[Power K-Women] The Era of Female Writers?..."Waited 200 Years. Now It Begins"

Writer Kim Hyun-a, Running 'Eodin Geulbang'
Helping Numerous Writers Shine as a 'Writing Mentor'
Attention to Contemporary Female Writers Is a Result of 200 Years
Mixing with Male Stories Ensures Relevance to the Times

It is often said that writing has its own unique fingerprint. This is because each writer’s inner self radiates its own distinct color toward the world. A witty writing style can capture attention, and an ingenious thought can make one snap their fingers in realization. Honest writing contains the person themselves. In that sense, writing is an act of proving one’s existence to the world, and refining such writing is a way to enhance the degree of radiance of both the writing and the writer’s presence.

Kim Hyun-ah (Eodin) is a writing mentor who has adjusted the voltage of countless writers’ texts and helped them switch on their self-illumination. Having majored in Korean Language and Literature at university and gained writing experience through civic groups and labor unions, she has helped students sharpen their thinking through writing both inside and outside of school, encouraging them to stand firmly as individuals in life. She taught her students that “a person who knows how to handle writing is a person who knows how to interpret life.” It was not merely about writing skills but about contemplating and harmonizing life. As a result, writers who shine brilliantly with their own light were born. Regarding her, writer Lee Seul-ah said she is “a mountain to overcome and a hill to which one wishes to return,” and film director Lee Gil-bora said, “Through writing with Eodin, I learned how to question myself and the world around me.”

We recently met writer Kim Hyun-ah, who runs ‘Eodingeulbang,’ a space that aims to be a place where people who govern their own lives and live autonomously lean on and support each other, at the House of Artists in Dongsung-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Power K Woman - Artist Eodin is being interviewed by Asia Economy at Marronnier Park in Dongsung-dong, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

- I’m curious about how you’ve been lately. How are you doing?

▲ I am running the writing room and keeping my writing routine. I restarted the writing room three years ago. When asked “How can one write well?” I usually answer, “One piece a week, without missing a single week for three years.” By next March, it will be exactly three years. I hold writing rooms almost every day, such as ‘Saturday Writing Room,’ ‘Sunday Writing Room,’ ‘Children’s Writing Room,’ and ‘Youth Writing Room.’

- Many writers cherish their memories of studying writing at Eodingeulbang. It seems that Eodingeulbang must have had some special or unique qualities.

▲ By chance, I recently listed people who were once part of Eodingeulbang and are now active writers, and there were many. Lee Seul-ah, Lee Gil-bora, An Dam, Lee Da-ul, Yang Da-sol, Ha Mina, and others. The books they have published fill three shelves. Looking back, their passion was tremendous. They spent their youthful time generously in the writing room. Later, I heard that on days when they received harsh feedback, they went home crying and said, “Just wait, next week I will definitely bring better writing,” and they gritted their teeth. I have never been to other writing rooms, so it’s hard to compare, but there was that kind of intensity in Eodingeulbang. Of course, new writers who continue to publish books are still emerging.

- Writers from Eodingeulbang all recall the intense joint evaluations (group critiques) vividly.

▲ I didn’t realize it at the time. If I had known, I might not have been so harsh. (laughs) Then and now, I speak honestly about writing. When the writing was good, I precisely pointed out what made it good, and conversely, I coldly pinpointed its limitations. It was a great pleasure to read their funny and entertaining writing.

- Is the intensity of the group critiques still the same now?

▲ Hmm... now I’m a bit more cautious. (laughs) Someone said it’s not as scary as it used to be.

Power K Woman - Artist Eodin is being interviewed by Asia Economy at the Lounge of the Artist's House in Daehangno, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

- It seems you enjoyed writing since childhood. When did you start accompanying writing?

▲ I began writing seriously in university when I was active in a literary circle. People who shared a common orientation toward writing gathered to write and conduct group critiques. Writers such as children’s author Jeong Seung-hee and poet Lee Han-joo were members at the time. While teaching the literary club of the Cheonggye Garment Workers’ Union, I also operated it in the form of group critiques. In that sense, I have been continuously reading, writing, and critiquing for about 40 years.

- You have been running writing rooms for a long time. What is the driving force behind this continuity?

▲ The driving force is very clear. The stories that come out of the writing room are so interesting. There is a charm in the wonderful writing produced by people who are not yet writers. Usually, I finish reading before the group critique, but sometimes the writing is so good that I eagerly wait for the next day. I want to quickly tell them how great their writing is. Not everyone has to publish a book and become a writer, but eventually, those people do become writers. Lee Seul-ah’s book ‘The Era of the Fragile Woman’ recently ranked 7th on the bestseller list in Taiwan. The success of one writer is very congratulatory, but I think it will also serve as an opportunity for many Korean women writers to be recognized. I see it as playing a pioneering role.

- Has running the writing room been the biggest challenge in your life? If not, what has been your biggest challenge?

▲ Running the writing room has been more of a joy than a challenge. In fact, during challenging times, people often don’t realize it’s a challenge and just keep working. They think, “How do I overcome this?” but don’t think, “Ah, this is the challenge of my life.” Looking back, there were moments of challenge. Traveling in Vietnam to investigate civilian massacres by the Korean military during the Vietnam War and sharing those facts with Korean society and publishing books about it was probably a challenge. Climbing Annapurna with students from the alternative school ‘Roadscola’ was also a challenge, but at the time, I didn’t think of it that way.

- What personal benefits have you gained through writing?

▲ My first book was ‘Memories of War, War of Memories’ (2002). I wrote it while working at the civic group ‘Nawauri,’ and I studied a lot while fact-checking. During the process of verifying newspapers, magazines, and academic papers, I reconsidered what writing really is. This applies to all writing. For example, I was curious why Nongae died, and through studying, I learned that it took nearly 200 years for her to be honored as a righteous woman. I also deeply understood the importance of records. After studying, I vaguely feel I understand why Nongae embraced the enemy commander and jumped into the blue waters of Namgang River. Looking into the history of Hawaiian sugarcane immigrants, picture brides, and Koreans in the former Soviet Union expanded my thinking greatly. Writing, the more you do it, triggers a joyful evolution of consciousness.

Power K Woman - Artist Eodin is being interviewed by Asia Economy at the Lounge of the Artist's House in Daehangno, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

- While running the writing room, you must have witnessed students’ lives changing through writing. Is there a particularly memorable case?

▲ One memorable case is writer Kim Soo-hyun, who recently published the book ‘Deep Indifference’ after writing together in the writing room for about two years. Kim lived with her grandmother without her mother or father. On Parents’ Day, the school had a time to write thank-you letters to mom and dad, but in first and second grade, she thought she had to write to mom and dad and didn’t know what to do, so she bit her pencil and watched other children write letters. She wrote about this experience. At that moment, I thought, “Ah! On occasions like Parents’ Day, letters should be written to the person who raised you, not necessarily mom or dad.” I thought this should be conveyed to the education office and then spread to schools nationwide. ‘Deep Indifference’ contains brilliant insights into how our society treats lives without mothers.

- Recently, female writers have been prominent in the publishing world. How do you interpret this phenomenon?

▲ The history of women in this land crafting their own stories through writing is less than 200 years old. In the Joseon Dynasty, women who handled writing were either gisaeng (female entertainers) or women from noble families. It seems the results of 200 years are now appearing. In the 4,000-year history of written characters, most writers were men. Even the heroic narratives of Hollywood movies tend to become boring after a while. Since about 90% of the data stored in writing is male, I believe women’s stories need to be evenly mixed in to guarantee the spirit of the times.

- Do you have any advice for women who are accompanying or planning to accompany writing?

▲ Writing, when you look closely, is physical labor. It’s not an easy task. I used to joke, half-jokingly, that it’s better to remain an elegant reader, but recently I tell it a bit differently. Disney and Netflix want your stories. So if you have stories you want to write, I encourage you to pursue them. The hint from ‘Pachinko’ was significant. I think Homo sapiens are a species based on stories. Our species cries, laughs, dreams, loves, and evolves within the storyverse. Therefore, stories will continue. Training to write continuously is easier when done together. Various writing spaces are open, so making good use of them is also a method. Writing is not about stories but sentences. Training is necessary.

Writer Kim Hyun-ah

majored in Korean Language and Literature at university and received the Jeon Tae-il Literary Award in 1993. She founded the civic group ‘Nawauri’ and worked to address the issue of civilian massacres by the Korean military during the Vietnam War. She also worked in the cultural school of the Cheonggye Garment Workers’ Union. She ran the alternative school ‘Roadscola’ and the writing group ‘Eodingeulbang.’