Kim Kyŏnguk (b. 1971, Kwangju, South Korea) earned his bachelor’s in English and master’s in Korean literature from Seoul National University. Since his debut story, “An Outsider,” won the Writer’s World prize for best new writer in 1993, Kim has published six story collections and five novels. One of the most prolific writers and astute observers of contemporary life in South Korea, Kim has received numerous prestigious literary awards such as the Hyŏndae and the Tongin prizes. WLT’s brief conversation with Kim appears in the January 2013 issue.