Hong Sok-jung facts for kids

Hong Sok-jung (Chosŏn'gŭl: 홍석중) is a well-known writer from North Korea. He was born in Seoul in 1941. His grandfather, Hong Myong-hui, was also a famous novelist.

Life and Early Career

After the Second World War, Hong Sok-jung and his family moved to North Korea. He served in the Korean People's Navy. Later, he studied literature at Kim Il Sung University.

His first published work was a short story called "Red Flower." This story came out in 1970. In 1979, he joined the Central Committee of the Joseon Writers' Alliance. This is North Korea's official group for writers.

Famous Books

In 1993, Hong Sok-jung published his most successful book. It was an epic novel called Northeaster.

In 2002, he wrote another important book, Hwang Jin-i (Chosŏn'gŭl: 황진이). This is a historical novel set in the 1500s during the Joseon Dynasty. The story shows Hwang Jin-i discovering that people are starving. She also meets government officials who are not honest.

Hwang Jin-i won a special award in South Korea in 2005. It was the Manhae Literary Prize (Hangul: 만해문학상). This was the first time a writer from North Korea received this award. A part of the novel was translated into English. It was published in a book called Literature from the "Axis of Evil" in 2006.

See also

• North Korean literature