“I hold a special place in my heart for Korean readers. It is their love for my books that has made it possible for me to commemorate the 40th anniversary of my literary debut in Korea.”
Novelist Yu Hua (63), widely regarded as a luminary in modern Chinese literature, made these remarks during a press conference convened at a cafe in Seoul's Jongno-gu on Friday. His visit to Korea was in connection with his participation in the ‘2023 Seoul International Writers' Festival,’ which commenced on the same day.
Yu Hua, who made his debut in 1983 with the short story ‘The First Dormitory,’ garnered considerable affection from Korean readers. His notable works, ‘To Live’ (1997) and ‘Chronicle of a Blood Merchant’ (1999), enjoyed significant success, respectively selling over 100,000 and 250,000 copies in Korea. Yu Hua attributed the particular popularity of ‘Chronicle of a Blood Merchant’ to the fact that “Korean readers possess a deep appreciation for humor.”
“I portrayed a period marked by material scarcity, yet some readers discovered the essence of life’s beauty within it," he said in the preface to the recently updated edition of ‘Chronicle of a Blood Merchant.'" "Because the beauty of life transcends the mere metrics of poverty and wealth.”
He is currently working on his next two literary works. He mentioned, “The protagonists in my earlier works always faced life’s challenges, but this time, one of my works will feature comedic episodes.” He intends to remain in Korea until Wednesday, engaging in lectures and discussions.
always99@donga.com