After high school, he went to Kanggye, operated a lathe in a rural steel factory for a decade.
Paek started to write stories in his free time, and got his works published.
From 1971 to 1976, he majored in Korean Literature at Kim Il Sung University part time.
[4] The English version of Friend was listed as one of Best World Literature of 2020 by the Library Journal, because “this work is especially valuable for affording a rare glimpse into everyday life under the totalitarian regime”.
[1] The French publisher who met Paek several times described him as "ebullient, kind" and "an enthusiastic champion of North Korean literature".