Writers United in 'Resistance to the Old Era'... "Literature Must Be More Political" [2022 Women’s Forum]

Asia Economy Hosted '2022 Women Leaders Forum' K-Story Session
Discussion with Writer Seul-Ah Lee and Others on 'Achievements and Significance of Korean Women Writers'

(From left) Writers Jeong Bora, Andam, Lee Seul-ah, and Jeon Hye-jin are posing for a photo after a discussion on the theme "Achievements, Significance, and Potential of Global (K-Story) Korean Women Writers" at the '2022 Women Leaders Forum' held on the 19th at Lotte Hotel, Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

"In our family, the member who pays more taxes becomes the head of the household. For several years now, my books have been selling well, so I am the head." (Writer Jeon Hyejin)

"I believe a story is a 'formula that can open up the possibility of a life different from the current one, a being different from the current existence.'" (Writer Jeong Bora)

On the 19th, the 11th Women Leaders Forum hosted by Asia Economy was held at Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Seoul. At the event, a global (K-Story) session discussion was conducted under the theme "The Achievements, Meaning, and Possibilities of Korean Women Writers."

In this discussion, writer Jeong Bora, who was shortlisted for this year’s Booker Prize International category with her short story collection "Jeojutokki" (Cursed Rabbit), presented. Writer Andam served as the moderator, and writers Lee Seul-a, known for her subscription-based series "Daily Seul-a," and Jeon Hyejin, active in the SF genre, participated as panelists.

Writer Andam pointed out that all three writers share the commonality of embedding messages resisting outdated customs in their works. In response, Jeong said, "I aimed to eliminate discrimination and abuse, increase life choices for everyone, respect others, and avoid interfering in others’ affairs."

Lee explained, "There is a scene in my work where a family called 'Ganyeojang' is dining out, and they educate a man who is rude to the restaurant staff." The term Ganyeojang, which overturns patriarchy, refers to a household where the daughter, not the father, is the head of the family.

Jeon said, "In our family, the member who pays more taxes becomes the head the following year," adding, "My books have been selling well for several years, so I am the head," which drew applause from the audience.

Writers Jeong Bora, An Dam, Lee Seul-ah, and Jeon Hye-jin are discussing the topic "Achievements, Significance, and Potential of Global (K-Story) Korean Women Writers" at the "2022 Women Leaders Forum" held on the 19th at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

There was also mention of Jeong’s representative work "Jeojutokki." When Andam noted, "The characters’ names are not clearly mentioned in Jeojutokki," Jeong replied, "If there were names, it would apply only to those individuals and be less universal." She added, "In old tales, it often starts with 'Once upon a time in a certain village.' It could be this village or that one," and said, "By moving away from gender binaries like male and female, all characters became simply 'people.'"

The session participants expressed positive views on writers’ political activities and politically charged literary works. When Lee said, "I want to write more political pieces. I hope literature becomes more political and politics more literary," Andam agreed, responding, "Being political doesn’t necessarily mean parliamentary politics." Jeon said, "Both conservative and progressive stories inevitably exist," adding, "If there are stories that completely exclude political colors, they might not be passed down to the next generation."

The stories writers want to tell through their works in the future focused on "people who have not yet been spotlighted." Jeong said, "There will be more stories about young women," citing examples such as women with disabilities, sexual minority women, and women who are not ethnically Korean. Jeon stated, "Stories about people who cannot access the internet due to poverty, along with sexual minorities and people with disabilities, will also be needed."

In response to Andam’s final question, "What is a story?" Lee answered, "A story is covering the truth with lies." Jeon, observing children who have never experienced a grandmother’s rural home playing with stickers related to the countryside, said, "I felt that a story is about bringing out the images in one’s heart." Jeong defined it as "a formula that can open up the possibility of a life different from the current one, a being different from the current existence."