[People Met Through Books] Creators Also Have Retirement Age... Writing to Escape the Fear of an End

Creator Lee Seok-won. Born in Seoul in 1974, he first made a mark on the public as a 'singer' through the group ‘Unnienee Barber Shop’ in 1996. His original songs at the time drew attention and brought a fresh change to the domestic band music scene. He sought a transformation into a ‘writer’ in 2009. His first published work, ‘Ordinary Being,’ became a bestseller, and since then, he has established himself as a skilled writer. Lee Seok-won’s ability to weave content that adds interest to empathy and makes it easy to read was outstanding. Surprisingly, at the time of publishing his first book, he had not properly read any books. Since then, he has combined talent with effort to continue publishing.

His second essay collection, ‘Words Always Good to Hear,’ published in 2017, again made the bestseller list. Readers were deeply immersed in the story of Lee Seok-won and ‘Porsche Geunyeo’ (Porsche Her). Many comments on Lee’s personal blog asked about follow-up stories with her. Although the readers’ perspective equating the book with reality sometimes embarrassed the author, it was undoubtedly a ‘hot topic in town.’

After eight years, another essay collection was released. The title is the same as his 4th album, ‘Believe in the Moment’ (Eulyu Munhwasa). Lee Seok-won in the book, who couldn’t sleep due to the faint noise from the upstairs every night, finally went upstairs but was caught in a dilemma by a notice saying ‘Absolutely No Knocking.’ Wandering late at night around the apartment complex, he eventually found a restaurant run by the upstairs neighbor, where he becomes romantically involved with someone. This work skillfully blends mystery with romance. We met Lee Seok-won on the 13th. Sensitive to being recorded in photos or writing, the shoot was conducted with minimal face exposure.

Writer Lee Seok-won

-You seem very cautious about photography.

▲I don’t like my appearance. So I’m careful about being recorded in photos or writing. I dislike situations where I cannot fully control my appearance and words. There are many parts I wish I could revise later when I look back at what I said. I have been creating for 30 years, but I still find photography and interviews difficult.

-However, in your books, you describe yourself as someone who likes to talk about himself and has a funny character. Does your ‘seal’ open when you feel safe?

▲There is an ambivalent aspect. I really enjoy meeting people and talking. But if you look closely, I don’t meet many people. There are few people I feel comfortable with. Then I wonder if I really like people at all.

-Still, I understand you have been active recently, including book talks and other external activities.

▲I participate in various schedules arranged by the publisher and meet readers. Recently, I held a signing event with a limited number of attendees for the first time. That way, I can have even a one-minute conversation. Given my personality, I find it hard to understand and feel very sorry that someone comes to meet me. So I pay attention to signings and meetings. Honestly, there is more to worry about after publishing a book than writing it. (laughs)

-Still, it feels like you communicate more actively with readers than before. Was there a change in your mindset?

▲Last year, I gave a lecture in collaboration with a publisher, and preparing and executing it changed my thoughts and life a lot. I thought I disliked being on stage and that was why I quit being a singer, but this time I realized that wasn’t true. I rediscovered that I actually liked talking about something on stage. I also started thinking about restarting music and have been working on songs in my spare time.

-Are you resuming activities with the band ‘Unnienee Barber Shop’?

▲No, that’s not it. The significance lies in Lee Seok-won as a musician creating and releasing new songs. Personally, I believe creators have a retirement age. After forty, artistic sensibility declines, and I consider the lifespan as a composer to be over.

-Then why do you still challenge yourself? Is it to confront that limit?

▲It’s not about confronting the age limit but more like a task. I feel there is something left undone, and I want to resolve it perfectly before quitting. I think about what the problem is with musician Lee Seok-won and why I’m not satisfied.

-The new book’s title is the same as your 4th album, ‘Believe in the Moment.’ Is it a favorite phrase?

▲It’s the phrase that best fits the theme of the book. One thing that has dominated me throughout my life is ‘finiteness.’ Everything ends someday. But I really dislike that. Except for my own death, I don’t like the end of anything else. Dramas end, parents eventually part, and parting with loved ones is also a worry. Of course, there are positive aspects. I try to be filial to my parents and good to my girlfriend... But I put a message in the book about focusing on enjoying life rather than living driven by fear. This is a story I have dealt with many times in music as well. I wanted to escape the fear of the end.

-In that sense, are you still continuing the relationship with the lover in the book?

▲It’s necessary to separate the book’s content from the real Lee Seok-won. It’s an essay in a broad sense (which may include fiction). But when I asked the Lee Seok-won in the book, he said ‘We’re doing well.’ (laughs)

-Are you saying the book’s content might be fictional rather than your real story?

▲Readers often wonder if my essays are true or not, but whether it’s fact or fiction doesn’t matter. I want to respect whatever feeling they have. You can believe whatever you feel. Basically, I write about myself, but it’s not completely identical to me. (Separately from this book) Some have asked why I advertise family matters like ‘I got divorced’ or ‘Many of my siblings got divorced.’ But I wrote those as universal stories rather than intimate ones. It’s also Lee Seok-won’s story, but I hope readers accept the feelings they get when reading the book’s stories as they are.

-The book describes not being able to protest against noise from upstairs and wandering the apartment complex every night.

▲I hate both being a victim and causing harm. Personally, I find noise from upstairs very difficult. To the extent that I temporarily rented two houses. I thought to spread the probability.

-The source of the upstairs noise was found in an unexpected place in the book. Has it been resolved now?

▲It’s resolved now. But I think it bothered me more because I thought it was noise made by others (which is hard to control). (Separate from the noise mentioned in the book) When I rented the second house, the sound of water flowing on the floor was too loud. I thought it was unbearable for a person to live there. I thought it was noise from someone else’s house, but it turned out to be the sound of water flowing through our boiler pipes. After realizing that, the sound didn’t bother me at all. I realized it’s a matter of understanding, not the act itself. Even though it was a sound that made living impossible, thinking it was my own sound made it okay.

-But I heard you have high expectations when working and assert yourself strongly.

▲I try to lower that. It’s not like when I did music before. I try to consider the position of people I work with as much as possible. I’m very cautious and try to adjust. But I don’t know what the editor of this book thinks. (laughs) I don’t insist on the cover or title. The feeling of the viewer is most important.

-Including previous publications, this book contains many relatable short phrases. Do you often think about and refine sentences in your spare time?

▲Whenever I think of a sentence that can define or record a situation, I record it by any means. Then I use it appropriately when writing a book.

-I heard you hadn’t properly read a single book when publishing your first book.

▲Basically, I like videos. I watch a lot of Netflix dramas and movies. I read books out of obligation, like homework. Before publishing my first book, I really hadn’t read any, but I couldn’t keep that up while writing. These days, I read books for 3 to 4 hours a day. I read many books by American authors like Annie Proulx and also enjoy works by Park Wan-seo and Jeon Hye-rin. Recently, some say watching YouTube counts as reading, but that’s nonsense. Reading is definitely necessary, so even if I dislike or find it boring, I push myself.

-The book contains concerns about ‘meokgosanim’ (the struggle to make a living). You even considered opening a cold noodle restaurant.

▲People say the publishing market is on the verge of collapse, and I think it has failed from a market perspective. General book sales have dropped to one-tenth of what they were 5 to 10 years ago. If 100,000 to 200,000 copies used to make a bestseller, now selling 30,000 copies causes a stir. As a writer, I cannot be indifferent to this situation and am seriously worried. Should I keep writing? If so, what should I write?

-Are you actually considering a full-time or side job?

▲I’m thinking about reopening ‘Salon de Unnienee Barber Shop’ in Insadong, or opening a bookstore or a record store. I’m considering various options. But I don’t want to do something else just because books don’t sell. No matter how bad the situation is, I want to move on after producing a hit work that does well.

-Do you have any sense of issues living as an author?

▲I think it’s meaningless to expect someone to solve the problem of books not being chosen and not exerting influence due to market issues. We have to break through with good works. People don’t buy because they don’t feel the value. I want to work hard and write works that sell well. I believe the best marketing is the manuscript itself. In that sense, I feel good about this book. (laughs) I get many invitations for book talks, and some bookstores even said they would set up a ‘writer’s room.’ Personally, I’m very grateful to those who buy my books with money during difficult times.