東亜日報
Born in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do on December 29, 1932, Choi Il-Nam graduated from Seoul National University in 1957 with a degree in Korean Language and Literature. He received his Ph.D. in Korean Literature from Korea University in 1960 and embarked on a career that combined journalism and fiction writing. He served as the head of the culture department at Minguk Daily, Kyunghyang Daily News, and The Dong-a Ilbo; and subsequently became the editor-in-chief of The Dong-a Ilbo, a position he held until he was dismissed in 1980.