Hwang Sok-yong
Hwang Sok-yong (황석영) is a prominent Korean author born in Hsinking (modern-day Changchun), Manchukuo, during Japan's colonial rule.
His family returned to Korea following liberation in 1945.
He earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Dongguk University (동국대학교).
In 1964, he was imprisoned for political reasons, where he encountered labor activists, and after his release worked in a cigarette factory and at various construction sites.
Between 1966 and 1969, he served in Korea's military during the Vietnam War, reluctantly participating in a conflict he viewed as an assault on a legitimate liberation struggle.
He is the author of Princess Bari.
