Kim Yong-man (born 1940) is a modern South Korean novelist.
1. Life
Kim Yong-man was born in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province. He studied creative writing at Gwangju University and Korean literature at Kyung Hee University graduate school. He made his literary debut in 1989 publishing the novella "Eunjangdo" (은장도 Ornamental Silver Knife) in Hyundae Munhak. He is the author of three short story collections including Nuin nae gaksideo (늰 내 각시더 Youse Ma Woman) and five novels including Chuncheonok neungsueomma (춘천옥 능수엄마 Neungsu's Mom of Chunchonok ), inspired by his experience managing a successful restaurant in Seoul. He has also published several volumes of essays and literary criticism. He is the recipient of the Korean Literature Prize and the Kyung Hee Literature Prize, among others.
2. Writing
Born to a very poor family, Kim Yong-man barely completed high school and was unable to attend university for want of tuition. Instead he became a police officer, although later in life he completed undergraduate as well as graduate studies. While working as a policeman, he participated in suppressing democracy movement protests by university students. Kim was assigned to a regional police station where he also watched over prisoners in the small lockup there.
After resigning from the police, he tried his hand at several businesses, making quite a bit of money. Unable to find happiness through mere material success, however, his fundamental aspirations for beauty and solitude led to his desire to write. The poverty of his family, diverse job history, and life travails served as excellent sources of inspiration for his work.
Kim's 2003 novel, Kallalgwa haetsal (칼날과 햇살 Blade and Sunlight), is a revised version of the author’s literary debut "Eunjangdo." A story about a detective and an armed agent sent from North Korea, the novel depicts the ideological conflicts caused by the division of the Korean peninsula, as well as the possibility of reconciliation. Now the president of a medium-sized company, Kang Dong-ho used to be a detective in the intelligence department thirty years ago. He pays a visit to Bae Seung-tae, an armed North Korean agent he had investigated in the past. For the past thirty years, ever since they first met as agent and detective, the two have maintained a relationship of conflict and reconciliation. The two discuss the state of affairs between the two Koreas.
