Gong Ji-young

Gong Jiyeong (; born January 31, 1963) is a South Korean novelist.

Life Gong Jiyeong was interested in literature from an early age, and while still a teenager, self-published her own stories and poems.

It was during her college years in the 1980s that she came into contact with the student movement and it was from this experience that Gong drew her sense of purpose. In 1985 she received her B.A. in Literature from Yonsei University. Her first novel Rising Dawn was a direct result of her involvement in the student and labor movements of that era.

Career Gong Jiyeong began to write full-time in 1988. Her works have focused on issues surrounding laborers, the underprivileged and those who suffer discrimination. She has also written extensively about the lives of young educated women attempting to forge lives for themselves both within and without the family.

While social activism is one of Gong's main thematic concerns, another equally important interest is the issue of women, particularly the failure of society to shed its patriarchal way of thinking. Gong continues to advocate gender equality, often pointing out that this equality, which is guaranteed by law, is not yet a reality. Her 1993 novel Go Alone Like the Horn of a Rhinoceros, which deals directly with women's issues, was made into a movie (in 1995 Go Alone Like a Rhino Horn was the first of Gong's novels to be made into a feature film It drew significant attention when the movie opened in September 2006, becoming the first Korean novel in four years to top the bestselling charts, and staying on top for eight weeks in a row. This kind of serial writing is common in South Korea, but it is traditionally done in newspapers.

Her 2009 novel The Crucible had a substantial impact on Korean society and law with respect to the rights of people with disabilities. When its film adaptation became a major hit in 2011, members of South Korea's Grand National Party pressed for an investigation of Gong based on her engagement in "political activities." Kim Yeon-ho, a GNP politician and member of the Human Rights Commission, proposed to investigate Gong because her verbose depiction "over-intimidated" citizens. Gong later mocked Kim Yeon-ho's remark by expressing a humorous gratitude, posting "Thank you, Grand National Party, for making me internationally famous" on her Twitter account. Gong is an influential tweeter with about 300,000 followers, and has used the social networking platform to discuss social issues and controversial opinions.

Personal life Gong Jiyeong has been divorced three times, and has three children.

Works in translation

Almaden translated by Bruce Fulton and Ju-Chan Fulton. In Wayfarer, Women in Translation, 1997. Human decency translated by Bruce Fulton and Ju-chan Fulton. Asia, 2012. My sister Bongsoon translated by Park Jung-eun. Mosaic Press, 2005. Our happy time translated by Sora Kim-Russell. Marble Arch Press, 2014. Togani (The Crucicle) translated by Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton. University of Hawaii Press, 2023.

Works 1993 - Go Alone Like a Rhino Horn 1994 - Mackerel 1996 - The Unhurt Soul 1998 - My Sister Bong-soon 1999 - Crying Existence 2005 - Films of My Life 2005 - Our Happy Time ; translated into English by Sora Kim-Russell 2006 - I Was Alone Like a Raindrop 2006 - Human Decency ; translated into English by Bruce Fulton 2009 - People in the Bible for Children 2009 - The Crucible

Adaptations The 2011 film The Crucible, released internationally under the title Silenced, is based on Gong's 2009 non-fiction novel The Crucible. The novel is about the sex abuse cases at Gwangju Inhwa School.

Awards 2001 - 7th 21st Century Literary Award 2001 - 27th Korean Novel and Literature Award from Korea Novelist Association 2004 - 12th Oh Young-soo Literature Award 2006 - 9th Special Media Award from Amnesty International 2007 - Korea Catholic Literature Award 2011 - Yi Sang Literary Award for Wander the Alleyways Barefoot