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Interview by literary critic Jeon So-yeong

Oh Sang-won was one of the new-generation writers that appeared following the Korean War. But he wrote about human dignity or humanism rather than ideology. “A Respite” published in the 1950s is considered the first war literature, a story about war.

The fight against the snow, hunger, and cold raged on. One by one, the soldiers lost out in this fight against nature. 

Whenever he saw his men fall headfirst into the snow to their deaths, after shouting one last word, “Commander,” he kneeled next to the men and kept vigil over their cold bodies. 

His hands that searched for their belongings in the pockets were colder than the corpses of his dead men. 

In Oh Sang-won’s “A Respite,” the protagonist, a South Korean platoon leader held captive by the North Korean army, recollects what had happened him during an hour-long reprieve he got just before his execution.     

“Shooters, get ready.”

The sound of the rifles being cocked was as cold as the wind. There was nothing in front of him but the white snow. Now everything was over. There should be a definite closure at the end. Must never forget myself until the final second. 

The gaits were as precise as his resolve. He felt an impact on his back. 

The white snow dispersed into gray specks, gradually growing darker. Everything was over. 

They would awkwardly carry their guns upside down and return to the headquarters.  Someone dying is nothing after it’s done. It’s all a common happening. 

Consciousness grew darker. On the white snow. Sunlight shatters warmly on top of the snow. 

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Oh Sang-won (Nov. 5, 1930 – Dec. 3, 1985, Born in Seoncheon, Pyeonganbuk-do Prov.

: 1955 Debuted with “A Respite” winning a literary award sponsored by Hankook Ilbo

Major works - “A Betrayal,” “Records on White Papers,” “Fragment,” etc.