Seul-Ah Lee "Can We Only Inherit the Good Parts of Family Legacy?" [2022 Women’s Forum]

'Ilgan Isul-a' Started with Debt, Writing for 7 Years and Establishing a Publishing Company
Drama Rights Sale and Loan Repayment Are Immediate Goals... "Endlessly Studying Love and Friendship"

Writer Lee Seul-ah is delivering the keynote speech titled "From Serial Worker to Ganyeojang" at the '2022 Women Leaders Forum' held on the 19th at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-seop] "Is it possible to inherit only the good parts of a family's legacy? Can we love our family and still distance ourselves from them?" These were the questions posed by writer Lee Seul-ah, who delivered the keynote speech at the ‘2022 Women Leaders Forum’ held on the 19th at the Crystal Ballroom of Lotte Hotel Seoul in Sogong-dong. It was a message urging reflection on the male-centered nature of Korean families. Lee, who established a publishing company herself through the ‘Daily Lee Seul-ah’ project started to repay her debts, raised concerns about the deeply rooted patriarchal system.

In her speech, Lee introduced a new keyword, ‘Ganyeojang.’ Ganyeojang replaces the character for ‘father (父)’ in ‘patriarch (gajujang)’ with the character for ‘woman (女).’ She used this term to describe her role as the breadwinner in her household, playfully twisting the patriarchal system that is taken for granted. She also borrowed this term for her first full-length novel, The Age of Ganyeojang.

Lee was not always a skilled writer. She said, "There is both chance and inevitability in writing," adding, "There was repetition and refinement in the writing room." For about seven years, she wrote once a week under the mentorship of someone named Eod-in in this writing room. There, trainees’ writings were read and subjected to fierce feedback sessions called ‘hap-pyeong.’ Lee emphasized, "I think I have grown from a child who reads a lot to an adult who writes a lot," crediting her encounters with writing teachers she admired.

The turning point for Lee’s recognition came with the Daily Lee Seul-ah project. For a monthly fee of 10,000 won, subscribers receive Lee’s writings every day except weekends. There is no support from publishers or print media. When her 25 million won student loan repayment began in February 2018, she launched this project to pay it off. Lee explained, "Inspired by a box of sweet potatoes, I started a kind of direct literary transaction, the first mailing subscription service," adding, "I became a full-time writer while trying to repay my student loan."

Regarding writing, which she started out of passion, Lee said, "There is both joy and sorrow." She mentioned, "The advantage is that I don’t have to share profits and can write as much as I want about what I want," and added, "The closeness to readers is unmatched, and there is no better training than this." However, she also confessed, "There is the agony of daily deadlines and many tasks I have to handle alone without a platform."

After Daily Lee Seul-ah became a home run, Lee established ‘Heeom Publishing.’ It started as a one-person publishing company with only the author herself. Lee said, "I often wondered how authors’ royalties could be as low as 10%," and added, "I am currently barely learning the publishing ecosystem while running it." (Heeom Publishing was ranked first in Independent Publications of the Year in 2018 and Rookie Publisher of the Year in 2019.)

A unique aspect is that Lee officially employed her parents at the publishing company. She said, "I proposed to my mother, ‘How about working at my publishing company instead of a diner?’" At the publishing company, Lee handles writing, production, planning, and design. Her father, ‘Woong-i,’ and mother, ‘Bok-hee,’ take care of the rest. Bok-hee manages orders, inventory, and various staff tasks, while Woong-i is responsible for truck driving, carrying books, and cleaning the publishing house.

Lee said she is continuously expanding her writing at Heeom Publishing. She stated, "In terms of themes, expansion is happening with more types emerging from me, and in genres, I am writing interviews, letters, and fiction," adding, "I also introduce works by outstanding fellow writers." She also mentioned, "We are working on voice support for visually impaired readers and collaborations with various artists."

Lee cited her future hopes as ‘selling drama rights’ and ‘repaying the family’s loans.’ At the same time, she emphasized, "I want to become a grandmother who renews her prime," and "My goal is to endlessly study love and friendship."