Choe Suh-Hae

(pen name of Choe Hak-song). Born Jan. 12, 1901, in Songjin District, Hamgyang-pukdo (North Hamgyang Province); died July 9,1932, in Seoul. Korean writer.

Choe Suh-hae’s cycle of short stories consisting of “Yearning for the Homeland” (1925), “The Madman” (1926), “Tongues of Flame” (1926), and “Man tu” (1931) is devoted to the hard life of Korean settlers in Manchuria. The writer stated his aesthetic credo in his autobiographical story “Confession of a Fugitive” (1925) and the collection Trail of Blood (1926). He protested against violence and oppression in the stories “Hunger and Murder” (1925) and “The Death of Pak Tol” (1925).

Choe Suh-hae’s works are distinguished for their genuinely Korean national character, psychological depth, and simple, laconic style. Choe Suh-hae was one of the founders of the New Direction School of literature (singyonghyangpa) and of the Korean Federation of Proletarian Art.