So Young-en (born 1943) is a South Korean writer.
1. Life
So Young-en was born in Gangneung, Gangwon Province. She studied English literature at Konkuk University and made her literary debut in 1968 when her short story "Gyo" (교 Bridge) was accepted for publication by Sasanggye and the following year, "Nawa na" (나와 나 Me and Me) was published in Monthly Literature. She has also worked as an editor for the monthly Literature & Thought and for Korean Literature under the editorship of Lee Mun Ku.
An avid traveller, So has been to some 165 cities in 50 countries, and completed the Camino de Santiago in 2008. She has published such works as the short story collections Samageul geonneoneun beop (사막을 건너는 법 How to Cross a Desert), Tainui umul (타인의 우물 Someone Else's Well), the novels Kkumgireseo kkumgillo (꿈길에서 꿈길로 From a Dream Road to a Dream Road), Siganui eolgul (시간의 얼굴 The Face of Time) as well as numerous essay collections. She is the recipient of the 1983 Yi Sang Literary Award for "Meon geudae" (먼 그대 Distant You), and the 1990 Yeonam Literary Award for "Sadariga noin chang" (사다리가 놓인 창 A Window with a Ladder).
2. Writing
Characteristic of So's works is a deep-seated nihilism and a sense of alienation as experienced by pure souls. Often her characters are ordinary people who long for and even strive towards spiritually elevated existence while struggling with the meaninglessness of their tedious life. In "Samageul geonneoneun beop," the psychology of a man who endeavors to overcome the painful memories of the Vietnam War and return to normal life is expressed through his relationship with another man who lives in his own fantasy. In "Hwanggeum gitteol" (황금깃털 The Golden Feather), an undistinguished middle-aged poet realizes that his lifelong effort to preserve the purity of his artistic vision amounts to nothing. Confronted with his own mediocrity, the man realizes that the literary ideals he once sought can never be his, but at the same time, he is reluctant to embrace the only possible choice left to him—to throw away the now useless "golden feather" and compromise with reality.
The opposition between unattainable ideal and undesirable reality is also the topic of "Gwansa saramdeul" (관사 사람들 Gwansa People) which shows the ways in which the rules and habits of everyday life can taint the purity of one's soul. By contrast, "Sullaeya, sullaeya" (술래야, 술래야 You're It) features a woman who successfully escapes the tyranny of daily routines. In "Meon geudae," perhaps her best-known work, spiritual beauty and perfection is embodied in a seemingly pitiful woman who silently endures and rises above the oppressive and unjust reality to achieve inner peace.
