Chong Chaebong (1946-2001) was a South Korean children’s literature writer. He developed a new genre—children’s literature for adults—that established a wide readership among adults. His works have been recognized for high-quality writing, breaking the prejudice that children’s literature is inferior to adult fiction. His most acclaimed work, Oseam (오세암) , was made into an animation film and was successful in the entertainment industry, receiving awards in many international film festivals.
1. Life
Chong Chaebong was born in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province in 1946. His mother passed away when he was young and his father emigrated to Japan, leaving him in the care of his grandmother. He was an introvert and had a lonely childhood. However, his imagination developed as he spent time alone in nature. He attended an agricultural high school where tuition was fully exempt because of his impoverished situation. He worked at a library and read many books. He wrote letters to his friends everyday as a way of practicing to become a writer.[1]
He majored in Korean Literature at university, and in his third year in 1973, he entered a literary contest for children’s story and novels. His novel was rejected, but his children’s story called “Bouquet” (꽃다발) won an award. At that time in Korean society, children’s literature was considered non-mainstream compared to novels. As he was preparing to enter the literary contest again, he came across Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince and was deeply impressed by it. He decided to devote his life to writing children’s literature.[2]
For about ten years after he debuted as a writer, Chong Chaebong was unable to focus on his writing because he had to work to survive. While working in the editorial department of a monthly journal Samtoh, he published a collection of children’s stories called Mureseo naon sae (물에서 나온 새 A Bird From the Water) in 1983.[3] He won the Daehanminguk munhaksang (대한민국문학상 Korean Literary Award) for this collection, and when he received the Saessak Literary Award (새싹문학상) for Oseam in 1984, he gained confidence and began publishing serially in Samtoh.[4] Thereafter, he was known for being a children’s literature writer, the chief editor of the monthly journal, radio show host, college professor, an elementary school textbook committee member, and many others. Even after being diagnosed with liver cancer in 1998, he published a collection of essays Nuneul gamgo boneun gil (눈을 감고 보는 길 Looking at the Road with Eyes Closed) (1999) and a collection of poems Neoreul saenggakaneun geosi naui ilsaengieotji (너를 생각하는 것이 나의 일생이었지 Thinking of You was My Life) (2000). He passed away in 2001 after fighting cancer.[5]
Even after his death, translations and collections of Chong Chaebong’s stories were published. In 2001, his collection of children’s stories Mureseo naon sae (물에서 나온 새 A Bird From the Water) was translated into German. In 2003, an animated version of Oseam was released nationwide. The following year in 2004, Oseam won the Junior Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and the Best Feature Film at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival for its artistic work.[6] In 2005, Choseungdalgwa bambae (초승달과 밤배 Crescent Moon and the Boat) was adapted into a film. By 2009, a total of twenty-nine books of Chong Chaebong were published, and in 2011, the Chong Chaebong Literary Award was established.[7]
2. Writing
Children’s literature for adults
Chong Chaebong’s works have a wide readership that speaks to not only children but also adults. In fact, he has received more recognition from adults than from children. His choice of words and sentence construction can be understood by children, but the theme of his works has been considered profound.[8]
Kkotdabal (꽃다발 Bouquet) (1973)
Chong Chaebong’s debut novel was Bouquet, which compares the differing reactions of adults and children in a flooded village. As all sorts of things float down the river, the adults jump into the river to take things. Meanwhile, a young boy named Hansu grabs a fresh bouquet of flowers from the river and goes home. Hansu’s mother had fallen into the river and was narrowly rescued and was recovering in bed. Hansu places the bouquet on his mother's chest. Hansu's caring for his mother is a natural response rather than a calculated one, demonstrating the most genuine of human characteristics. Bouquet attempts to protect the innocence of young readers by showing the innocence of an unadulterated child, while allowing adult readers living in a chaotic world to reevaluate the essential value they have lost.[9]
Oseam (1984)
In Chong Chaebong’s most representative work, Oseam, childish innocence is compared to the heart of Buddha that redeems humans. Oseam is the name of a Buddhist temple in Mt. Seorak in Gangwon Province. According to the legend, a five-year-old boy received enlightenment after reading Buddhist scriptures, and as a way of commemorating this event, the temple was named after the boy. Chong Chaebong took the premise of this legend and created a new story. Gilson, the protagonist in Chong’s Oseam, lost his parents at the age of five. He and his blind sister wander around until they settle in a Buddhist temple.[10] Gilson magically communicates with his mother through the intervention of the Guanyin bodhisattva and becomes Buddha himself. For Chong Chaebong, the importance of this story is Gilson’s pure heart. The idea that innocence of a child is no different from the heart of Buddha is the message Chong wants to tell his readers, encouraging them to rediscover their pure hearts.[11]
Later Works
Amid his fight against cancer, Chong Chaebong wrote various books including collections of essays and poems. Looking at the Road with Eyes Closed (1999) is a collection of essays that reveals his honest feelings the day he was diagnosed with cancer. When unexpected events occur, people fall into despair. However, in this book, Chong Chaebong prays to emulate the simplicity of the sea as he faces the shocking news of his cancer with a humble attitude.[12]
Thinking of You was My Life (2000) is the only collection of poems by Chong Chaebong, which contains his earnest desire for life. He expresses his longing for someone, but it is unclear who he is referring to. According to Chong, it is not important who that person is but rather the fact that there is someone out there in this world who cherishes true love, for that is a valuable life.[13]
Reference
1) Chong Chaebong’s website. http://chaebong.isamtoh.com/mainf_3.html
2) Chong Chaebong’s website. http://chaebong.isamtoh.com/mainf_3.html
3) Samtoh was founded in April of 1970 and aimed at increasing the readership of high school students, college students, and working youths. Doopedia.
http://www.doopedia.co.kr/doopedia/master/master.do?_method=view&MAS_IDX=101013000784750
4) Adult children’s tale was a new genre explored by Chong Chaebong. Defying the conventional wisdom that children’s stories were only for children, Jeong created stories that adults could read.
Kwon Young-min. Korean Modern Literature Encyclopedia. Seoul National University Press, 2004.
https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=333898&cid=41708&categoryId=41737
5) Chong Chaebong’s website. http://chaebong.isamtoh.com/mainf_3.html
6) Encyclopedia of World Animation
https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=3534969&cid=58544&categoryId=58544
7) Hwang Yunjeong. “Children’s Literature Author Chong Chaebong’s Students and Establishment of Literary Award.” Yonhap News, October 17, 2011.
https://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=103&oid=001&aid=0005320228
8) Kwong Young-min. Korean Modern Literature Encyclopedia. Seoul National University Press, 2004.
https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=333898&cid=41708&categoryId=41737
9) Choe Jihun. “Children’s Story Author Chong Chaebong Theory: The possibility of adult children’s stories in which innocence and religious values are interwoven.” Children’s literature critical essay, 14(2), 1989.
http://chaebong.isamtoh.com/mainf_14.html
10 Encyclopedia of World Animation
https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=3534969&cid=58544&categoryId=58544
11) Encyclopedia of Korean Culture.
http://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Contents/Item/E0071409
12) “My Eyes are Watery,” in Chong Chaebong’s Looking at the Road with Eyes Closed. Samtoh, 2006.
http://chaebong.isamtoh.com/mainf_14.html
13) Han Seungju. “Chong Chaebong’s first collected poems Thinking of You written during his battle with liver cancer.” Kukmin Ilbo, July 17, 2000.
https://entertain.naver.com/read?oid=005&aid=0000012439
