Chŏng Int’aek was born in Seoul in 1909. After graduating high school, he enrolled at the Keijō Imperial University (경성제국대학) but dropped out. He was a reporter for the Maeilsinbo (매일신보) (of which his father Chŏng Unbok was the editor) and made his literary debut in 1930 in the Maeilsinbo with his story “The Two Wanderers” (나그네 두 사람).
His novels “Black Soil, White Face” (검은 흙과 흰 얼굴) and “Dense Fog” (농무), which were inspired by his time traveling through and visiting Manchuria to report on Japanese colonial policies, have been criticized for their pro-Japanese stance and the promotion of Japanese colonial policy in literature.
He passed away in 1953, soon after defecting to North Korea.
For more information see: