Park T'ae-sun

Park T'ae-sun
Hangeul	박태순
Hanja	朴 泰 洵
Revised Romanization	Park Tae-sun
McCune- Reischauer	Park T'aesun
See also : Korean name

Park T'ae-sun (born May 8, 1942 in Sinch'ŏn , Hwanghae-do , † August 30, 2019 ) was a South Korean writer .

Life

Park T'ae-sun graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in English Literature . He was a member of the so-called April 19 Generation , a group of writers who came into the spotlight in the 1960s. Her works reflect the values ​​of the April Revolution of 1960: individual freedom, democratic ideals and social justice.

Park's basic themes were the manners and customs associated with modern, urban life and against which he took a critical stance. His best-known work is a collection of short stories set in the slums of one of the outlying districts of Seoul. The first short story is On the Hill of This Beloved Land (정든 땅 언덕 위). The residents of the district do not have the necessary economic basis for life in the city, but rural life is also alien to them, so that they can be described as cross-border commuters who have to fight not to lose their material existence as well as their identity. By depicting their alienation, Park offers an unobstructed view of rapid urbanization, which has been pursued without regard for balanced development or awe of life.

Park's criticism of urban culture is also evident in The Siblings of Mr. Tan (단 씨 의 형제 들). The work reveals how urban life undermines the sense of hospitality and compassion until the only sense of community can only be found in close family circles. The recognition of individual strength in overcoming misery is what makes Park's oppressive portrayal of the economically disempowered so attractive. With an ear for colloquial language and regional language features, he sketches the lives of people who are on the edge of society in a heartwarming and personable way.

Work (selection)

Korean

• 연애 love (1966)
• 삼두 마차 Three-horse carriage (1968)
• 무너진 극장 The ruins of the theater (1968)
• 낮 에 나온 반달 Half moon at noon (1969)
• 독재자 의 아내 The dictator's wife (1970)
• 어떤 외출 A Trip (1971)
• 실금 Incontinence (1977)
• 가슴 속에 남아 있는 미처 하지 못한 말 Words That Lingered in the Heart (1977)
• 어제 불던 바람 Yesterday 's Wind (1979)
• 정선 아리랑 Chŏngsŏn Arirang (1974)
• 국토 와 민중 The Land and the People (1983)

Awards

• 1964 - 신동엽 창작 문 기금 ( Sin Tong-yŏp Novel Fund )
• 1964 - 사상계 신인상 ( Sasanggye Prize for young authors )
• 1988 - 한국 일보 문학상 ( Hanguk Ilbo Literature Prize )
• 1998 - 제 15 회 요산 문학상 ( Yosan Literature Prize )
• 2000 - 21 세기 문학상 ( Literature Prize of the 21st Century )
• 2009 - 제 23 회 단 재상 ( Tanjae Prize )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ [1]
2. ↑ 네이버 인물 검색: 박태순 Retrieved June 9, 2014 (Korean)
3. ↑ Author Database of the LTI Korea: Park Taesun ( Memento of the original from June 7, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed on June 9, 2014 (English) 
4. ↑ 한국 현대 문학 대사전: 박태순 , accessed on June 9, 2014 (English)

Note: This article places the family name before the person's first name. This is the usual order in Korean. Park is the family name here, T'ae-sun is the first name.