[K-people] S.Korean author Gong Ji-young and stories behind her political stance

by Jung Kyoo-deuk and Kim Ji-sun

“I have never thought he would stab my back, due to the amount of time we have known one another."

South Korean female author Gong Ji-young (60 years of age) has released her latest essay, “You are bound to be lonely again.” In three years of time. The author's essay resonates with her remorse regarding the so-called “86 generation."

Especially the author addressed “Until recently, I have rooted for this particular person pretty wholeheartedly on social media; however, I have learned that this specific person was very different from the one that I expected.” Moreover, author Gong Ji-young received a lot of attention by mentioning a well-known public figure who served as a self-appointed protector.

Author Gong Ji-young, who participated in an interview on January 15 at her house located in Pyeongsa-ri, south of Gyeongsang province, stated, “Looking back at my past, I came to realize that the actions I have taken under the thought of patriotism, such as providing protection to certain people, were foolish," adding, “if that individual managed to apologize dearly when everything was presented to the public, I would not have been this disappointed.” Later on, the author continued on by giving her apologies to Professor Chin Jung-kwon of Kwangwoon University for all the fuss she made through her social media page.

When the author released her novel “Haeri” in 2018, she mentioned, “The battles we fight are against none other than those mimicking to be progressive."

“The last bit of hope I had of trust and belief based in the 86th generation to hold their end and to keep their promises led to me getting backstabbed,” adding that “progressive party which stands for their own benefit instead of the welfare of the general population isn’t a progressive party," addressed author Gong Ji-young throughout her interview.

In the past, author Gong Ji-young was submerged under the ideology of progressive party to the point where she not only refused to read articles released by conservative media but also made a fuss against those who participated in broadcasts that aired through conservative channels.

▲Author Gong Ji-young participating in interview with Yonhap News Agency. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)

“The argument presented by South Korean politician Han Dong-hoon, a representative of the People Power Party, to return the salary of a member of the national assembly if he or she receives imprisonment is a valid point despite his political stance. Sometime’s former representative of the People Power Party, Lee Jun-seok, also known by his nickname 'Park Guen-hye kids’ due to the fact that his political career was started after being selected by Park Guen-hye," added, “even Lee Jun-seok sounds relatable and persuasive sometimes," addressed author Gong Ji-young.

For the question regarding the author’s current political stance, Gong Ji-young addressed, “I have not; however, I would like to thoroughly examine every aspect of our generation’s claims to make sure I make the right decision.”

"Although fighting over one’s political beliefs should have ended in the 20th century, our current society continues to suffer from such frictions,” adding that "so-called activists have positioned themselves as politicians enforcing their black and white ideologies; therefore, through my publication, I am declaring my stance to part ways with some of the extremists," addressed Gong Ji-young throughout her interview.

"If you make so-called 'progressive' remarks, you will be segmented into a majority, but I dislike all hypocrites who speak only in words," author Gong Ji-young stated. "It is neither progressive nor conservative, but modifiers such as 'reasonable' and 'extreme,' which are often attached before, are more important.”

The author's latest publication, “You will be lonely once again,” undermines her will and motivation to stand by what she believes, despite her being classified as a political minority and being pointed fingers at for believing in it.

“My kids are all grown up; therefore, even if my books do not sell out as much as they used to, I can simply dedicate my life to doing something I like doing. Since I have let go of a lot of things, I feel relieved and free.” adding “Since I am not on sides with any of the political parties, I can freely announce what I believe. However, given the freedom, I have now learned to think that my opinions might be wrong; therefore, I tend to be careful of what I announce," said author Gong JI-young during her interview.

When asked a question regarding the war happening in the Middle East, especially since Gong Ji-young had been to the place roughly a year earlier, the author replied, “My answer to such question has changed to being that the war will end someday," adding, “I tend to pray about those that I am not certain about.”

▲This photo, provided by publisher hainaim show author Gong Ji-young's latest novel. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE)(Yonhap)
When author Gong Ji-young was actively engaged in her social media, she received an anonymous call, which led to her completely taking her hands off from social media.

On the other end of the phone was an old gentleman who stunned the author with his question, “Are you good at fighting?" After his brief question, the old gentleman continued on with his insights, “If you are not sure whether you will win the fight or not, do not engage in it to begin with.” As soon as the gentleman’s sentence ended, Gong Ji-young was enlightened by his words, which directly led her to stop all of her SNS activities.

However, author Gong Ji-young has stated that she plans to provide support to those who are in need of help through her novels. According to the author, she plans to strive towards helping minorities without any power.

“Authors who deal with human life as the subject matter of their stories are bound to be political,” Gong Ji-young emphasized. As evidence, she provided the ideology of Sima Qian, a Chinese historian from early Han Dynasty.

Author Gong Ji-young, who recently turned 60, is currently working on her next novel regarding a protagonist who belongs in the 86 generation and works hard to solve a murder mystery. Her goal is to release the novel “Death in May” (working title) in the summer.

“I am not certain whether I will be able to live another 20 years of a healthy life; therefore, I will do my best to continue on with my career.” However, the author added on by stating that her mind is flooded with numerous ideas that she has never dealt with before in her novels.

The author firmly believes that one of the most important aspects when she starts her new novel is to stay as far as possible from self-replicating her works. That is because author Gong Ji-young believes that, as an author, that’s the least she can do for her fans and readers.

wolf85@yna.co.kr

sunny10@yna.co.kr

(**This article is a word-to-word translation from an original Yonhap article written in Korean.)

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