Nihon Essayist Club Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 43 (1995) award
So Kyong-sik
ソ・キョンシク
So Kyong-sik
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1951-02-18 （Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan）
- Died
- 2023-12-18 （Chino, Nagano Prefecture, Japan） age 72
- Nationality
- South Korea
- Languages
- Japanese, Korean
- Residence History
- Kyoto (birth) → Tokyo (residence/work) → Chino (later life) → Seoul (study/stay)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Literary scholar, University professor
- Active Years
- 1988-2023
- Affiliations
- Tokyo Keizai University (Professor Emeritus)
- Influenced By
- Primo Levi, Tetsuya Takahashi
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waseda University, Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences I | Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences I | Department of French Literature | 学士 | 1970-1974 | Japan |
Waseda University, Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences I
Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences I
/ Department of French Literature
Degree:
学士
Period:
1970-1974
Year of Graduation:
1974
Country:
Japan
Involved in support activities related to brothers' detention while enrolled
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Japan Essayist Club Prize | Tears of a Child: A Zainichi Korean's Reading History | — | Japan Essayist Club | winner |
| 1999 | Marco Polo Prize | Journey to Primo Levi | — | — | winner |
| 2012 | Hugwang (Kim Dae-jung) Academic Award | — | — | Chonnam National University | winner |
Japan Essayist Club Prize
1995
Work:
Tears of a Child: A Zainichi Korean's Reading History
Organization:
Japan Essayist Club
Result:
winner
Marco Polo Prize
1999
Work:
Journey to Primo Levi
Result:
winner
Hugwang (Kim Dae-jung) Academic Award
2012
Organization:
Chonnam National University
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
A Long and Harsh Road: The Life of the So Brothers in Prison
1988 Non-fictionA documentary account of his brothers' imprisonment and the rescue activities, layering family history with human rights activism.
Human rightsImprisonmentFamily
Tears of a Child: A Zainichi Korean's Reading History
1995 Autobiography / EssayAn autobiographical essay tracing the author's reading history from childhood and his formation of identity as a Zainichi Korean.
IdentityDiasporaMemory
Journey to Primo Levi
1999 Travelogue / CriticismA travelogue and critical reflection on Primo Levi, combining on-site research with essays exploring the Holocaust and memory.
MemoryThe HolocaustEthics
Diaspora Travelogue: The Gaze of the Exiled
2005 Travelogue / Social criticismA work compiling field research and reflections on diaspora and refugees, interpreting international issues from the perspective of the displaced.
DiasporaRefugeesInternational human rights
Bibliography
- A Long and Harsh Road: The Life of the So Brothers in Prison
- From Assimilation Policy to Fingerprint Refusal: The Showa History of Zainichi Koreans
- My Western Art Pilgrimage
- Tears of a Child: A Zainichi Korean's Reading History
- Journey to Primo Levi
- Diaspora Travelogue: The Gaze of the Exiled
- The Unfading People: Epitaphs of the Century of Refugees
- Death in Youth: 20th-Century Painting in Memory
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Analytical, essayistic proseCombines on-site reportage with philosophical reflection
- Recurring Motifs
- IdentityDiasporaMemory and historyRefugees and exile
Legacy
A literary scholar and critic who, from his experience as a Zainichi Korean, consistently examined human rights, diaspora, and memory. He was also a long-serving university educator who left wide influence in academia and the public sphere.
Academic Societies
- Japan Essayist Club
Archives
- Tokyo Keizai University archives (potential holdings)
Trivia
- Born in Kyoto as a second-generation Zainichi Korean.
- Graduated from Waseda University, Faculty of Letters (major in French literature).
- His brothers' long imprisonment and the rescue efforts were formative for his writing.
- Taught at Tokyo Keizai University and became Professor Emeritus in 2021.
- Died at his home in Chino, Nagano Prefecture on December 18, 2023 (age 72).