Suh Ki-Won (徐基源, 1930-2005) was a South Korean novelist, journalist and politician. As one of the most prominent writers of Korean post-war period, he wrote novels giving an insight into the skepticism and despair of the post-war generation through delicate description of psychology.[1] A short story “I Seongsukan Bamui Poong” (이 성숙한 밤의 포옹 A Hug of this Mature Night, 1960)[2] is his representative work. He received the Contemporary Literature (Hyundai Munhak) Award, Dongin Literary Award, Hanguk Literary Award (한국문학상) and the National Academy of Arts Award, etc.
1. Life
Suh Ki-Won was born in Seoul (Songwol-jeong, Jongno-bang, Gyeongseong-bu) in 1930. He graduated from Sinuiju Unjeong elementary school and Gyeongbok middle school and entered the college of commerce, Seoul University, where he dropped out following the outbreak of the Korean War. After the recapture of Seoul on September 28th, he joined the air force as a cadet for an administrative officer. Discharged, he was employed by Donghwatongsin and started his career as a journalist.
In 1956, he began writing professionally by publishing “Allaksaron” (안락사론 Euthanasia Theory, June 1956) and “Amsajido” (암사지도 A Blank Map, November 1956)[3] in the Hyundae Munhak, recommended by Hwang Sun-Won. Afterwards, he worked for the Chosun Ilbo and the Seoul Shinmun as a journalist and became an editorialist of the Korea Joongang Daily. He constantly juggled the regular job as a journalist and his creative work, publishing a great number of writings including “I Seongsukan Bamui Poong.”
He wrote prolifically up to 1975, and had a brief rest until he resumed writing by releasing serial novels Wangjoui Jedan (왕조의 제단 The Alter of the Dynasty) in the literary journal the Munye Joonang in 1982 and Gwanghwamun (광화문 Gwanghwamun Gate)[4] in the Chosun Ilbo in 1994. His works include short story collections I Seongsukan Bamui Poong (이 성숙한 밤의 포옹 A hug of this Mature Night, 1976), Yeojaui Dari (여자의 다리 Legs of a Woman, 1976), Joseonbaekja Mariasang (조선백자 마리아상 The Image of Virgin Mary in Chosun White Porcelain, 1979) and Amsajido (암사지도 A Blank Map), etc. He also wrote full-length novels Jeonyaje (전야제 The Eve of the Festival, 1961), Hyeogmyeong (혁명 The Revolution, 1964-1965), Marongnyeoljeon (마록열전 The Ma Rok Biographies, 1972), Wangjoui Jedan (왕조의 제단 The Alter of the Dynasty, 1982-1983), Gwanghwamun (광화문 Gwanghwamun Gate, 1997), etc.
Suh Ki-Won was not only a writer, but also a journalist and politician. He served as a presidential spokesman in 1970, a press secretary to the Prime Minister in 1976, and a standing auditor of the Seoul Shinmun in 1982. In 1988, he became the president of the Seoul Shinmun and the chairman of the Korean Association of Newspapers. He was appointed as the president of the Korea Broadcasting System (KBS) and the chairman of the Korean broadcasters Association in 1990 and served as the first chairman of the Korean Performance Arts Promotion Association from 1997 to 1998. Establishing the Audience Committee is considered to have been one of his most important achievements as the president of KBS, though his overly government-friendly management caused a general strike. He received the Contemporary Literature (Hyundai Munhak) Award, Dongin Literary Award, Hanguk Literary Award (한국문학상) and National Academy of Arts Award, etc. He died in 2005.[5]
2. Writing
Post-War Novels
Suh Ki-Won’s works are classified into three categories: post-war novels, satirical novels and historical novels.[6] His early post-war novels portray despair and skepticism of the young generation through extreme sexual morals based on his experiences of war. In “I Seongsukan Bamui Poong,” the pressure of the reality under which people cannot be optimistic about their future is described through a conflict arising from two men sharing one woman. This is also a painful exposure of a process of losing human ethics while struggling to hold on to life. By acutely capturing the inhumane climate of the post-war Korea, he shows how a person’s soul could be eaten away.
Satirical Novels
Entering the 1970s, his works feature a wider view contemplating the reality from different perspectives while keeping a distance from the characters. Such distancing was regarded as cynicism by some people. One of the representative works of this style is The Ma Rok Biographies,[7] a serial novel drawing an analogy between post-war Korea of 1970s and an imaginary village called Taepyeong-gun at the late Joseon Dynasty. Style-wise, instead of taking an approach of a conventional novel, Ma Rok Biographies takes a format of letters of appeal to the King from a secret royal inspector, Ma Myeongmin (馬明敏) to report and criticize negative realities of society. This serial novel has an extraordinary effect of blending the traditional spirit of satire with modern problems by stating the past events in the present tense.
Historical Novels
In 1995, Suh Ki-Won resumed creative work aftera ten-year gap in his literary career, writing a serial novel Gwanghwamun for the Chosun Ilbo. Gwanghwamun is an epic novel reviving the life of Heungseon Daewongun and the acute tension between the reformists and the conservatives in the latter era of the Joseon Dynasty based on thorough historical research. While sticking closely to historical facts, it adds interpretation and criticism to offer deep insight into administration and welfare, which is still meaningful to today’s readers. Especially, by focusing on the power struggle between the royal authority and the nobility, the author follows the traces of Heungseon Daewongun who aimed for a sort of popular politics without distorting the facts. Also, the story revolving around Heungseon Daewongun in the mid-19th century overlaps with today’s politics, strongly conveying the author’s message.
Reference
[1] 홍기삼, 〈서기원 작품 해설〉, 《한국대표문학전집》11, 삼중당, 1970. / Hong Gisam, “Interpretation of Suh Ki-Won’s Works”, A Selected Anthology of Korean Literature 11, Samjungdang, 1970.
[2] 한국현대문학대사전 / An Unabridged Dictionary of Modern Korean Literature
https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=334924&cid=41708&categoryId=41737
[3] 나는 문학이다 / I Am Literature
https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=955839&cid=60538&categoryId=60538
[4] 한국문예위원회 / Arts Council Korea
https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=335938&cid=41708&categoryId=41734
[5] 한국민족문화대백과 / Encyclopedia of Korean Culture
https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=1821854&cid=46645&categoryId=46645#TABLE_OF_CONTENT3
[6] 이학영, 〈서기원 소설에 나타난 자부심의 발현 양상 연구〉, 서울대학교 석사학위논문, 2001. / Lee Hak-yeong, “A Study on Aspects of Revelation of Self-esteem in Suh Ki-Won’s Novels,” Master diss., Seoul National University, 2001.
[7] 한민족문화대백과 / Encyclopedia of Korean Culture
https://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=545019&cid=46645&categoryId=46645
