Sunwoo Hwi (1922-1986) was a South Korean author and novelist.
1. Life
Sunwoo Hwi was born on January 3, 1922 in Chongju, Pyeonganbuk-do. He was a realist and anticommunist writer and journalist. Sunwoo graduated from Gyeongseong Teachers School in 1944. He worked as a reporter for the Chosun Ilbo before enlisting in the army in 1949 as an information and education officer. He made his literary debut in 1955 with the publication of the short story "Gwisin" (귀신 Ghost).
2. Writing
Sunwoo Hwi’s literary world is characterized by behavioral humanism, or the expression of active will in dire situations. "Bulkkot" (불꽃 Flowers of Fire), for which he first gained recognition, features a man who overcomes his escapist mentality to embrace the spirit of resistance. As revealed in “Flowers of Fire” as well as in the novellas Gitbal eomneun gisu (깃발없는 기수 Flagman Without a Flag) and Chujeogui pinalle (추적의 피날레 The Finale of the Chase), the will to act is rooted in respect for mankind and desire to oppose dehumanization. For Sunwoo, the responsibility of intellectuals includes active participation in the affairs of the society and resistance to dehumanization caused by ideological conflicts and social ills. This humanistic approach, however, is overemphasized in works such as Ssaritgorui sinhwa (싸릿골의 신화 Myth of Bush-Clover Village), giving the work the feel of an imaginary world removed from contemporary reality.
After 1965, Sunwoo Hwi began to evince a more conservative attitude towards the establishment. Sipjaga eomneun golgoda (십자가 없는 골고다 Golgotha Without the Cross), "Sipsamse sonyeon" (13세 소년 A Thirteen-Year-Old Boy) and "Useuun saramdeurui useuun iyagi" (우스운 사람들의 우스운 이야기 A Funny Story About Funny People) focus on nostalgia for lost childhood homes. The Nodaji (노다지 Jackpot), serialized in the Chosun Weekly from 1979 to 1981, is an epic family saga.
