KIM Jong-ryeol
김종렬
Kim Jong-ryul is a South Korean children's literature writer born in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, in 1971. He graduated from Chung-Ang University with a degree in Creative Writing. In 1997, his short story "Mine Clearing Complex" was selected in a literary competition by "Moonhakdongne," marking the beginning of his literary career. "Fly, Pigeon" (2002) is a prize-winning novel in the Golden Goblin Award for Long Fairy Ta-les category, featuring a pigeon protagonist living in the city and encouraging reflection on the meaning of growth and the urban environment we inhabit.
Kim Jong-ryul is recognized as a writer who brought vitality to the children's literature scene in the 2000s. His collection of fairy tales, "The Giant Rock of Sunflower Village" (2011), despite being a children's literature work, includes stories that skillfully employ the language of genre literature such as horror, mystery, and fantasy. The book humor-ously and chillingly depicts absurd situations created by students immersed in exams and grades and the greed of humanity. The titular story, "The Giant Rock of Sunflower Village," even became part of the reading curriculum for sixth graders in the first semes-ter.
The collection, known for its humorous and chilling portrayals, explores realistic and ur-gent issues for Korean children through the formats of horror, mystery, and fantasy. The stories address topics such as academic pressure, grades, money, and parental interfer-ence from the perspective of the children.
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