Gwangju Seo-gu Hosts Book Talk with Author Cha Inpyo

Under the Theme of "If We Ever Look at the Same Star"

Seo-gu District of Gwangju (District Mayor Kim Ikang) announced on the 18th that a book talk was held at Seobitmaru Culture and Arts Center, inviting the popular actor and writer Cha Inpyo.

This event gained significant popularity, with all 300 seats in the venue selling out immediately after ticket sales opened last month. Hundreds of people also tuned in simultaneously to the live broadcast on Seo-gu District’s YouTube channel, drawing great attention.

Seogu District held a book talk on the 18th at Seobitmaru Culture and Arts Center, inviting Cha Inpyo, a popular actor and writer. Provided by Gwangju Seogu District

Cha, who rose to stardom as the lead actor in the 1990s drama "Love in Your Embrace," is currently serving as a volunteer for Compassion, an NGO that helps children in need around the world, and is actively practicing sharing through various donations.

On this day, Cha communicated with the audience about the painful history of Korea’s modern era, including the issue of comfort women during the Japanese occupation, based on his novel "If We Ever Look at the Same Star."

In the first part of the book talk, Cha shared, "I began planning the book after meeting Grandma Hoon, who was taken to Cambodia as a military comfort woman, and it took ten years to complete. I wrote while thinking about how to explain the comfort women issue to my child, moving beyond anger and negative emotions."

The second part was a Q&A session focused on interaction with the attendees.

Participants of the book talk said, "Listening to the author, who set aside his glamorous life as an actor to live a second life as a volunteer for others, gave us warm comfort and deep inspiration."

District Mayor Kim Ikang stated, "I am deeply grateful to author Cha Inpyo, who came for the residents of Seo-gu, and to all the residents who attended the book talk. We will continue to prepare various programs that allow more people to participate and communicate to promote a culture of reading."