Hong Sung-won (1937-2008) was a Korean author.
1. Life
Hong Sung-won was born in Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province. The eldest of eight siblings, Hong studied English literature at Korea University, but was forced to drop out for financial reasons. Hong began his career as a writer in 1961, when his short story "Jeonjaeng" (전쟁 War) won honorable mention in the Dong-a Ilbo New Write's Contest. In 1964, his short story "Bingjeomjidae" (빙점지대 Freezing Point) won the Hankook Ilbo New Writer's Contest, after which Hong became a full-time writer, specializing in epic historical sagas. He is known for Pokgun (폭군 Tyrant), a novella published in the quarterly Changbi in 1969; his epic Namgwa buk (남과 북 South and North), first serialized under the title Yugio (육이오 June 25th) from 1970 to 1975; and Meondong (먼동 New Dawn), winner of the 1992 Isan Literary Award.
2. Writing
Hong Sung-won saw the outbreak of the Korean War as an adolescent, and his experience of the war became one of the motivating forces behind his determination to become a writer. Hong began his career writing fiction about life in the military. Based on personal experience and careful research, Hong's military novels ultimately critique contradictions and injustices found in society at large. Namgwa buk, for which the author won the Republic of Korea Literature Prize, is the first romance novel to dramatize the Korean War. Published in six volumes, the novel was radical for its portrayal of socialists as sympathetic, ordinary citizens at the height of the anti-communist military dictatorship.
Another defining feature of Hong's work is his focus on the ruthless practices that take place in the urban landscape. He is deeply concerned about those who attempt to escape from a structured society because they cannot adapt to present-day reality. His stories published in the 1960s, such as "Mujeon yeohaeng" (무전여행 A Vagabond Journey) and "Jumal yeohaeng" (주말여행 Weekend Trip), fall into this category. In the 1970s, Hong concentrated his energies on his major work Namgwa buk. In the 1980s, he struggled to bring large-scale historical dramas to life. Dalgwa kal (달과 칼 The Moon and the Sword) is about the 16th century Japanese invasion of Korea; Meondong is about the political upheavals (including the March 1st Movement) that took place in the beginning of the 20th century; and Geureona (그러나 However) is about the life of a pro-independence fighter who opposed colonialist Japanese rule but ultimately defected. Meondong, which dramatizes the tumultuous changes in recent history, is considered a masterpiece and was made into a TV drama in 1993.
