Hwang Sok-yong

Born in 1943, Hwang Sok-yong is arguably Korea's most renowned author. In 1993, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for an unauthorized trip to the North to promote exchange between artists in North and South Korea; five years later, he was released on a special pardon by the new president. The recipient of Korea's highest literary prizes and shortlisted for the Prix Femina Estranger, his novels and short stories are published in North and South Korea, Japan, China, France, Germany, and the United States.