Painter and children's book writer Jeon Isoo, novelist Baek Eun-byul share early commitment to art, even as their work moves in opposite directions
Most children naturally begin drawing and trying to write, but few achieve success before adulthood.
Not so Jeon Isoo and Baek Eun-byul, two 16-year-olds whose stars have risen high enough to be invited as speakers on the same program at the Busan International Children's Book Fair last month.
Jeon Isoo, a teenage painter and children's book writer, has been publishing books since he was 8. Baek Eun-byul is a comparative late bloomer, breaking through at the ripe age of 14 with her debut novel “Time Limited.”
Their stories — and their work — might be different, but both said they debuted without any special ambition to become a writer
“When I started, I don’t think I really knew what a ‘writer’ was,” Jeon said in a recent interview.
He was 8 when he published his first children’s book, “Little Crocodile Taco,” which depicts the world as seen through the eyes of a young crocodile — a place where trees steadily disappear and boxy buildings rise ever higher.
“Back then, and still today, the title itself isn’t very important to me. I just did what I wanted to do as a child, and I’m still doing what I want to do now, he said. “I think I’ll still be doing what I love, and that will become my work, and my happiness.”
He drew widespread public attention in 2017 after appearing on a television program. Since then, he has published more than a dozen illustrated books, held solo exhibitions and opened a small gallery on Jeju Island, where he lives with his family.
Baek also says her writing began without grand designs.
“I didn’t start writing because I thought I would become a writer,” she said. “I just wanted to share a story, and then, somehow, I became one. When people call me an ‘author,’ I wonder if I really deserve that title. I think I’ve spent a long time doubting myself.”
Despite their similar ages, the contrast between their artistic worlds is stark.
Jeon’s books are typically aimed at ages 5-7, and his illustrations are bright and focus on strong, simplified depictions of their main subjects. He describes his inspirations simply: family, love, nature and animals.
Baek’s work looks in the opposite direction. She began writing in the sixth grade, and “Time Limited,” her young-adult debut, became a bestseller for its unflinching exploration of teenage suicide.
The book opens with the voice of a teenage narrator who decides to die one year after a close friend’s suicide. The story unfolds against a grim reality: In Korea, suicide is the leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults, and the country has the highest suicide rates of any OECD nation.
“There were just so many friends around me who were thinking about death,” Baek said. “Academic pressure, expectations — everyone was struggling. I kept asking myself why depression is so common here, why the people around me — and even I — felt so unhappy. That’s where the story started.”
She is careful to say that the novel’s intention is not provocation for its own sake.
“The message is simple: Don’t take death lightly, think more deeply about life,” she said. “But I also wanted to write something raw, as honestly as possible, like the classrooms I see every day.”
At the same time, Baek acknowledged that, as a teenager, her life experience is limited. But she resists the idea that this makes her emotions any less real. “Children, teenagers, adults — we all feel sadness, fear and loneliness,” she added.
While enjoying early success, both have worked to pay it forward.
Last year, Baek donated 100 million won ($67,600) to charitable causes, becoming the youngest member of the Honor Society of Community Chest of Korea, a group recognizing major donors.
Jeon, meanwhile, uses his Jeju gallery as a base for campaigns and benefit exhibitions. He has supported organizations ranging from local shelters for single mothers to Doctors Without Borders, and has worked with World Vision as a youth ambassador, including traveling to Rwanda for volunteer work.
Jeon says these experiences feed back into his art. “I told my mom that if my drawings and words can be used for something good, I think I can draw with a fuller heart,” he said. “I just hope people can be happier. I want to meet more happy people.”
Describing themselves as “growth-type” creators, both are looking ahead to their next projects. Jeon is preparing essays and fiction, and Baek is working on a new story centered on teenage same-sex relationships, another subject rarely addressed directly in young-adult fiction.
hwangdh@heraldcorp.com
