Career
Yoo made his literary debut with the serial children"s tale The Gangly Balloon (키다리 풍선, 1994), which was printed in the Chosun Ilbo in 1965. Thereafter he published novels including Sanctuary (성역, 1980), Gone into the Wind and Rain (비바람 속으로 떠나가다, 1982). Yoo"s characters are typically past-oriented and fail to adapt themselves or to appreciate the complexities of the world.
This is regarded by critics as a product of his intention to focus on the inner nature of the characters, rather than their interaction with external factors.
In his fiction, Yoo frequently turns to lives of refugees from North of Korea. A steady stream of works beginning with “Portrait of My Elder Sister” (누님의 초상, 1978) deal with of Korea’s division from the viewpoint of characters who idealize the past in order to compensate for the depraved reality of the post-war present.
In more recent works, however, Yoo Jaeyong has sought to explore the thread that connects the past to the present rather than contenting himself with retrospection. Notable works in this vein are, “My Father’s River” (아버지의 강, 1986) and, all of which address the continuing legacy of Korean division manifested on the family.
Yoo Jaeyong has alwo written a number of stories with a distinct philosophical bent.
Such stories as “Relationship” (관계, 1980), and “The Wig” (가발) highlight the inherent absurdity of life by featuring characters who depart from ordinary routine and assume the role of another person.