
Kang Jeong Yeon
강정연
Kang Jung-yeon is a children's literature writer in South Korea. She studied po-litical science and diplomacy at Sungkyunkwan University. While dreaming of becom-ing a fairy tale writer in elementary school, she had forgotten about that dream until she graduated from college. However, since she did not study literature in college, writing became an even more exciting pursuit for her. Kang Jung-yeon began her literary career in 2004 when her fairy tale "Nureongi, Trying to Commit Suicide" was selected for the Munhwa Ilbo Spring Literary Contest. Subse-quently, she received awards such as the 2005 Korean Andersen Shadow Award, the 18th Enlightenment Children's Literature Award, and the 2007 Golden Goblin Award. Her award-winning work, "Impudent Dodo," tells the story of a wealthy family's aban-doned chubby pet dog, 'Dodo,' who sets out to find a companion on his own. The work stands out for its straightforward expression not commonly seen in traditional fairy tales. It received praise for emphasizing the beauty of companionship and its harmonious structure. Her work "Miracle of the Pink Gate," the winner of the 7th Changwon Chil-dren's Literature Award, depicts the events that unfold when a mother returns in a small form like Thumbelina after a traffic accident, bringing a semblance of order to the chaot-ic lives of a father and son who had been living in disarray after losing the mother. The unique narrative style of referring to characters in the third person is a distinctive feature of the story.