But Ri Hui Chan (April 1938-January 2019) who worked at the Korean Scriptwriting Company created dozens of classics.

Born into an office worker’s family, Ri had a penchant for literature as a child and he dreamt of becoming a writer.

To live out his dream, he was enrolled at Kim Il Sung University and began his career as a folklore researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences after graduation.

He spent five years travelling across the country to collect and study legends, proverbs and folk tales and songs. In the course of this, the enveloping warmth of homeland embedded in his soul, and later served as “nutrients” in his writing career.

“Even literary giants cannot compare favourably with the characteristic dexterity of composition of folklore that makes people cry or laugh in an instant. I collected such materials to complete Collection of Korean Oral Literature, which later played a decisive role in promoting my authorial characteristics and styles of my work,” Ri wrote in his memoirs.

Having started his literary career as he studied folklore, he cut a conspicuous figure among the Korean literati with such short stories as Youth and Glorious Morning brimming over with nostalgic emotions.

Afterwards for over five decades, his knowledge of folklore was a great help to his writing scripts, light comedies and novels.

In truth, all of his works are permeated with national flavour.

Many of his works like feature film Hold Dear exude the characteristic features of good manners and customs of the Korean nation and they were the products of the attitude toward writing of the master who passionately loved his country and strived to add lustre to the resourcefulness and talent of the nation.

Most of the anecdotes in his last novel Golden Leaves Are Not Fallen Leaves are also based on folktales.

That is why he is remembered as a writer steeped in national sentiments in the Korean film world.

Ri entered the filmdom in the late 1960s.

He showed off his amazing talent afresh with his debut script Wedding Day (countryside).

The product of the novice writer in his thirties was a blockbuster on the screen. With lifelike depiction, unique plot, comical mood and rich emotions, the film grasped the hearts of the audience.

Later, he wrote scripts for humorous film The Problem of Our Family (1973) and its sequels, giving full play to his creativity.

They deal with family problems to show in a comprehensive and profound manner the admirable social traits of the country which turns into a large harmonious family through the efforts of family members, relatives and neighbours who help one another to solve their problems.

With a burning zeal for creation, he wrote the scripts of over 10 sequels in a little over a decade, such as The Problem of Our Next-door Neighbour, The Problem of Our Downstairs Neighbour, The Problem of Our Upstairs Neighbour and We Are All One Family, which caused a great sensation throughout the country.

Each of the sequels is individual in story line and complete as a work, and they all had a great infusive force as they are interlinked with the general title and theme.

The Problem of Our Family and its sequels were his magnum opus which made him popular both as writer and filmmaker.

This film is still favoured by the Koreans and many lines and episodes from it are still on everyone’s lips.

A film can have great afterglow only when it is close to real life.

As it is based on everyday family life The Problem of Our Family has not lost its vitality even after a lapse of decades.

Ri always asserted that a scenarist should be a novelist, poet and playwright at the same time.

Based on his firm literary footing and sense and exceptional artistic qualities, he created a large number of works in his lifetime.

“Ri Hui Chan was a master of depiction and creation who proficiently dealt with any forms of writing on different themes and with different moods,” said Ryom Son Hui, writer at the Korean Scriptwriting Company, who worked many years with him.

He had two exquisite principles in writing: original beginning and convincing details.

He would rack his brains for the beginning of his works and well-knit plots. The details were so amazing his works always pulled the readers to the ends. Such a forte enabled him to become a prestigious writer.

He was not only a good comic scenario writer but also a master-hand in other themes and styles of writing.

He wrote musical-like films Up Go the Fireworks and Song of Memories and mountainscape-oriented features We Met Again on Mt Myohyang and Let’s Go to Mt Kumgang.

And he wrote many light comedies such as Congratulations, Let’s Carry Through and Let’s Go Cheerfully, which depict fine traits of people in a lifelike and cheerful manner.

His works contain humour and evoke a deep feeling of lyricism.

His another principle in writing was to make every work distinctive, edifying and entertaining, be they comical, thought-provoking or long or short ones.

He was an eloquent and optimistic man as well as an erudite humorist.

He was nearing 80 when he published full-length novel Golden Leaves Are Not Fallen Leaves in 2016.

All members of his family have lived in the literary world.

His wife Kim Suk was a gifted poet and his son Ri Il Chol produced several film scripts. They were his colleagues who shared creative success and joy with him.

He was decorated with Kim Il Sung Prize and many national orders for his service to the Korean film world.

He made a great contribution to the development of the country’s cinematic art and education of future writers as he worked as director of the Korean Scriptwriting Company. He was also a deputy to the Supreme People’s Assembly.