Lee O-young


Lee O-young is a South Korean critic and novelist. Although the romanized spelling of the hangul name "이어령" might be Yi O-ryŏng or Lee Eo-ryeong, Lee O-young is the author's preferred romanization according to the Literature Translation Institute of Korea.

Life

Lee O Young was born on January 15, 1934, in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea. Lee went to Buyeo High School and Seoul National University from which he received undergraduate and graduate degrees in Korean literature. Lee has taught at Ewha Womans University, where he is a professor emeritus, and Dankook University. Lee has been the chief editor of Munhak sasang and the Korean Minister of Culture.

Work

Lee was one of the most prominent figures to emerge from the "post-war generation" of Korean critics. Making his mark with his first piece of literary criticism, "Lee Sang non", he caused a stir in literary circles with his next essay, "Usang eui pagoe", published in Hankook Ilbo in 1956. At a time when the war experience seemed to have devastated the literary imagination as well, Lee argued for the expansion and enrichment of Korean literature in articles that featured considerable rhetorical sophistication and verve.

Literary works

Translated works

Critical Collections
Fiction
Essays
Lee has won a variety of Korean awards.