Veteran novelist Seo Jeong-in (photo) passed away on the 14th due to old age. He was 89 years old.
Born in 1936 in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do, he graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in English Literature and completed graduate studies in the same department. He served as a visiting researcher at Harvard University in the United States and made his literary debut in 1962 by publishing the short story "Husong" in the mid-issue of the literary magazine Sasanggye.
His 1968 short story "Gang," published in the spring issue of Changjakgwa Bipyeong, drew attention for its concise style depicting characters alienated from reality. Novelist Hwang Sok-yong praised "Gang" as one of the "101 Best Korean Short Stories," calling it "a brilliant crystallization of Korean short literature in the 1960s."
[Photo by Yonhap News]
He received the Daesan Literary Award in 1999 for "People Met in Venice" and the Isan Literary Award in 2002 for the linked short story collection "Yongbyeongdaejang."
He also published novels such as "Gawi," "Between Saturday and Friday," "Cheoljjukje," "Bung-eo," "Maltuk," "Mogusil," and "Bitjeom."
He was awarded the Korean Literature Writers Award (1976), Woltan Literary Award (1983), Korean Literature Creation Award (1986), East-West Literary Award (1995), Kim Dong-ri Literary Award (1998), Order of Green Stripes (2002), Suncheon Literature Award (2010, 2011), and the Silver Crown Cultural Medal (2016).
From 1968 to 2002, he served as a professor in the Department of English Language and Literature at Jeonbuk National University and held the title of professor emeritus until 2009 after retirement.
Recognized for his contributions to literature, he was appointed a member of the Literature Division of the National Academy of Arts of the Republic of Korea in July 2009.
The funeral is being held at the New Goryeo Hospital Funeral Hall in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. The funeral procession will take place at 7 a.m. on the 17th.
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