Yi Mun-yol
| Yi Mun-yol | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
May 18, 1948 Cheogon-dong, Korea |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | Korean |
| Nationality | South Korea |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Yi Mun-yol | |
| Hangul | 이문열 |
|---|---|
| Hanja | 李文烈 |
| Revised Romanization | I Mun-yeol |
| McCune–Reischauer | Yi Muny?l |
Yi Mun-yol (born May 18, 1948) is a South Korean writer.
Yi Mun-yol was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1948, but the outbreak of the Korean War and his father's defection to North Korea forced his family to move about until they settled in Yeongyang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, the ancestral seat of his family. The fact that his father defected dramatically affected his life, as he was seen and treated as "the son of a political offender," and was "passed around among relatives After dropping out of the College of Education of Seoul National University in 1970, Yi Mun-yol made his literary debut through the annual literary contests of the Daegu Maeil Newspaper in 1977, and the Dong-A Ilbo in 1979. On being awarded the prestigious "Today's Writer Award" for The Son of Man in 1979, Yi emerged as the most noteworthy writer of the time. The Son of Man explores the theme of the complex relationship between God and humanity in light of the finite nature of human existence inadvertently cast in an infinite universe, through the eyes of the protagonist who is doubtful of the Christian Weltanschauung. From 1994 to 1997, he taught Korean language and literature at Sejong University. Since 1999, he has also served as the head of Buak Literary Center, a residential program for budding writers. He is currently a chair professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
Yi has written novels, short stories, and political and social commentaries. Yi Mun-yol has since published numerous novels including The Son of Man (Saramui adeul), Wild Ox (Deulso), For the Vanished Things (Sarajin geotdeureul wihayeo), The Shadow of Darkness (Eodumui geuneul), Hail to the Emperor! (Hwangjereul wihayeo), A Snail’s Outing (Dalpaengiui oechul), and At This Desolate Station (I hwangnyanghan yeogaeseo).
Yi Mun-yol’s literary tendencies can be split into two categories. The first category, as represented by Hail to the Emperor! (Hwangjereul wihayeo), Until We Become Happy (Uriga haengbokhae jigikkaji), and Our Twisted Hero (Urideurui ilgeureojin yeongung), contains works that explore social injustice using elements of fable and attempt to work out new solutions to those problems . The other category, represented by A Portrait of Youthful Days (Jeolmeunnarui chosang) and You Will Never Return to Your Homeland (Geudae dasineun gohyangae gaji mothari), comprises works that utilize autobiographical materials to examine existential angst, identity loss, and the implosion of community. In the first category, Yi typically presents allegorical views of Korea society, tracing the ways in which various lives are shaped and governed by dominant ideology and power. In the second category, Yi focuses on his internal world, fictionalizing his experience of growing up and the process by which his worldview was formed.
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