Tree of Wailing

The Wailing Tree is a powerful story set in 1920s Japanese-occupied Korea and China, tracing the trials of a family caught in the tide of history and the fight for independence.

Kim Jeong-guk, owner of a rice mill, is betrayed by his corrupt Japanese partner and forced to join the Korean independence movement, leaving his family behind. Six years later, his wife Jeong Sun-rye and their three children track him to a remote inn in Beijing. Yet poverty and hardship soon tear the family apart.

Their eldest son, Yeong-il, endures his mother's resentment and relentless abuse from the Japanese, including having the word "thief" cruelly burned onto his forehead. Despite these challenges, Yeong-il struggles to keep his family alive and grows into a strong young man through trials of violence, imprisonment, and revenge.

After a tragic reunion with his father, who has suffered unimaginable torture and loss, Yeong-il faces a harsh new reality in liberated Korea, where freedom is shadowed by suspicion, brutality, and betrayal.

The Wailing Tree is a poignant tale of sacrifice, resilience, and the unyielding spirit of those who fight for justice in the face of oppression.

Won Il Song resides in Riverside, California, and has completed doctoral studies in pastoral theology at a theological seminary.