[Power K-Women] Jeong Bora: "Women, Be Bold... Society Must Get Used to Confident Women"

Editor's NoteAsia Economy will select women who are active not only in Asia but around the world as 'Power K-Women' at the Women's Leaders Forum to be held this October. We have chosen individuals who have overcome and broken down barriers such as race, borders, and disabilities as 'Power K-Women.' This is to widely promote the value of those who have stood up and fought without shrinking back due to discrimination or being trapped by boundaries, and to convey new values of leadership to youth and women. Their stories will provide comfort to a weary world and become role models for others, giving communities the strength to move forward again.
Date ｜ Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 9:00 AM ? 5:20 PM
Venue ｜ Crystal Ballroom, Lotte Hotel, Sogong-dong (2F)
※For details, please refer to '2022 Women's Leaders Forum' at the top of the Asia Economy homepage.

"Confident women, proud women, and angry women,
society must accept and become accustomed to women who fight."

Author Jeong Bora (46, photo), who was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, one of the world's top three literary awards, for her short story collection Cursed Rabbit. In an interview with Asia Economy, her message was clear: a change in society's perspective. That is the starting point for breaking down the walls of prejudice.

Jeong Bora has attracted significant attention in relation to the Booker Prize. A Korean who made it to the final shortlist of a global literary award. Society fixated on that title. It is a remarkable achievement that will be recorded in the history of Korean literature. What is noteworthy is that society has come to know Jeong Bora as a person. Her message goes beyond the 'container of words' that is the Booker Prize finalist.

"More women want to live the lives they desire and achieve their goals as human beings, not just as women. But we are still far from that," she said. "For women to be recognized as people, countless diverse images of women must be shown to the world. And modifiers like 'woman,' 'despite being a woman,' or 'as a woman' should not be attached one by one."

To break down the huge walls of prejudice, changes are needed in various sectors of society. In the literary field, signs of change are emerging, according to Jeong Bora. "(Unlike the past when women were mainly noted for maternal love) nowadays, female writers boldly present works that place female protagonists as universal human beings at the center of the world and tell stories about the world from a female perspective."

The works produced by writers drive social change. That power of change leads to the writer's creative desire, which in turn drives further change in a virtuous cycle... Theoretically, this is a plausible assumption, but reality is not so easy. Jeong Bora's diagnosis that "we are still far from it" relates to this.

"Since the early days of the Korean Science Fiction Writers Alliance, we have been translating member introductions into English, and many female writers write their self-introductions very timidly. Some older members write self-introductions with an apologetic tone, feeling sorry for their age. Being somewhat shameless and easygoing is an advantage in interpersonal relationships and in front of the public, but women are not like that. They worry about appearing arrogant, being seen as strong-willed, or fierce, which might provoke backlash. In situations where leadership is required, they are criticized or face resistance for not being gentle."

Such expectations and silent sharing. The longer the silence, the more psychological pressure is felt not only by the person involved but also by those watching. Although invisible to our eyes, the chain of prejudice embedded in the social base remains strong. It has become a solid chain that strangles society.

"Current discrimination is less visible and proceeds in subtle and strange ways in less known places." The discrimination Jeong Bora points out is not limited to the topic of women. In fact, Jeong Bora has voiced her opinions on various social issues beyond literature. Society calls her a practicing writer.

She has been present at various social issue sites such as protests against railroad privatization, morning protests of the National Solidarity Against Disability Discrimination, the Sewol ferry special investigation signature campaign, and anti-war rallies. Jeong Bora's numerous field experiences have also been used as material for her works. Cursed Rabbit is a novel inspired by the 2004 Korean society upheaval caused by the contaminated dumpling scandal. It showed the tragedy brought about by information pollution and social prejudice.

Since returning from the UK after being shortlisted for the Booker Prize, Jeong Bora has been busy. She has received many requests for special lectures and is fulfilling lecture schedules nationwide. There, Jeong Bora connects with those curious about her and works to break down social walls. For her, lectures are not just occasions to share episodes about the Booker Prize but spaces to communicate with society.

"As a woman, as a Korean, and as an Asian, I want to leave something that helps fellow women, fellow Koreans, and fellow Asians in some way."

This is why Jeong Bora talks about women in Asia and Korea whenever she participates in external events or interviews with foreign media. Ultimately, Jeong Bora's concern is closely linked to the abolition of discrimination. She does not hesitate to raise her voice for a world where the basic rights that humans should enjoy are respected.

"I hope social stigma disappears in all aspects. Just as you go to an ophthalmologist if your eyes hurt and an orthopedist if your joints hurt, it should be natural to visit an obstetrician-gynecologist if there is an abnormality in specific bodily functions like menstruation. Female adolescents and unmarried young women should also be able to regularly visit an obstetrician-gynecologist for checkups and health monitoring. I hope for equal and sufficient medical access for everyone."

About Author Jeong Bora

She graduated from Yonsei University’s College of Humanities, earned a master's degree in Russian and East European Studies from Yale University, and a Ph.D. in Slavic Literature from Indiana University. She has lectured on Russia and science fiction at universities. She also writes and translates science fiction and fantasy literature. She won the Excellence Award in the mobile category at the 3rd Digital Writers Award for her novella Ho, and the Grand Prize in the short story category at the 1st SF Award for her short story Seed.