[One Thousand Characters a Day] The Body of a Veteran <2> - Eobu

Editor's NoteWe are all uniquely 'completed' through the constant act of working. However, conversely, without experiencing a certain type of labor, it is difficult to fully understand the labor outside of one's own work. Because of this, some jobs are often accompanied by misguided illusions or stigmatizing labels. ＜Veteran’s Body＞ borrows the words of the author and veterans to intersect perspectives both inside and outside of labor, showing the possibility of fully seeing and understanding others beyond distorted views. When we carefully peel away how someone was shaped?that is, the traces of work and life attached to their body, their pride, and their sense of issues?we can set aside premature pity, charity, and discriminatory views, and come to fully understand and respect the 'things shaped through the passage of skilled time.' Word count: 1002.

His back never straightens as he selects stones. Supporting himself with one arm on the deck floor, he uses the other to throw the stone into the sea. His back remains bent in a right angle. It is difficult for him to straighten and bend his back, to bend and straighten his knees. Having lived 30 years exerting strength throughout his body, it is no wonder every joint screams in protest.

They warn him to be careful, but the wet nets tangle beneath his feet, and the seaweed pushed into the corner of the deck is slippery. The nets haul up more than just seafood. Hard stones, shells, sharp fishing hooks, and shards of glass also come up onto the deck. They easily scratch and pierce. Moreover, everything is soaked, making it heavy. Even the nets, tangled like thin threads, become indistinguishable from a basket when lifted. It’s impossible to tell if I’m lifting an apple crate or a sack of rice. The nets are soaked with water. Two elderly people bear that weight. Park Myeong-sun, whose back is surprisingly straight for her age, lifts the net basket and places it on the ship’s edge, and Yeom Sun-ae pulls it into the hold. When I try to help, both insist I shouldn’t, saying it’s dangerous. It’s not just strength but skill that’s required.

Thanks to that skill, there have been no falls into the sea. Yeom Sun-ae said she doesn’t even know how to swim. Falling into the sea after losing balance would be a disaster. Since childhood, her ears ring and she feels dizzy when underwater. She suspects an issue with her cochlea. If so, riding on a rocking boat must have been torture. I recall her saying she suffered severe seasickness. But all those years can be summed up in one phrase.

"It’s ingrained in my body, so it’s okay."

There was always a reason to endure. Fortunately, she spent 35 years without accidents. She knew the dangers of the sea and was even more cautious. On the other hand, Park Myeong-sun has suffered various injuries. Even so, she strides confidently along the deck’s edge. My heart pounds, fearing she might slip. Yet, the place where she was actually injured was not the open sea but a square-shaped fish farm.

"I almost got seriously hurt falling into the fish farm. Unlike the sea, it has edges, so when I struggled to get out, I hit and tore myself more."

- Written by Hee-jung, Photos by Choi Hyeong-rak, ＜Veteran’s Body＞, Hankyoreh Publishing, 20,000 KRW