Editor's NoteSome sentences encapsulate the essence of an entire book, while others instantly resonate with readers and create a point of connection with the text. Here, we introduce such meaningful sentences selected from books.
In 1979, members of the South Korean National Liberation Front Preparation Committee, who opposed the Yushin regime and led anti-dictatorship struggles, were arrested en masse on charges of violating the National Security Act. The majority of those arrested, accused of being part of a spy organization, were sentenced to death or life imprisonment. At the time, the author of this book, Hong Sehwa, was also a member of the organization, but was able to avoid arrest as he was staying in Paris, France. Overnight, he became an exile and spent nearly 20 years working as a taxi driver, living as a stranger in French society. He documented the traces of his anguish, lost and wandering in a foreign land, in this book. When the first edition was published in 1995, it drew attention as a bestseller by introducing the term "tolerance," which means a basic respect and acceptance of others. Now, at a time when political and social divisions are more severe than ever and tolerance is desperately needed, a revised and expanded edition has been published.
People say the world has changed. It is true. The fact that I was able to return is also thanks to this change. However, hasn't this change merely altered the forms of inequality, oppression, and exclusion? In other words, haven't these things simply shifted from being blatant to being covert, yet structural? (...) In this world that is "changed yet unchanged," the message of this book?namely, that differences should not be used as grounds for discrimination, oppression, or exclusion, or in other words, "tolerance"?remains valid. It will continue to be valid for a very long time to come. - From the "Preface to the Revised Edition"
"The encounter between one society and another"?the first thing it brought me was tears. (...) But the "encounter between one society and another" should not end with that meeting or those tears. Both the encounter and the tears come from love and demand love in return. Moreover, that love necessarily calls for engagement within society. Yet for me, it manifested only as an endless struggle with myself. - From "The Encounter Between One Society and Another"
I was confirming for myself that "when one's circumstances change, one's consciousness changes accordingly." In the past, when reading literature or watching movies, I would naturally identify myself with the main character. Now, however, I found myself identifying more with the extras than with the protagonist. (...) I was a stranger?an extra among strangers, and in fact, a triple stranger. - From "The Stranger"
In a society with tolerance?in other words, a society that persuades rather than coerces?people do not hate, expel, or look down on others. Instead of fighting, people would passionately debate in cafes. There was a lot of talk, and rhetorical skill was valued. Since coercion did not work, prejudice had no place. A taxi driver was accepted as a taxi driver, just as he was. This means that, as a taxi driver, I might be scolded by a passenger if I made a mistake, but I would not be looked down upon simply for being a taxi driver. - From "Adieu! Old Taxi"
I had to explain that Korea was a country I could not return to. I had to say that things that might only happen in countries like Haiti under the Tonton Macoute or in certain African countries were being committed?and continued to be committed?under the regimes of Park Chunghee and Chun Doohwan in Korea. Even though it was true, I hated being the one to say it. I struggled. Eventually, I was overwhelmed by the urge to cry. I felt so small, stammering in broken English to plead for my asylum to be accepted. - From "Application for Asylum, A Country I Cannot Return To"
"In Korea, communists are called 'ppalgaengi.' Not only communists, but also socialists, progressives, and even those critical of the United States are labeled 'ppalgaengi.' Idealists and humanists can also be called 'ppalgaengi' in Korea. (...) Are you a socialist? A leftist? The terms left and right are relative. To the far right, anyone who is not far right is a leftist. In Korea, all of these leftists can be called 'ppalgaengi'?when they do not remain silent. Therefore, in Korea, anyone who is not far right and is an existentialist must become a 'ppalgaengi.'" - From "Application for Asylum, A Country I Cannot Return To"
Before I learned love, I learned hatred. I was taught that the other side of the river was only an object of hatred, and I believed it with absolute certainty?only to discover that I was there, too. I became divided. I could not love this newly discovered self. I was "someone who could not love myself." Thus, I became dismantled. Even before I left that place and arrived in Seoul, I had already become an empty shell. All the dreams, values, and even the "KS mark" I had cherished until then were shattered. My pride and so-called elite consciousness disappeared along with everything else. A person who cannot love themselves finds it difficult to have not only self-respect (jajonsim) but even self-preservation (jajonsim). Thus began my wandering. - From "Reminiscence 1: The Cruel Land"
My wandering demanded existence. That was the natural conclusion. I read Sartre and I read Camus. (...) I realized that while you can deceive everyone else, you cannot deceive yourself. That became the principle of my life. The rock of Sisyphus, as described by Camus, took on a special meaning for me. The tragedy of Sisyphus, who pushes the rock to the top knowing it will roll back down, was heartrending, but it was also resistance and a thoroughly lived life. I, too, became Sisyphus. I would fill the river with rocks. Even if they washed away or sank, I would keep filling it, again and again. Endlessly, endlessly, I would fill that river?with Sisyphus's rock, with my rock. - From "Reminiscence 2: The Season of Wandering"
I was not a thorough revolutionary. I was not a theorist. Nor did I have any particular political ambition. I reflected on the meaning of my life and wanted to be true to it. I wanted to love myself and to love every self that was not me. Thus, I wanted to resist division and live as one. That was simply the demand of my heart. That was all. - From "Reminiscence 3: The Call of the Heart"
Political ideologies or religious beliefs can be changed through persuasion and agreement, but not by force. If an ideology or belief could be abandoned overnight through coercion, it would never have been a true ideology or belief, but only falsehood. Therefore, if one believes that it is possible to forcibly convert others with different political or religious beliefs, it is merely a misunderstanding of humanity and an insult to the ideologies and beliefs that only humans can possess. - From "Appendix: Tolerance in French Society"
I Am a Taxi Driver in Paris | Written by Hong Sehwa | Changbi | 420 pages | 22,000 KRW
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