Korean literature is currently one of the most sought after and popular on the Asian continent. The works were historically created in Korean or in classical Chinese, since until the middle of the 15th century there was no native alphabet in the country. So, all writers and poets used exclusively Chinese characters. In this article we will talk about famous Korean writers and their works.
Features
The uniqueness of Korean literature is determined by the list of genres that are characteristic of classical works that have become popular in this country. Modern writers and poets form their worldview under the influence of Western traditions and cultures, which are based on economic development and trade.
At the same time, classical Korean literature originates from folk tales and traditional beliefs. Researchers identify several of the largest traditional poetic forms. Interestingly, Korean poetry was originally designed for singing. At its core are various groups of several syllables that represent the natural rhythm of the language.
Genres
Among the genres of Korean literature, hyanga should be distinguished. This is a poetic work written in the way I go. So they call the archaic system of using hieroglyphs. Only 25 works that can be attributed to this genre have reached us. Most of them are contained in the collection "Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms", written in 1279.
Sijo is a genre of lyric poetry, which literally translates as “short song”, which is fully consistent with its essence. Finally, kasa is a genre of medieval poetry, which is a major poetic work devoted to the sights of the country, significant events, amazing features of the life of Korea itself and its neighbors.
Jung In Ji
One of the most famous medieval writers in Korean literature is Jung In Ji, who was also a prominent statesman and scholar. His life came mainly in the 15th century.
Jung In Ji was born in Seoul in 1396. He was raised in the family of a county governor in the province of Kengido. Under the fourth van of the Korean state, Sejong gained a significant place in the court academy, known as the "Pavilion of the Assembly of the Wise."
He was directly involved in the creation of the national alphabet "Hangul", which he worked on from 1444 to 1446. He was the author of a large number of political, historical and military works. He has written several books on the exact sciences. The main work of his life is The History of Korea. In the XX century, it was translated from Korean into Russian; in 1960, the book was published in Moscow.
Under Sejon, he served as first minister. In politics, he opposed the spread of Buddhism in the country, for which he was eventually removed from office. He returned to the capital at the next van, then he received public recognition.
He died in 1478.
Kim man joon
This is a prominent Korean poet, scientist and politician of the XVII century. He was born in 1637. The poet’s childhood passed in difficult conditions, since the country was dominated by the Manchus, and his father committed suicide after the seizure of the capital shortly before his birth.
Kim Man Joon managed to get a classical education as a native of an aristocratic family. He became an official and was directly involved in the party struggle for power. As a result, he received the post of head of the military department. After the Western Party to which he belonged was removed from power, Kim Man Joon was exiled to Namhae Island. In exile, he died of pulmonary tuberculosis.
In 1689, the activist wrote "Ms. Sa's Wanderings in the South." This was the first novel published exclusively in Korean. It tells the story of a woman who was slandered by a concubine, for which she was kicked out of the house. In this work, the author described the fate of Empress Inhen. The novel was published in hot pursuit. Still fascinated by the political struggle, the author condemns his ruler, who was overly keen on concubines. In Korean literature, the work of Kim Man Joon was of great importance. It has become a model of family conflict. In subsequent novels, one may encounter borrowing the names of heroes and even entire episodes.
In exile, Kim Man Joon writes his second novel, "A Dream in Sky-high Heights." The work becomes the result of his thoughts about the essence of human nature, which has to withstand passions. The work was created in the form of a Buddhist parable.
He also wrote poetry in Chinese at the end of his life. He died in 1692.
Pak Chiwon
Park Chiwon is a Korean writer, philosopher, and scholar who is considered one of the most prominent representatives of the intellectual movement of the sirhak pha in the 18th century. Its essence is to promote economic and social reforms that should benefit the country. In this case, the use of Western technologies is allowed. Known for harsh criticism of the modern system and metaphysical research. One of the first writers in Korean literature who began to use the most simplified style.
His early works are short stories published in the collection entitled "The Unofficial History of the Pangengak Pavilion." The most famous of them are “The Legend of E Dock”, “The Legend of Kwan Moon”, “The Legend of the Young Women” written in 1754.
Zhehei diary
The largest essay by Pak Chivon is The Jahei Diary, which consists of ten books and 26 parts. These are his travel notes on a trip to China. Parts of the work are the utopian work "The Tale of Ho Sung," in which he describes a society of ideal equality, as well as the satirical short story "The Tiger Scolding."
He wrote many lyric-landscape and philosophical poems, which are filled with faith in a happy future, patriotic pathos. In his research articles he discusses the role of literature in society.
Pak Kenny
South Korean writer Park Kenny was born in 1926. She spent a hard youth. Korea at that time was part of the Japanese Empire. During the Civil War, her husband was accused of participating in a communist conspiracy. He died in prison. The writer moved to Seoul to feed her daughter. Worked in a bank.
She began to write in the 50s. Her first story, Calculation, was published in the journal Modern Literature. In the 60s, she turned her attention to the history of Korea and the country's social problems. This is dedicated to the novel "Daughters of Pharmacist Kim." However, another work brings her popularity. In 1969, the first part of the multi-volume epic “Earth” was released, which it completed only in 1994. The pages of the book describe the entire history of the country from 1897 until the liberation from Japan in 1954.
In 2008, Park Kenny died after an exacerbation of a chronic disease. Then she was 81 years old.
Ko Eun
Among the writers of Korea, a special place is occupied by Ko Eun. He is considered the most prolific author of the XX century. Born in 1933, after the Korean War he became a Buddhist monk, but then returned to worldly life. In the 60s he founded an orphanage.
During the Fourth Republic, he fought for civil rights. After a military coup in 1979, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but in reality he was released already in 1982.
Began to publish in late 1950. He became a famous poet after the release of the collection "In the village of Muni". It repeats the images of the wanderer, the path of returning home. Among his works is a poem about the Korean War, one and a half dozen volumes of Maninbo, in which he describes more than three thousand people whom he had ever met on his life's journey. The novel “Little Wanderer" becomes a bestseller.
There are a lot of biographical stories in the work of Ko-yong dedicated to famous Korean personalities. They were repeatedly criticized for didacticism and ideological bias.
Kim Won Il
In modern Korean literature, the prose writer Kim Won Il occupies an important place. He was born in 1942 in the city of Gimhae. His father, who was a communist, moved to the north of the peninsula. As the oldest child, according to Confucian traditions, the writer had to act as head of the family.
Kim Won Il belongs to the generation of Korean prose writers who view the division of the nation and the Korean War as the source of all the misfortunes of the people. In 1966, he made his debut in Korean fiction with the story "Algeria", 1961. He became famous for the story "Soul of Darkness", dedicated to the ideological confrontation in the country.
In 1988, a memoir was written "House with a deep courtyard." In it, he described the picture of his hungry and poor childhood. Based on this work, the television series of the same name was filmed.
In 1990, Kim Won Il wrote the novel "Prisoners of the Soul", the main character of which becomes the manager of a small book publishing house. At the Moscow International Fair, he gets acquainted with the novel by Anatoly Rybakov "Children of the Arbat" and wants to publish it faster than competitors. The main theme of this work is the life of contemporaries, who in Korea are called the "April 19th generation" who survived the 1960 revolution. As a result, the First Republic was overthrown and the Second was established.
About Seen
The South Korean poet O Seen was born in 1942. He is a graduate of Seoul University. O Seyen graduated from the department of literature, defended his thesis on romantic poetry of Korea.
In 1974, he founded the Society of Free Writers, which opposed the military administration of Chun Doo-hwan. By signing a petition against the military dictatorship, he was soon forced to resign from the university.
His books in Korean are very popular. O Seyen is the author of nine collections of Buddhist poems and two dozen poetry collections. The main themes of the works are the transience of life, summing up the results of one's journey, memories of love, the sorrows of separation. All these conditions are inextricably linked with the surrounding nature, which participates in human life, reflected through it. Using traditional images, he intertwines them with original comparisons and his own allusions.
Poems about Seyen are published in many languages ​​of the world, there is a translation from Korean into Russian. The most famous collections of the poet are called “Resisting Light”, “Unnamed Love Poems”, “Flowers Live, Admiring the Stars”, “Mark from the Petal”, “Sky, Open the Door”, “Checkerboard of the Night Sky”.
Cho Haejin
This is a popular modern South Korean writer who was born in Seoul in 1976. She is a graduate of the University of Women. In 2004, Cho Haejin received an award for beginning writers. Her storybook "City of Celestials" became popular. He was followed by the novels “I met Roe Kivan,” “In an infinitely beautiful dream,” “Let's meet on Friday,” “A forest that no one has seen.”
In her works, the writer covers contemporary issues for Korean society. At the same time, he pays special attention to the poor, sick, migrants, believing that they are most in need of love and care from others.
For example, in a novel called “I Met Ro Kivan,” Cho Haejin tells the story of a North Korean refugee who ends up in Belgium. This, like several of her other works, has been translated into Russian. In 2017, she became a participant in the International Book Fair, which was held in Moscow.