Who is Hwang Sok-yong and what is his literary significance. How does “The Shadow of Arms” reflect the author’s experiences in Vietnam. What themes does the novel explore regarding war and its consequences.
Hwang Sok-yong: A Literary Giant in Korean Literature
Hwang Sok-yong stands as one of the most celebrated authors in Korean literature. His impressive body of work includes several award-winning and best-selling novels, such as “The Shadow of Arms,” “The Old Garden,” “The Guest,” and “The Road to Sampo.” Hwang’s literary prowess has earned him numerous accolades, including the prestigious Daesan Prize in 2001 for his novel “The Guest,” a stark portrayal of a North Korean massacre during the Korean War.
Throughout his career, Hwang has consistently demonstrated his ability to craft compelling narratives that not only entertain but also provide profound insights into Korean society and history. His works often blend personal experiences with broader social and political themes, creating a unique literary voice that resonates with readers both in Korea and internationally.
Political Activism and Its Impact on Hwang’s Writing
Hwang Sok-yong’s literary career is inextricably linked to his political activism. As an outspoken critic of various Korean governments and a prominent dissident, he has faced numerous challenges throughout his life. In 1964, he was imprisoned for his involvement in labor activism, marking the beginning of a long history of political engagement that would significantly influence his writing.
In 1989, Hwang made a controversial decision to travel to North Korea, where he met with Kim Il-sung. This act violated South Korea’s National Security Law, leading to several years of exile in New York and Germany. Upon his return to South Korea, Hwang faced a seven-year prison sentence, further cementing his reputation as a politically engaged writer unafraid to challenge authority.
Even in his mid-seventies, Hwang continues to be a vocal critic of the Korean government. His recent criticism of Park Geun-hye’s administration over its handling of the Sewol ferry incident demonstrates his ongoing commitment to social justice and political accountability.
The Shadow of Arms: A Unique Perspective on the Vietnam War
“The Shadow of Arms” stands out as a remarkable piece of literature that offers a distinctive view of the Vietnam War. Unlike typical war novels that focus on combat and heroism, Hwang’s work delves into the often-overlooked aspects of conflict, particularly the black market dealings that flourished in Da Nang during the war.
The novel draws heavily on Hwang’s personal experiences as one of the 300,000 Korean soldiers sent to fight alongside American troops in Vietnam. This firsthand knowledge lends authenticity and depth to the narrative, allowing readers to gain insights into a lesser-known aspect of the war.
A Non-Traditional War Novel
What sets “The Shadow of Arms” apart from other war novels? Despite its nearly 600-page length and setting in a war zone, the book contains surprisingly little combat. Instead, Hwang focuses on the economic and social consequences of the conflict, particularly the thriving black market in Da Nang.
This unconventional approach allows Hwang to explore the complex relationships between soldiers, civilians, and the war economy. By shifting the focus away from battlefield heroics, the author presents a more nuanced and realistic portrayal of war’s impact on individuals and communities.
Themes Explored in “The Shadow of Arms”
“The Shadow of Arms” delves into several important themes that resonate beyond the specific context of the Vietnam War. Through his narrative, Hwang Sok-yong invites readers to consider the broader implications of conflict and its effects on society.
- The economics of war
- Cultural clashes and misunderstandings
- The moral ambiguity of wartime actions
- The impact of war on civilian populations
- The role of foreign powers in regional conflicts
By exploring these themes, Hwang creates a multifaceted narrative that challenges readers to think critically about the nature of war and its consequences.
Korea’s Involvement in the Vietnam War: A Forgotten Chapter
“The Shadow of Arms” sheds light on a often-overlooked aspect of the Vietnam War: the involvement of South Korean troops. Why did South Korea send soldiers to Vietnam, and what was their role in the conflict?
South Korea’s participation in the Vietnam War was motivated by several factors, including:
- Strengthening ties with the United States
- Gaining combat experience for its military
- Economic benefits through increased US aid and business opportunities
- Demonstrating South Korea’s commitment to anti-communist efforts
Hwang’s novel provides valuable insights into the experiences of Korean soldiers in Vietnam, offering a unique perspective on this chapter of history that is often overshadowed by the narratives of American and Vietnamese participants.
The Black Market Economy in Wartime: A Central Theme
One of the most intriguing aspects of “The Shadow of Arms” is its focus on the black market economy that thrived in Da Nang during the Vietnam War. How did this underground economy function, and what were its effects on both military personnel and civilians?
The black market in Da Nang, as portrayed in Hwang’s novel, involved various illegal activities:
- Smuggling of goods
- Currency manipulation
- Prostitution
- Drug trafficking
- Sale of stolen military supplies
These activities created a complex web of relationships between soldiers, local civilians, and criminal organizations. Hwang’s exploration of this underground economy provides a unique lens through which to view the broader impacts of war on society and individual morality.
The Moral Dilemmas of Wartime Profiteering
Through his characters’ involvement in the black market, Hwang raises important questions about the moral compromises individuals make in wartime. Are the characters’ actions justifiable given the circumstances? How does participation in illegal activities affect their sense of identity and morality?
By presenting these moral dilemmas, Hwang encourages readers to consider the complex ethical landscape of war and its ability to blur the lines between right and wrong.
Literary Techniques in “The Shadow of Arms”
Hwang Sok-yong employs various literary techniques to bring his narrative to life and convey the complexity of the Vietnam War experience. What are some of the key stylistic elements that make “The Shadow of Arms” a compelling read?
- Multiple perspectives: The novel presents the story through different characters’ viewpoints, offering a multifaceted portrayal of the war.
- Vivid descriptions: Hwang’s detailed depictions of Da Nang and its inhabitants create a rich, immersive setting.
- Nonlinear narrative: The story moves back and forth in time, mirroring the disjointed nature of wartime experiences.
- Symbolism: Various elements in the novel serve as symbols for broader themes, such as the black market representing the corrupting influence of war.
- Dialogue: Hwang uses conversations between characters to explore cultural differences and conflicting perspectives on the war.
These techniques work together to create a nuanced and engaging narrative that goes beyond simple storytelling to offer deep insights into the human experience of war.
The Legacy of “The Shadow of Arms” in Korean Literature
How has “The Shadow of Arms” influenced Korean literature and public discourse about the Vietnam War? The novel’s publication marked a significant moment in Korean literary history, as it was one of the first works to critically examine South Korea’s involvement in the Vietnam War.
The impact of “The Shadow of Arms” can be seen in several areas:
- Encouraging open discussion about Korea’s role in the Vietnam War
- Inspiring other Korean authors to explore themes of war and its consequences
- Contributing to the development of a more nuanced understanding of Korea’s recent history
- Highlighting the importance of literature in addressing complex social and political issues
By tackling a controversial subject with honesty and depth, Hwang Sok-yong’s novel has played a crucial role in shaping Korean literature and public discourse around war and its aftermath.
International Reception and Translations
The recent English translation of “The Shadow of Arms” has brought Hwang’s work to a broader international audience. How has the novel been received outside of Korea, and what does its translation mean for Korean literature on the global stage?
The availability of “The Shadow of Arms” in English opens up new opportunities for:
- Cross-cultural understanding of the Vietnam War experience
- Appreciation of Korean literature in the international literary community
- Comparative studies of war literature from different cultural perspectives
- Increased recognition of Hwang Sok-yong as a major figure in world literature
As more readers around the world engage with Hwang’s work, “The Shadow of Arms” has the potential to become a significant contribution to the global canon of war literature.
Hwang Sok-yong’s Writing Process and Research
Understanding Hwang Sok-yong’s approach to writing “The Shadow of Arms” provides valuable insights into his creative process and the depth of research that went into the novel. How did Hwang prepare to write about the Vietnam War, and what sources did he draw upon?
Hwang’s writing process for “The Shadow of Arms” likely involved:
- Drawing on personal experiences as a Korean soldier in Vietnam
- Conducting interviews with other veterans and civilians who lived through the war
- Researching historical documents and accounts of the black market in Da Nang
- Studying the cultural and social dynamics of Vietnam during the war period
- Reflecting on the broader implications of war and its impact on individuals and societies
This comprehensive approach to research and writing contributes to the authenticity and depth of the novel, allowing Hwang to create a vivid and believable portrayal of life in wartime Vietnam.
Balancing Fact and Fiction
As a work of historical fiction, “The Shadow of Arms” raises questions about the relationship between factual events and fictional narrative. How does Hwang navigate the line between historical accuracy and creative storytelling?
In crafting his narrative, Hwang likely employed several strategies:
- Using real historical events as a backdrop for fictional characters and situations
- Incorporating factual details about the black market and military operations to create a sense of authenticity
- Blending personal experiences with imagined scenarios to explore broader themes
- Creating composite characters that represent various aspects of the war experience
By skillfully weaving together fact and fiction, Hwang creates a narrative that is both historically informative and emotionally resonant.
assembly – Shadow registers — arm
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Shadow registers are used to reduce interrupt latency.
Arm has 15 registers, then where are these shadow registers stored?
Is the term “shadow registers” related to banked and non banked registers?
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- arm
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ARM technical documents don’t mention shadow specifically, so it is kinda hard to relate it to ARM.
However from a comparision of ARM to MIPS architecture point of view:
The MIPS architecture supports the implementation of multiple “shadow” banks of registers.
This allows more efficient context-switching operations but the fact that this feature is not commonly or consistently implemented on MIPS-based devices makes it of limited use. Consequently, few compilers or operating systems make use of it.
This allows more efficient context-switching operations but the fact that this feature is not commonly or consistently implemented on MIPS-based devices makes it of limited use. Consequently, few compilers or operating systems make use of it.In this context “shadow registers” are more kinda stand free thing – they can be utilized for many things, while banked registers are for clearly separated execution modes.
arm has many more than 15 registers, which 15 out of that bank of registers you can access is mode dependent. the arm architectural reference manual found at infocenter.arm.com (just get the ARMv5 one which covers the traditional arm arch) shows the list of registers and what mode you need to be in to access them.
ARM does not use the term shadow registers, but fiq mode is similar to what you are asking as you dont have to preserve many or any registers from the interrupted task. ARM goes further to have multiple stacks, etc depending on mode.
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The Shadow of Arms by Hwang Sok-yong
January 27, 2021Novelist Hwang Sok-yong, legendary author of several award-winning & best-selling books including ‘The Shadow of Arms’, ‘The Old Garden’, ‘The Guest’ & ‘The Road to Sampo’ visited The Seoul Book and Culture Club Hosted by Barry Welsh on Saturday 27th September 2014.
The event was moderated by Professor Charles Montgomery, a lecturer at Dongguk University and creator of the www.ktlit.com website.
The event interpreter was Ji Seun.
The venue was Seoul Global Cultural Center.
Part 1 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_WXP…
part 2 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld_or…
Hwang Sok-yong is among the most celebrated of Korean authors. He won the prestigious Daesan Prize in 2001 for his novel “The Guest”, an unflinching portrait of a North Korean massacre during the Korean War, and at one time or another has won most of the significant literary prizes this country has to offer. An outspoken critic of several Korean governments and a prominent dissident, he is also one of Korea’s most politically engaged writers. In 1964 he was jailed for labour activism. In 1989 he violated the National Security Law by travelling to North Korea where he met with Kim Il-sung. After this, Hwang spent several years in exile in New York and later Germany before returning to South Korea to face a seven year prison sentence.
Now in his mid-seventies, he continues to criticise the Korean government, recently attacking Park Geun-hye’s administration over its handling of the Sewol ferry incident. Throughout a long career Hwang has regularly mined his personal experiences and political beliefs for his fiction. Such is the case with the new English translation of “The Shadow of Arms” which draws on his experiences as one of the 300,000 Korean soldiers sent to fight alongside American troops in Vietnam. “The Shadow of Arms” is both an atypical war novel and an unconventional exploration of Korea’s involvement in the conflict.
There is very little combat in this almost 600 page novel set entirely in a war zone. Instead the focus is on the black market dealings that occur in Da Nang as a result of the conflict – the thriving black market being the dark economic shadow cast by the war, and the intersecting lives of several Korean, American and Vietnamese characters who seek to profit from them.
The novel focuses on three key characters; Ahn Yong Kyu, a young Korean sergeant taken from the front lines to work with the Criminal Investigation Division and tasked with investigating backstreet dealings; Pham Minh, a young Vietnamese man who joins the National Liberation Front and fights against the American army; and Pham Quyen, Minh’s older brother and a commander in the Vietnamese army fighting alongside the Americans.
The other main “character” is Da Nang itself, with Hwang bringing the sights, sounds and smells of the coastal city to vivid, evocative life. Hwang creates an intricate, richly detailed world of shady backstreet deals and dubious characters trying to exploit one another and reveals the cut throat economic consequences of war in a foreign land.
Philipp
621 reviews180 followers
September 26, 2017
Source of this picture: Chicago Tribune, 7/7/1965
I got interested in this book because here in Perth, every few weeks when waiting for my morning bus I bump into an older South Korean gentleman. We got to talking and turns out, he’s a veteran of the Vietnam war! Until then I didn’t even know that South Korea was involved there (as were other unexpected countries: Australia, New Zealand, Thailand and the Philippines). He doesn’t really talk about his time there (obviously, it was the same with my Wehrmacht grandfathers), but I thought I might have a look at books from the South Korean perspective in Vietnam, in order to perhaps learn more about him (he’s fun – he takes the bus to study English in the city library, his wife dresses him exclusively in H&M clothes, imagine a student-hipster in his mid-70s).
So here’s a book about the Vietnam War from a South Korean!
What a complicated book! Is it a novel? It doesn’t really have the structure of one, there’s no real story arch, no main characters but several interwoven and connected characters, a lot of it is infodump… Is it autobiography? Is it a documentary? I guess all of that. It’s almost non-fiction.
Set mostly in and around Da Nang during the Vietnam War and (in the beginning) following a South Korean soldier who has been assigned to an investigative branch, tasked with keeping tabs of dealing of arms and food rations . Since the US army had (and still has) practically unlimited money their base exchanges are full to the brim – the exchanges are staffed by bored young men looking to have a good time, from there it follows that these things are leaky sieves. You first think it’s only the South Korean Ahn Yong Kyu who’s the main character, but the book soon branches out – other ‘branches’ of the story concern a young Vietnamese man who joins the Viet Cong and becomes their weapons buyer in the markets, another branch concerns a general’s aide-de-camp who uses his power to stuff his pockets with money, yet another (short) branch concerns an AWOL American soldier who’s trying to leave the country.
.. all these branches are interconnected. The ‘main characters’ pages at the start of the book lists 22 main characters.
It’s not a typical war book since most of the book is concerned with the power struggles and the flow of information in the Da Nang markets – but there are a few tremendously dark and depressing ‘war interludes’, I guess you could call them. They are interview protocols from the US army concerning war atrocities committed by US soldiers on civilians (a young girl raped and murdered, the My Lai massacre, a young boy tortured to death, all perpetrated by US soldiers), the interviews are preceded by recommendations of what should happen to the perpetrating soldiers (usually: ‘demote by one rank’), these parts are short gut punches out of nowhere. Then it goes back to the markets, there is rarely any ‘action’. Only towards the last 100 pages or so do things start to happen.
I think Hwang Sok-yong used this book to document his memory from the time in Vietnam, and since the book is very much concerned with documenting what happened in the Vietnamese underground market a whole lot of writing is dry (is it the translation? I don’t think so!), example, from a conversation of two Vietcong agents:
“But what we have our hearts set on are the new carbines, M1s and M2s, to be supplied to arm the militias in the new hamlets.
” “My brother would never get involved in such risky business. He’s a very cautious man, sir.” “I’m not saying you should talk to your brother about this. Make friends with Lieutenant Kiem on the adjutant’s staff at the provincial government office. I’m certain he’s now scheming to find a way to develop some business of his own. The money that falls into his lap for helping Major Pham is chicken feed. As far as I know, militia matters are under the jurisdiction of the ARVN Second Division, but since their headquarters are up in Hue, the commander who should be in charge has no practical control. A captain dispatched from First Division Headquarters, along with Colonel Cao, superintendent of military police in Da Nang, will be delegated power to conduct the training and take command of the militias. Lieutenant Kiem, I think, will be responsible for liaison between those concerned.”As you can see, very political, and I didn’t cherry-pick, large parts of the book are like this.
But that’s the situation it described – not only did you have several political factions, each faction has their own subfactions (for example, South Vietnamese traders selling arms to the Viet Cong) with their own goals, all of them scrambling for money, and with capturing that Hwank Sok-yong succeeded. It’s just not much fun to read, but you learn so much! Except about my South Korean friends’ experiences, chances are he wasn’t involved in black market dealings.
Recommended for: ????????
- fiction south-korea vietnam
March 22, 2019A young Korean soldier serving in Vietnam during the war who is assigned to keep an eye on the black market that is flourishing there, two Vietnamese brothers fighting on different sides in the war, and a writer who sets out to bring the nature of war and people in war, promised much. Despite all the positives about it, “The Shadows of Arms” really doesn’t succeed for me. The point the writer is making about the black market and people in war is good, but the whole black market thing is dragged out and developed in so much detail that you are no longer clear who is who, and feel like screaming “I got it.
I know what you are saying. Now get on with the story!”. The story between the two brothers is also interesting, but it is never allowed to pick up pace because of the insertion of whole reports on atrocities, or parts of Ho Chi Minh speeches and the like. It’s not that those things are not interesting. They are fascinating, but they stop the story in its tracks.I loved Hwang Sok-yong’s “Familiar Things”, I am glad I read this one, and will certainly read more of his work in the future, but this one was just a bit disappointing.
James F
1,409 reviews93 followers
December 13, 2018Another novel by Korean author Hwang Sok-yong, The Shadow of Arms is based on his experiences as a South Korean “ally” during the Vietnam War. The main character, Ahn Yong Kyu, is a South Korean soldier who becomes an agent for the CID, part of the Korean military intelligence service, investigating (and participating in) black market dealings. The black market dealings are complicated and occasionally difficult to follow, which is the one shortcoming of the novel, but the general lines are clear enough.
Among the other major characters are members of the Vietnamese Pham family: the older brother, Pham Quyen, who is also involved in black market dealings, is a major in the South Vietnamese army and the adjutant to General Liam, the military governor of Quang Nam province, while the younger brother, Pham Minh, becomes a member of a special urban guerilla group of the NLF. There are no important American characters, so the novel offers a very different perspective on the war from American war novels. In fact, there is very little in the way of combat; the novel is set mainly in Da Nang, in 1968 when the U.S. and allied intervention was at its height, around the time the Tet offensive. At the time, the U.S. and South Vietnamese were still on the ascendant, and yet the novel shows very clearly why they would eventually lose — only the NLF actually cared about the war effort, while the South Vietnamese officers and the allies were concerned mainly about making money to go home or escape to some neutral country.
If I had realized that this book was translated from the French translation rather than directly from the Korean, I would probably have gotten it in French, as I did with Monsieur Han. It was originally published in two volumes, and previously serialized in a newspaper. The author ran a certain risk in publishing it under the Korean dictatorship of the time, given the resemblances of Korea and Vietnam as countries which were both divided between a Communist north and a capitalist, U.S. supported south. The introduction has a few spoilers and should probably not be read first.
Read
September 25, 2015This book was featured in the Nota Benes section of the January/February 2015 issue of World Literature Today Magazine.
http://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2…
- nota-bene
August 16, 2014I had high hopes for this novel. It’s almost 600 pages and I made it to page 250 or so. The role of mercenary (or conscription by different means) Korean soldiers in America’s war with Vietnam is a subject that keenly interested me, and I looked forward to a completely different perspective on a war that, in my mind, has little left to offer in terms of a subject for fiction.
The Korean author was persecuted in his home country for his writings but subsequently won high literary honors there. I had never heard of him.The length of the novel was my main, but significant, issue. The novel’s subject, the black market in arms, materiel, and wartime and consumer goods during the war is unique but the plot bogged down and I found it impossible to continue understanding who is doing what to whom. Although that could have been a fine characteristic (loyalty knows no bounds in the black market), it proved confusing instead. No single character stood out to grab my sympathy or empathy. I could not anchor myself in the story, nor did it carry me to parts known or unknown.
Other issues were in translation, or seemingly so. Whole paragraphs read like non-fiction. Some of the history of the conflict and the Korean role was repetitive. A book half the length of the one before me seemed more appropriate.
Still, I respect the publisher for taking on The Shadow of Arms.
The subject is a very important one even if it, in my mind, did not translate to the novel form all that well. Bringing these perspectives to English-reading audiences is vital.
April 22, 2016Having spent the best part of the last fifteen years in Hanoi, I am always keen to get my hands on books dealing with my chosen home. Yet, after a while a certain sameness tends to creep into the reading experience with many books dealing with the Vietnam War, or as it is known here, the American War, from the US perspective.
The sheer volume of movies and books produced in the United States about the war and its aftermath (most recently Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes and The Sympathizer by Viet Thang Nguyen) decades after the famous evacuation of the last US troops from Saigon, illustrates the still unresolved trauma of having been beaten by a Third World opponent. It also tends to drown out other interesting voices. One such voice is author Hwang Sok-Yong whose war novel The Shadow of Arms was published to great acclaim in his native Korea in the 1980s and without much fanfare a couple of years ago in the United States.
You can read the full review on www.thetranslatedworld.wordpress.com
saïd
6,207 reviews733 followers
June 18, 2022
『무기의 그늘』 (무기 arme + 의 -de + 그늘 ombre, crépuscule): « L’Ombre des armes » par Hwang Seogyeong (황석영).
- 1_fiction hangeul lu_en_fr
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