Kim
Young-Ha
was born in 1968 in Hwacheon, South Korea. He studied in the Business
Department of Yonsei University. Kim Young-Ha’s father was in the military, so
like many other writers, Kim’s childhood involved moving from place to place.
TV was not always accessible in frontline areas, so Kim amused himself with
books. He told stories to his school friends. Kim has said that memories before
the age of 10 are a bit dim due to an incident when he was poisoned by fumes
from coal gas. Kim’s father had volunteered to fight in Vietnam against the
Viet Cong, a decision that greatly frustrated Kim when he was a teenager. His
first piece, “Meditation on a Mirror”, was published in “Review” in 1996. He
has had a number of short story collections published: “Pager”, and “What
happened to that man stuck in the elevator?” He has also had a couple of books
of essays published: “Fishing for Corbina Fish” and “Post-it”. Kim wrote the
script for the movie “Eraser in my Head”, and 2 of his novels have been
published as “Scarlet Letter”. He has won several literary prizes: the Dongin
Literary Award, the Isan Literary Award, and the Hyeondae Literary Award. In
2004, he managed to win all 3 of South Korea’s literary awards: the Yi Sang
Literature Award with “The Brother is Back”, the Hwang Sun-won Literature Award
with “Treasure Ship”, and won Dong Literature Award with “Black Flower”. His
novel entitled “I
have the right to destroy myself” is due to be published by Harcourt Brace.
It’s been described as a cross between “Lost in Translation” and “The
Unbearable Lightness of Being”, and the author has been compared to Kafka, due
to the existentialist style of his fiction. In the novel, the unnamed hero
visits people who are suicidal, and helps them end their lives. Another Kim
Young-Ha book, whose title translates into English as “Black Flower”, is due to
be translated into English by Charles La Shure. “Black Flower” tells of Korean
immigrants in Mexico at the time of the Mexican Revolution and the Japanese
annexation of Korea. He is translating F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”
into Korean. Kim Young-Ha works as a drama teacher at the Korea National
University of Arts (KUNA).
Three Stories
– by
Kim Young-Ha in pdf format
Christmas Carol – a Kim
Young-Ha short story translated into English by Charles La Shure
The
Monster is Growing – a piece by Kim Young-Ha
The Seoul Times –
their interview with Kim Young-Ha
Sharapova
of Korean Literature, Kim Young-Ha – KBS Global’s interview with the author
Interview
with the author of “The Pager” – the “Korea Times” interview
Liminality: the Space in Between
– Charles La Shure writes about a question and answer session with Kim Young-Ha
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