Uijongbu

Uijongbu unfolds in the wake of the Korean War, in a town left ravaged and rebuilding just beginning got recover. At the U.S. Army Base in Uijongbu, just south of the Demilitarized Zone, an unplanned economy emerges, intertwining the lives of American GIs and young Korean women. This delicate and complex connection fuels both romance and disaster, creating a tapestry of relationships that are as hopeful as they are heartbreaking.

Through a series of stories that vary from humorous to heartrending, the author captures the resilience, warmth, and humanity of the Korean people. The novel paints an intimate portrait of a time and place marked by love, loss, and cultural connection. Uijongbu is a haunting reminder of war’s lasting impact, and a poignant testament to the indomitable human spirit.

Oliver Houck is the David Boies Chair in Public Interest law at Tulane Law School. He is a graduate of Harvard College (1960) and Georgetown Law Center (l967), with three intervening years in the US Army, predominantly Korea. He served as a federal prosecutor in the US Attorney’s Office in Washington DC until l971, when he became counsel to the National Wildlife Federation and part of the first wave of environmental law. His books include Downstream Toward Home, Down on the Batture, Waking up the Dream State, Taking Back Eden, and The Most Dangerous Branch (the Supreme Court and environmental law). He has also published a memoir of his service as a federal prosecutor called The Court of General Sessions. Uijongbu, also a memoir, is his latest work.