▁and ▁Liter ature ▁at ▁Ch ung bu k ▁National ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 . ▁ ▁Je ong ▁was ▁imprison ed ▁for ▁his ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁Protest ▁Again st ▁the ▁Const ruction ▁of ▁the ▁Peace ▁Dam ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁while ▁serving ▁his ▁sentence ▁in ▁Je on ju ▁Pr ison , ▁he ▁decided ▁to ▁begin ▁writing . ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁released ▁from ▁prison , ▁he ▁worked ▁at ▁a partment ▁construction ▁sites ▁while ▁writing . ▁ ▁Je ong ▁won ▁the ▁Ch onn am ▁National ▁University ’ s ▁May ▁Liter ature ▁Award ▁for ▁his ▁short ▁story ▁Our ▁Winter ▁( 우 리 들 의 ▁ 겨 울 ). ▁After wards , ▁he ▁act ively ▁purs ued ▁his ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁writer . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁Je ong ' s ▁fifteen - year - old ▁son ▁committed ▁suic ide . ▁His ▁son ' s ▁suic ide ▁gave ▁Je ong ▁Do - s ang ▁great ▁shock , ▁and ▁caused ▁a ▁literary ▁change ▁within ▁him . ▁These ▁experiences ▁were ▁pres umably ▁deeply ▁related ▁to ▁his ▁later ▁constant ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁youth ▁problem ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁his ▁publication ▁of ▁young ▁adult ▁nov els ▁and ▁children ' s ▁books . ▁ ▁Writing ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁Real ist ▁writer , ▁Je ong ▁l ays ▁out ▁them es ▁based ▁on ▁life ▁experiences ▁in ▁his ▁writing . ▁His ▁early ▁works ▁have ▁real istic ▁ins ights ▁into ▁how ▁the ▁state ▁uses ▁its ▁great ▁authority ▁to ▁destroy ▁the ▁lives