As a college student, Chul-Woo Lim witnessed the Kwangju Uprising during which hundreds of pro-democracy protesters were massacred by the South Korean government of Chun Doo Hwan. Lim's desire to bear witness to this tragic event became one of the motivating forces behind his writing. One year after the massacre, Lim published his first short story, ""The Dog Thief.

Other: Kim Myung-Hee