[Seomideum's Book Talk] "Value Collapse in Economic Superiority Dichotomy... Need to Strengthen Inner Strength"

'Sometimes Choosing Misfortune Over Happiness' Interview with Author Kim Jin-myung

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] It is an era where grand narratives are being neglected. Readers' interests have long shifted from 'society' to 'individual,' focusing more on 'empathy' than 'lessons.' Value assessments tend to emphasize 'practicality' over 'meaning.' Humanities are being overlooked, and novels centered on grand narratives are easily ignored. This is why many writers seek to adapt to popular tastes. However, the opposite also exists: the argument that we must remain faithful to forgotten fundamental values, with writer Kim Jin-myung as a representative figure. He points out, "At some point, our society began to turn away from sorrow and tragedy," adding, "Smooth and ostentatious conversations are filling the spaces where consideration and seriousness have disappeared." He further expresses concern, saying, "As we go through daily life without any serious empathy or affection, our society is becoming increasingly superficial."

The paradox that being overly obsessed with happiness can actually prevent happiness. The author says that sometimes one must choose 'unhappiness' over 'happiness.' He redefines the value of unhappiness, noting that unhappiness does not necessarily mean loss. Kim Jin-myung, who has written novels on grand historical and social narratives, has published his first essay collection, Sometimes Choosing Unhappiness Instead of Happiness. What did he want to convey through this essay? We posed questions to him on the 16th.

- I understand you are focusing on writing the novel Goguryeo. Amid that, you published the essay collection Sometimes Choosing Unhappiness Instead of Happiness.

▲ I have mainly written novels on politics, economy, diplomacy, security, history, and culture. Beyond grand narratives, I wanted to talk about the personal life of a writer, especially inner values... It was regrettable that any kind of humanistic reflection was disappearing. No matter how good economic figures are, individuals are not happy; rather, conflicts, anguish, and confrontations intensify. Our society is currently in a state of value collapse. I wanted to encourage the recovery of some inner values, but since my novels deal with grand narratives, I ended up writing an essay.

- The book recounts stories of a desperately poor time. The anecdotes do not feel heavy. What does poverty mean to you? Do you think it holds value enough to want to return to that time?

▲ Generally, people say poverty is when there is little material between people; conversely, wealth is when material is abundant. In between, there are inhuman elements like material conditions. In fact, poverty is a very good condition for communication between people. It is when you can feel the warmth of human body temperature most warmly. A life without poverty loses the opportunity to learn the preciousness of humans and consideration for others. In that sense, I think it would be fine to return to those (poor) times. Joy and happiness all come from people. We are living in an era where people are being lost.

- You emphasized the humanities. As someone who has experienced severe poverty, what would you say to young people who avoid the humanities out of fear of poverty?

▲ As I wrote in the essay, if knowledge, status, wealth, and appearance are the power of the exterior for convenience, on the opposite side is inner strength. This is related to the humanities. Our society cannot be happy with only external power. Looking at humanity’s teachers, they all tried to cultivate inner strength. I hope our society moves away from focusing solely on external power and discovers and nurtures inner strength. If you endure a little anxiety, you realize inner strength is much better. This is the teaching of humanity’s masters.

- The book advises not to distinguish between bad and good books. However, in an era where time is money, wouldn’t it be reasonable to focus on verified good books? What would you recommend to today’s youth?

▲ First, it is important to come to like books. Once you like them, you don’t discard them and remember them. Since liking is primary, I want to tell them to read interesting books. Since good and bad books are not absolutely divided into good or bad, the first step is to read many interesting books and come to like reading.

- Recognizing one’s own existence value is also very important. When one fails to do so, especially in twilight years, it is easy to fall into emptiness and lethargy. South Korea has low happiness among the elderly and a high suicide rate.

▲ Many people in countries with lower economic levels than ours live happily. Relative unhappiness largely stems from the collapse of social values. The consciousness that "if you have no money, you die" dominates. Rapid economic development has led to economic superiority or inferiority dominating people’s consciousness. It is a very negative polarization. I hope those who are depressed and anxious quickly discover inner strength based on humanistic values. Sitting quietly on a bench is as important as throwing a flashy party.

- You said, "There is a dream to earn a lot of money and live happily, but (omitted) I want to spend passion and time on more meaningful things." What does a meaningful thing mean to you?

▲ I place meaning in spending time for the safety and peace of our society, neighbors, and community rather than my own happiness. It seems like I am excluded and doing it for others, but in fact, great joy comes from there. Humans are made that way. Historically, humans enjoyed themselves when surviving together. If you open your eyes wide, when I am happy and joyful is when I am doing something with others. I often use the phrase "walking with the weak," and that is my case.

- You criticized the indifferent and lukewarm attitude of the public toward the recovery of history and cultural assets. Why do you think that is? Could it be that people are too exhausted by reality to have the energy?

▲ A country’s strength is not only in its economy. It is also in culture, values, and consciousness. In that respect, our society is sensitive to economic figures but insensitive to finding meaning in invisible values. Ultimately, happiness comes from such values and meanings. When a value community is formed, society becomes safe and happy.

- The book mentions that the United States was behind the assassination of President Park Chung-hee. That is quite shocking.

▲ My opinion is firm. However, it is absolutely impossible for that to be revealed. The media cannot uncover it, nor will it come from the perpetrators. I am extracting elements that can lead to the most logical inferences. I plan to continue that work.

- I heard you are preparing a work dealing with modern and contemporary history as your next project.

▲ In the current state of value collapse, it is important to create a shared value system. The old Confucian values no longer hold meaning. The important thing is how to reach consensus and create values that allow people to unite. I believe we can find such value consensus from modern and contemporary great figures. I plan to write a work that observes various people, from intellectuals during Japanese colonial rule to modern enlightenment thinkers, to establish a value system.

- You said that your childhood passion for reading made writing easier. However, Goguryeo is a vast work spanning ten volumes, with three volumes remaining. Do you face any difficulties in writing?

▲ The reason I started writing Goguryeo was that China is undertaking a massive project to appropriate Goguryeo history, while Korean society is absorbed only in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms without much awareness. Famous domestic writers led the translation of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms but paid no attention to Goguryeo. It is true that there are few materials on Goguryeo, making it difficult to write. My task was to write it more interestingly than the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms has a rich literary tradition with many contributors over hundreds of years. Writing more interestingly than that is not easy. I have to rack my brain. The greatest stratagem in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms is writing fire (火) on the palm. It is simple and childish, but when you break that illusion, Goguryeo hides dozens of advanced stratagems.

- Seven volumes have been published so far. Is it going as interesting as you expected?

▲ So far, I consider it successful. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms mostly has male readers, but Goguryeo has half female readers. In that respect, I am very satisfied and proud. The success or failure depends on the remaining three volumes. That is why it is taking a lot of time. I have to meet readers’ expectations that Goguryeo is much more interesting.

- Books on grand narratives are losing popularity. What do you think about this trend change?

▲ From the perspective of value assessment, it is indeed a trend. Intellectuals hope their values are realized. Personal philosophy is my essence, but Korean society lacks a value system to rely on. As an intellectual, I want to write about what Korean society lacks. I continue writing because I have values I want to present.

He is a leading domestic million-seller writer who incorporates grand narratives into novels, causing social impact. His representative works include Mugunghwa Flower Has Bloomed, The Millennium’s Forbidden Book, 1026, Samsung Conspiracy, THAAD, Goguryeo, War of Letters, and US-China War. Born in 1957 in Busan, he graduated from Boseong High School and then from the Law Department of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. His debut work, Mugunghwa Flower Has Bloomed, published in 1993, became a bestseller, establishing him as a bestselling author. He meticulously analyzes and insightfully portrays sensitive topics in Korean society such as politics, economy, history, and diplomacy through his novels.