh21, June 16, 2008, http://h21.hani.co.kr/arti/cover/cover_general/22678.html
[12] “Lee Oisoo’s Outsider Part 1 and 2,” Jeonbuk Domin Ilbo, August 26, 2005, http://www.domin.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=451423.
[13] Kim, Jin-a, “Lee Oisoo Publishes Bobokdaehaengjeonmunjusikhwesa,” Newsis, May 30, 2017, http://www.newsis.com/view/?id=NISI20170530_0013062393.
[14] Jeong, Il-tae, “New Book Releases: Bobokdaehaengjeonmunjusikhwesa,” KBS NEWS, June 2, 2017, http://news.kbs.co.kr/news/view.do?ncd=3491737.
