Ty Pak
Encyclopedia
Ty Pak is a prolific and acclaimed writer and a distinguished speaker on Korean affairs and literature.
during World War II
. In his home country, Pak witnessed Japanese colonial rule
, Korea's liberation from Japan in 1945, the division of Korea
during the subsequent U.S. and Soviet occupation, and the trauma of the Korean War
at his home country during his early childhood and young adolescent years. Pak received his law degree from Seoul National University
in 1961. After graduating, he worked as worked as a reporter for the English dailies The Korean Republic and The Korea Times
.
In 1965, he emigrated to the United States. He received his Ph.D.
in English
from Bowling Green State University
, Ohio
, in 1969. From 1970 to 1987, Pak taught in the English Department at the University of Hawaii. At age 49, Pak decided to retire early and devote himself to writing. His first collection of short stories, Guilt Payment (1983), has been widely adopted as textbooks at many US colleges. In 1987, he took early retirement from his 17 years' teaching career at University of Hawaii
to devote himself full-time to writing.
Pak is married and with three children; he presently lives in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Biography
Pak was born in KoreaKorea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In his home country, Pak witnessed Japanese colonial rule
Korea under Japanese rule
Korea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
, Korea's liberation from Japan in 1945, the division of Korea
Division of Korea
The division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea stems from the 1945 Allied victory in World War II, ending Japan's 35-year colonial rule of Korea. In a proposal opposed by nearly all Koreans, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to temporarily occupy the country as a trusteeship...
during the subsequent U.S. and Soviet occupation, and the trauma of the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
at his home country during his early childhood and young adolescent years. Pak received his law degree from Seoul National University
Seoul National University
Seoul National University , colloquially known in Korean as Seoul-dae , is a national research university in Seoul, Korea, ranked 24th in the world in publications in an analysis of data from the Science Citation Index, 7th in Asia and 42nd in the world by the 2011 QS World University Rankings...
in 1961. After graduating, he worked as worked as a reporter for the English dailies The Korean Republic and The Korea Times
The Korea Times
The Korea Times is the oldest of three English-language newspapers published daily in South Korea, along with The Korea Herald and The JoongAng Daily. It is part of the same newspaper group as Hankook Ilbo, a major Korean language daily...
.
In 1965, he emigrated to the United States. He received his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
from Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, in 1969. From 1970 to 1987, Pak taught in the English Department at the University of Hawaii. At age 49, Pak decided to retire early and devote himself to writing. His first collection of short stories, Guilt Payment (1983), has been widely adopted as textbooks at many US colleges. In 1987, he took early retirement from his 17 years' teaching career at University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
to devote himself full-time to writing.
Pak is married and with three children; he presently lives in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Selected publications
- A Korean Decameron, 1961 (reprinted with a grant from Harvard University)
- Guilt Payment (short story collection), Bamboo Ridge Press, 1983, ISBN 0910043019
- Moonbay (short story collection), Woodhouse Inc, 1999
- Cry Korea Cry (novel), 1999, ISBN 0966745809