His biological father, an alcoholic and opium addict, lay down on railroad tracks in a state of drunkenness and lost his life when Song was just 18.
While maintaining a self- deprecatory view of himself as one having “bad blood”, Song's younger years were fueled by his strong desire to be a professional writer.
[4] The Wolmunli series of poems written at the beginning of Song Giwon's career affirms the vast distance between peasants and intellectuals and follows the process of discovering the wisdom hidden in the lives of the former.
From the perspective of a first-person observer, the author portrays the social conditions of peasants and underscores labor as the mediating activity between man and nature.
The protagonist's appreciation and understanding of his mother, and his own self-revelations at the end of the poem-cycle combine to produce a highly affecting and memorable piece.
Song's most recent work, Come to Me, I Will Gladly Go to You (Neoege gama naege ora) is set in a marketplace and portrays the great pains of the common people in their search for love and hope.