Song Sokze (born 1960) is a South Korean novelist.
1. Life
Song was born in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province. He graduated from Yonsei University with a law degree. At school he was a member of the Yonsei Literary Society, which included poets Ki Hyongdo and Ra Heeduk, and novelists Won Jaegil and Gong Ji-Young.
Song made his literary debut as a poet in 1986, winning the New Writer's Contest hosted by the monthly Literature & Thought, and his first poetry collection, Natseon gire mutda (낯선 길에 묻다 Asking on the Unfamiliar Road) was published in 1991. He then decided to quit his job and write stories traveling around the country, the result of which is Geugoseneun eocheogunideuri sanda (그곳에는 어처구니들이 산다 There Live the Ridiculous People), published in 1994. The following year, after the publication of his short story "Nae insaengui majimak 4.5 cho" (내 인생의 마지막 4.5초 The Last 4.5 Seconds of My Life) in the quarterly Munhakdongne, he turned his focus to writing fiction. A prolific writer, he has authored some 20 collections of short stories, 12 novels, two volumes of poetry and numerous essay collections. He is the recipient of the Hankook Ilbo Literary Award, the Lee Hyoseok Literary Award, the Dongin Literary Award, and the Yosan Literary Award, among others.
2. Writing
As one of South Korea's best established writers since the 1990s, Song is known for his unique style and narratives that freely cross the boundary between comedy and tragedy. His characters are mostly outcasts, such as gangsters, scoundrels, people with intellectual disabilities, con men, alcoholics, and gamblers. "Jodonggwan yakjeon" (조동관 약전 A Brief Biography of Jo Donggwan) and "Hwangmangeuneun ireoke malhaetda" (황만근은 이렇게 말했다 Thus Spoke Hwang Mangeun), are characteristic examples of Song's fiction. Donggwan, the main character of the former, is a famous gangster who jumps bills and commits sexual crimes and assaults without shame, but he dies fighting against the unjust authority symbolized by the chief of police. His death signifies how unethical it is for the state power to commit violence, as well as how reasonable it is when the people resist it.
Song actively utilizes the traditional narrative genres of Korea, such as pansori (narrative songs), jeon (biographical stories), and folktales. His writing typically combines the motifs of folktale and the style of jeon. Practically all of his best known works, including Wangeul chajaseo (왕을 찾아서 In Search of the King), "Nae insaengui majimak 4.5 cho," Domangja yichido (도망자 이치도 Yi Chido the Fugitive), are written according to the typical structure of this genre. Song incorporates a variety of storytelling devices, such as using spoken and archaic languages, presenting narrators who play naive, who are talkative, or who feign ignorance, and inserting unrealistic events. His works, through these devices, provoke subversive laughter and dramatically describe the absurdity of life. In addition, he sometimes draws attention by using an indifferent voice, or points out the absurdity and immorality of Korean society by portraying a ridiculous event in an overly determined voice, as in "Bumbimgwa teongbim" (붐빔과 텅빔, Bustling and Emptying), "Yurang" (유랑 Wandering), "Cheonhajeil namgai" (천하제일 남가이 Nam Gai, the Best in the World), and many more.
