Pak Kyongni
Pak Kyongni or Bak Kyoungli (Korean: 박경리; October 28, 1926 – May 5, 2008) was a prominent South Korean novelist. She was born in Tōei, Keishōnan-dō, Chōsen (today Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea); later she lived in Wonju, Gangwon Province. Bak made her literary debut in 1955, with Gyesan (계산, Calculations). She is, however, most well known for her 20-volume story Toji (토지, The Land), an epic saga set on the turbulent history of Korea during 19th and 20th century. It was later adapted into a movie, a television series and an opera. Toji is regarded as one of the greatest contributions to Korean literature.
| Pak Kyongni | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 박경리 |
| Hanja | 朴景利 |
| Revised Romanization | Bak Gyeongri |
| McCune–Reischauer | Pak Kyŏngni |
| Birth name | |
| Hangul | 박금이 |
| Hanja | 朴今伊 |
| Revised Romanization | Bak Geumi |
| McCune–Reischauer | Pak Kŭmi |
Bak Kyoungli died from lung cancer at the age of 81 on May 5, 2008 and many literary writers recollected her as a guide for their literary works and life as a writer. She was posthumously awarded the country's top medal by the newly created Culture Ministry of South Korea for her promoting South Korean arts.