Yi Cheong-jun

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Lore & Background

Yi Cheong-jun was born on August 9, 1939 in Jangheung County, Zenranan-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan. He graduated with a degree in German literature from Seoul National University. He debuted in 1965 with the short story *Toewon* (Leaving the Hospital) and won the Dongin Literature Award in 1967 for *The Wounded*. He died from lung cancer at age 68 on July 31, 2008. His fiction encompasses a broad range of political, existential, and metaphysical concerns. *The Wounded* (1966) probes the spiritual malaise of post-war Korean youth; *This Paradise of Yours* (1976) explores the dialectics of charity and will to power, set on the leper colony of Sorokdo Island; and *The Fire Worshipers* (1985) meditates on human rituals in a Godless society. A recurrent theme is language as a vehicle of truth. *The Walls of Rumor* (1972) describes how freedom of speech was repressed in the ideologically charged atmosphere of Korean society during national division. Stories in the collection *In Search of Lost Words* (1981) continue investigating the effect of political violence on language. Another favorite theme is the role of art in life. Early stories like *The Falconer* and *The Target* feature artisans dedicated to the perfection of their craft, often at the cost of conventional happiness. Later, Yi drew on traditional folk art, notably in *Seopyeonje* (1993), which foregrounds the genre of pansori, a traditional Korean oral performance featuring a singer of tales accompanied by a single drummer. Made into a blockbuster feature film, *Seopyeonje* helped revive great popular interest in the art of pansori.

Reader's Guide

Yi Cheong-jun is significant as a leading figure of the 4.19 Generation in South Korean literature, with a steady and voluminous output over four decades. His work consistently probes the intersections of language, political repression, and individual psychology, as seen in *The Walls of Rumor* and *In Search of Lost Words*. He also explored the redemptive and transcendent power of art, most famously in *Seopyeonje*, which helped revive interest in traditional pansori performance. Several of his works were adapted into major films: *Iodo* directed by Kim Ki-young (1977); *Seopyeonje* directed by Im Kwon-taek (1993); *Beyond the Years* directed by Im Kwon-taek (2007), based on *The Wanderer of Seonghak-dong*; and *Secret Sunshine* directed by Lee Chang-dong (2007), using the plot from the novella *The Abject*. Critic Kim Byeong-ik noted that Yi opened a new pace of Korean literature before true modern literature was established in the 1960s. His awards include the Dong-in Literary Award (1967), Yi Sang Literary Award (1978), Korean Literature Prize (1985), Isan Literature Prize (1990), Inchon Award (2003), and Ho-Am Prize in the Arts (2007).

Did You Know?

• Yi Cheong-jun debuted in 1965 with a short story titled *Toewon* (Leaving the Hospital).
• He won the Dongin Literature Award in 1967 for *The Wounded*.
• His novel *Seopyeonje* (1993) was made into a blockbuster feature film that helped revive popular interest in pansori.
• He died from lung cancer at age 68 on July 31, 2008.
• Critic Kim Byeong-ik said Yi opened a new pace of Korean literature before true modern literature was established in the 1960s.