Politics & Kpop : A Year Of Korean Literature

Books Read: At Least We Can Apologize by Lee Ki-Ho, The Interpreter by Suki Kim, Rina by Kang Young-Sook, Nothing To Envy: Ordinary Lives In North Korea, I Have The Right To Destroy Myself by Young-Ha Kim

General Reflections: Given the history of Korea as whole it is safe to say that in each book there were common themes of sorrow, tragedy, or grief. I’ve noticed that certain authors made an effort to be thorough with the raw human emotion within characters. Much like in both ‘The Interpreter’ by Suki Kim and ‘At Least We Can Apologize’ by Lee Ki-Ho, we see our protagonists be self aware of their true feelings. A common trope among these books also had to do with overcoming hardship in a variety of ways. Whether or not the characters were based in the North or South, the reader was able to distinguish some sort of struggle. Another thing that made reading these books interesting was understanding how opposite both of these areas are to begin with. It can be taken into account how drastic the comparison is when delving further. The ideologies stemming from both sides is often seen in all of these books. With that being said, it is important to pay close attention to what the author is truly trying to depict. Being attentive and progressing through each book brings one closer to said ideologies and understanding why the messages were written the way they were.

What I learned about life from At Least We Can Apologize by Lee Ki-Ho: Mental illness isn’t properly treated or even really attended to within the walls of this asylum. The reader sees the main protagonists getting abuse verbally, physically, and psychologically. The same goes for the women in the institution who are regularly sexually assaulted by the guards. It is very evident how a power trip has these guards doing the unthinkable without thinking of the consequences. Even then do the protagonists try their best to expose the institution for its poor treatment of its patients.

What I learned about life from The Interpreter by Suki Kim: Observing the day to day life of Suzy, the main protagonist, was interesting because she wasn’t very predictable. Though her upbringing might seem like a rarity it was an opportunity to see how someone’s identity or mentality could be greatly affected. We got to see someone who dealt with grief in what could be perceived as unhealthy and damaging. The reader was able to see someone like Suzy struggle maintaining her relationships as well as taking on the truth of her parents murder. The constant internal struggle is what gave this character substance.

What I learned about life from Rina by Kang Young-Sook: The reader is exposed to the constant difficulties one must face when trying to achieve better for themselves. This just so happened to be the case for our main protagonist Rina. She along with 21 others from her village try to escape from their village being overrun by military from a foreign land to The Land of P. It is seen throughout the novel how quickly Rina has to mature in order to survive her day to day life. The turmoil between her and her loved ones is constantly changing.

What I learned about life from Nothing To Envy: Ordinary Lives In North Korea by Barbara Demick: It is very evident how isolated North Korea chooses to be while teaching its citizens how to be loyal to their nation through means of fear mongering. It is interesting to know that Pyongyang is a city strategically used to show foreigners how well off the North Koreans are without aid from the outside. The readers are able to notice the many obstacles the citizens must overcome whether it involves their class status, finding suitable jobs, or who they can confide in overall.

What I learned about life from I Have The Right To Destroy Myself by Young-Ha Kim: It’s easy to see how a sibling relationship can come to be. When the reader is exposed to the nature of C and K’s relationship they are able to see a clear example of toxicity among brothers. It is seen how these characters go through constant changes regarding morals and behavior. It truly is a rollercoaster of unpredictability. Especially, when you through in the fact that both characters are after the same person, Se-yeon.

I Have The Right To Destroy Myself

By Young-Ha Kim

Pages Read: 64- 124

Words: 414

Summary: Progressing forward, the reader learns of two brothers referred to as C and K. The story line jumps to different scenes as well as parts in the characters lives quite often. Starting from the moment C had returned to his apartment from their mother’s funeral. The moment he walked in he found his brother in the living room with a woman, both shamelessly not stopping their intimacy. It is apparent that they haven’t seen each other since they were teens being as C didn’t know anything about K’s current life. Later, the story is taken to when C is stuck in his car with a girl by the name of Judith. Seoul was being hit with a major snow storm and they had no way of leaving the vehicle. As the pair continue to talk, C recalls how Judith reminded him of another girl named Se-yeon. At the time she had been someone his brother was very much interested in but the circumstance didn’t stop him from seducing Se-yeon. We delve further into the bizarre relationship between the brother’s.

Critical Analysis: During this portion of the book the reader identifies strategies such as ‘character analysis’ and ‘analyzing figurative language’. As seen on page 65, “I felt for the artists who couldn’t depict love between real people and could only show eroticism through the prism of mythology.” The ominous narrator from the beginning had mentioned this when visiting a museum and looking over several art pieces. Young-Ha Kim makes the narrator seem understanding based on the fact that his observancy of people overall has him take away more than meets the eye. On page 86 it states, “She’s like mildew that has invaded his life. She’s the kind of mold that wouldn’t have appeared if he lived austerely, the kind that breeds only in the dark, neglected corners of a building… not caring what he wants.” As he ran around trying to look for Judith these thoughts raced through his mind. The author uses a simile here to compare Judith to mildew. This comparison suggests that C see’s her as a dirty inconvenience furthering his destain for her as whole.

I Have The Right To Destroy Myself

By Young-Ha Kim

Pages Read: 3-63

Words: 165

Summary: This book starts the reader off with an unnamed narrator who is constantly engaging himself in the arts. From recreating paintings to analyzing the people around him. It isn’t explicitly said but it is very much implied that through all these small activities he finds clients who need a hit-man. Before he conducts these jobs though he briefly asks said clients a few questions to understand what kind of people he’s dealing with. Such an interaction says a lot in his eyes.

Life is tiring. I’m used to it, anyway.”

Nothing To Envy: Ordinary Lives In North Korea

By Barbara Demick

Pages Read: 247- 307

Words: 434

Summary: Progressing through the book the reader learns of Mrs.Song’s successful defect to South Korea. Since there are cases of Korean-speaking Chinese immigrants going after the $20,000 given to defectors, the NIS thoroughly interrogated her to verify whether or not she had such an intention. It was a long process but she was now given a blank slate in her new environment. It is told that newly defected North Koreans attend Hanawon to learn how to live on their own in South Korea. Their society is so behind that it is absolutely necessary defectors attend this ‘shelter’ as to assimilate properly. There they are taught about human rights along with democracy. Then we follow Hyuck Kim’s journey towards defecting. He decides to join a church that offered both food and shelter by the South Korean missionaries. Soon when the missionaries believed he was ready they chose him to lead a group on defectors to the Mongolian border. Being caught at the border guaranteed everyone a free ticket to South Korea.

Critical Analysis: The reader is able to identify a ‘character analysis’ as well as strategies like ‘implied meanings’. On page 255 taken from the text, “She wakes up to the fact that she’s a world away without them.” Explaining Oak-hee’s , Mrs.Song’s daughter, current situation without her children by her side. Even though Oak-hee described a dream regarding her children, I am inferring that what she really meant was that she is constantly reminded of the distance between them with no chance of reuniting, based on the fact that she says they are ‘a world away’. On page 265 taken from the text, “I didn’t know that when somebody exchanges a few words with you, you’re supposed to respond. I didn’t understand that that’s how you eventually build a friendship with your neighbors or that maybe those people could help me.” This was Hyuck’s response during Barbara’s interview. Hyuck seems to appear oblivious to what is considered a normal social interaction. This isn’t just a passing emotion because he was only ever exposed to a hostile environment where you could rarely trust your own family let alone neighbors.

Nothing To Envy: Ordinary Lives In North Korea

By Barbara Demick

Pages Read: 186- 246

Words: 389

Summary: During this portion of the book the reader learns of the public executions conducted by the North Korean Government. Jun-sang just so happen to see it happen before his very eyes on his summer vacation home. For him it was like the faith he had in his country was fleeting by the moment. He felt like he was an outsider among his own people. Everyone driven by their strong nationalistic beliefs while Jun-sang struggles with the true reality of what he thought to be the greatest place to live. He began to learn more and more of the staggering statistic deaths within the nation through secret access to South Korean television. The government makes sure that no one can tamper with the set issued broadcasts but those who are willing to risk their lives find loopholes much like Jun-sang. With his new found knowledge, looking at the homeless children perform the national anthem would leave him in knots.

Critical Analysis: The reader is able to distinguish strategies such  as ’implied meanings’ and ‘predicting outcomes using foreshadowing’. As seen on page 187, “For Jun-sang, visits to Chongjin often yielded discoveries about his own country.” This realization came to him when returning for the summer. Even though Jun-sang claimed to have made discoveries, I am inferring what he really meant was the he is no longer ignorant to his nations unpleasant nature, based on him expressing the little faith he has left. Taken from the text on page 210, “Her brother was calling her, using the Korean word for ‘older sister’. She reached out for his hand and was gone from North Korea forever.” I believe that, based on the fact that it states she was ‘gone forever, Mi-ran will definitely try to discreetly defect or escape to South Korea later on.

Nothing To Envy: Ordinary Lives In North Korea

By Barbara Demick

Pages Read: 125-185

Words: 495

Summary:

The reader learns more about the hardships of living in North Korea. Revisiting Mrs. Song’s story, it is known that after losing her job at the factory she struggled with finding other jobs. From then on the household would have to limit spending, especially when it came to food. Budgeting became their best tool for the time being. Soon after the couple decided that it was time to sell the house they’d both (along with both sides of their family) shared to many years. They felt that since everyone had either gotten married or moved on their own it was the perfect chance to relocate themselves. The propaganda to “charge forward into the new century in the spirit of victory in Arduous March.” Later, the reader learns of a boy by the the name of Hyuck Kim who became homeless when he denied the lessons of propaganda in a core class. Ever since he had been scavenging for food, shelter, and even the whereabouts of his father.

Critical Analysis:

It was clear to the reader that strategies such as recognizing irony and filling gaps of information were implemented. On page 151 the text states, “Thousands of middle-aged women were doing much the same thing as Mrs. Song. They were self-employed. They ran no work shops or stores; they didn’t dare to set up kiosks that were so ubiquitous in Russia during the time of perestroika.” This was during the time Mrs. Song spent looking for jobs after the closing of the garment factory. Based on the fact that Mrs.Song takes a special kind of precaution with her new occupation, I am inferring that something else must be true that we were not told directly, or something happened unbeknownst to us. It could be possible that the regime of both North Korea and Russia hold a scary place in the hearts of their citizens.  On page 167 the text states, If sitting still meant you starved to death, no threat the regime levied could keep people home. For the first time, North Koreans were wandering around their own country with impunity.” This was taken from when the author spoke in depth about the horrible famine that impacted the North Koreans. Irony occurs when the outcome is opposite of what a character intended or expected to happen. This situation is ironic because of the fact that this would be considered the only instance that the citizens could deny all forms of propaganda and not be punished.

Personal Analysis: