Han Seung-won (Hangul 한승원; born 1939) is a South Korean writer. He primarily writes about people who struggle against their fate in Jangheung, a county situated off the southern coast of the Korean peninsula where Han himself was born. Han’s work tends to have a strong sense of place; his stories are often set in his coastal hometown and contain the local dialect.
1. Life
He made his literary debut in 1966 when he won the Shina Ilbo New Writer's Contest for his short story “Gajeungseureoun bada” (가증스런 바다 Despicable Sea). He began teaching at Jangdongseo Elementary School and has also taught at Kwangyang Middle School and Gwangju Dongshin Middle School.
Han Seung-won was born in Jangheung County, South Korea in 1939. He is a visiting professor of creative writing at Chosun University. He attended Jangheung Middle School, Jangheung High School, and Seorabeol Art University for creative writing. Han took a course taught by writer Kim Tong-ni and became acquainted with a number of classmates who went onto become writers, including Lee Mun Ku, Park Sang-ryoong, Cho Sehee, and Kim Won il
Han’s short story “Mokseon” (목선 Wooden Boat) won a writing contest by Daehan Ilbo in 1968, boosting his literary career. In 1972, he founded Soseol Munhak (“fiction and literature”), an association of writers based in Gwangju, South Korea. Members included Mun Sun-tae, Kim Sin-un, Kang Sun-sik, and Lee Gye-hong. He relocated to Seoul in 1980 and wrote full-time, producing bestsellers such as Aje aje bara-aje (아제아제바라아제 Aje aje bara-aje). The novel was made into a movie.
Over his 50-year career, he has persistently written stories inspired by the shores of his hometown. He moved back to Jangheung in 1997 and has resided there since. His two children, Han Kang and Han Dong-rim, are also writers. Both Han Seung-won and Han Kang have won the Yi Sang Literary Award and Kim Tong-ni Literary Award.
2. Writing
Han Seung-won’s works usually involve characters who are driven mad by desire and struggle against their tragic fate. While these characters express a deep sentiment of han, they are not entirely helpless against fate. Some destroy themselves in a fit of insanity, while others commit sins to fulfill their desires. They become trapped in a vicious cycle of suffering, reinforcing the theme of fate in Han’s works.
One of Han’s best-known works is the novella Hyebyeonui gilson (해변의 길손 Wanderer on the Shore), which is loosely based on an ancient Korean hero myth. The book spans decades from Japanese colonial rule through the chaotic post-liberation period to the Korean War, modernization, and finally the Gwangju Uprising in the 1980s. The turmoils of modern Korean history is reflected in the tragic life of the protagonist Hwang Du-pyo. In a storyline reminiscent of Cain and Abel, the novel centers around the conflict between Hwang and his little brother, who is smarter and more loved by their parents. Literary critic Wu Han-yong writes: “The tragedy of Hwang Du-pyo’s family originates from his inferiority complex and is correlated to Korean modern history; the tragedy of an individual expands into that of the nation. Another way to understand the novel is to focus on the psychology of its characters. In this kind of reading, one sees how Hwang’s bitter sense of inferiority grows as he experiences the tumults of history and how that compromises his integrity.”
Often set in his coastal hometown of Jangheung County, Han’s stories have a strong sense of place. The language, people, and environment of his hometown feature heavily in his works. Han has described the sea as “the womb of the universe” and the source of his creative inspiration.
Reference
[브라보 멋진인생106-2] 소설가 한승원 (1편) 우리시대 걸쭉한 이야기꾼! ,여수mbc 프라임
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ376r_4Udo
