Korean netizens choose Kim Hoon as top writer for 2012

Korean netizens chose Kim Hoon, the popular writer of novels "Song of Sword" and "Heuksan," as this year's best Korean writer in an annual online poll, an online bookstore that conducted the vote said Thursday.

Kim ranked first, gaining 11 percent or 9,991 of the 38,175 votes cast, in the poll conducted from July 2-25, according the Yes 24.

Novelist Lee Mun-yul came second, getting 8.9 percent of the votes, followed by poet Ko Un and novelist Park Beom-shin with 8.8 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively.

In the category of Korea's best young writer, Kim Yeon-su, known for her novel "Wonder Boy" topped the list with a 8.5 percent support. She beat Kim Ae-ran of "My Heart Throbbing Life" (8.4 percent) by a narrow margin.

Novelists Jeong Yoo-jeong (7.3 percent), Cheon Myeong-gwan (6.9 percent) and Yoon Go-eun (5.9 percent) also earned a high number of votes, according to the bookseller.(Yonhap)