Novelist Hyeon Gil-eon, Who Comforted the Pain of the 4·3 Incident and Approached the Truth, Passes Away

A Writer Highlighting the Unique Characteristics of Jeju Island, Their Hometown,
Healing the Wounds of Ideological Conflicts While Realizing Humanism and Realism

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jong-gil] Novelist Hyun Gil-eon, who narrated the history of Jeju Island and the lives of its residents, passed away on the 10th at the age of 80.

He focused on the uniqueness of his hometown, Jeju Island, and wrote various stories. Yongma's Dream (1984) is a novel that embodies the universal tragedy of the nation. It is inspired by folk tales passed down in Jeju. It highlights the conflict between central power and local forces through the confrontation between the Jeju magistrate and Gang Jasu. Although the benevolent local forces are eliminated, it instills a firm belief that a general riding a dragon horse will appear in their hearts.

The Ritual on the New Moon Night (1987) novelizes Jeju folklore. Hyun gives meaning to legends and ritual acts, introducing a character who regards the appearance of a general as a faith, emphasizing the significance that the legend of Yongdanggae can bring to our lives.

Homecoming (1982), Our Grandfather (1982), and The Distant Future (1984) deal with the deep wounds of the Jeju 4·3 Incident rooted deeply in the hearts of Jeju residents. In an interview during his lifetime, Hyun said, “The 4·3 Incident was the starting point of my literature. I have conducted long-term field research and data investigation, not just personal experience,” adding, “Historical events have a beginning, middle, and end. We must view them comprehensively.”

In 2013, he wrote an article titled “Settling Past Affairs and Making History: Focusing on the Jeju 4·3 Incident Truth Investigation Report” in an academic quarterly, and the following year published a book called Political Power and Historical Distortion. At that time, Hyun defined the 4·3 Incident as “not a righteous resistance or uprising but a rebellion initiated by the South Korean Workers' Party to obstruct the establishment of the Republic of Korea government.”

In his novels, he focused on revealing the personal truths overlooked in the name of the 4·3 Incident and ideology. A representative example is Shell and Flesh (1986), which compares history and ideology to a “shell” and human truth to “flesh.” In Shin-yeol (1984), he even uncovers the distorted personal truths buried in history. He exposes endless falsehoods and fabrications, comforting the souls of those who died unjustly.

The attitude of revealing individual lives and approaching the truth of historical events also appears in Resembling Years (1987), The Naked Pilgrim (1999), and Leaving My Home (2009). Because of this, Hyun is regarded as a writer who healed the wounds of ideological conflicts and embodied humanism and realism.

Hyun served as a professor of Korean Language and Literature at Hanyang University and Jeju National University. While publishing numerous literary theory and humanities books, he consistently wrote novels and received awards such as the Republic of Korea Literature Award, Hyundai Literature Award, Green Literature Award, Baeknam Academic Award, and Jeju Literature Award. His funeral is at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital Funeral Hall, with the burial scheduled for the morning of the 13th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.