2024-05-31 23:39:46
〈Act 2 of This Life〉
Lee Joo-hee, former president of the Korean Society of Native Authorities… Finest-selling creator in his 20s
Till your 60s, you’ll be a civil servant professor… Journey after retirement, YouTube manufacturing
Turning into a author once more in my 70s… 73-year-old son takes care of 95-year-old mum or dad
Have you learnt the novel ‘Geniuses with F Grades’ that dominated the Nineteen Eighties? Most individuals of their 50s or older say they’ve at the least heard the title. Nonetheless, it appears that only a few folks know concerning the creator of this guide.
Lee Joo-hee, born in 1951, has two totally different characters coexisting in her life historical past. In his 20s, he was a best-selling creator who created a sensation with the novel ‘Geniuses with F Grades’, however from his 30s to the age of 65, he lived within the severe educational world as a scholar who majored in native autonomy. Throughout this era, his studying and writing have been near his hobbies.
Now that he’s in his 70s, he appears to be returning to his path as a author. Earlier this 12 months, he gave up his life as an underground author and entered the institutional literary world by literary magazines. He lately revealed a group of social satire skits referred to as ‘Asura Mess (Cheonwoo Publishing)’. He heard concerning the present standing of the ‘F grade genius’ who’s in his 70s.
‘Humorous’ senior reporter expertise
The rationale I met him was due to an fascinating skit he despatched me by way of electronic mail a while in the past. I utilized to be a ‘senior reporter’ recruited by the 00-gu Cultural Heart and wrote about my experiences over the course of three months, and the ‘humorous however unhappy’ actuality of the enterprise run by the federal government utilizing ‘seniors’ was expressed in a witty manner.
The primary character is 67 years outdated. Whereas he was feeling pissed off because of the coronavirus outbreak, he got here throughout a recruitment discover for a ‘senior reporter’. Required paperwork are 1) software 2) resume 3) profession certificates 4) self-introduction 5) 1 piece of deliberate content material associated to tradition and humanities (article or video) 6) 1 essay (about 2 A4 pages).
I ran round for 3 days, collected paperwork, submitted them, and handed the primary screening. I handed the interview screening with 5 interviewers and was chosen as one of many ultimate 3, overcoming a contest charge of 70 to 1. On the reporter appointment ceremony, I acquired a letter of appointment, press card, and enterprise card. Nonetheless, I discovered later that it wasn’t like going to the workplace and that the compensation was a manuscript payment as an alternative of a wage.
I spent three months opening my mailbox day by day, questioning if I had acquired a information report. Lastly, an order got here to ‘cowl the 00,000 Cherry Blossom Pageant.’ Through the competition interval, I spent 4 out of 6 days reporting on-site, wrote about 5 pages of articles, and despatched them to the secretariat.
After the article was revealed within the Lunar New Yr promotional journal, his coronary heart exploded when he was contacted by a district workplace worker asking for his account quantity. The manuscript payment is 20,000 gained per case, and whether it is greater than 1,000 characters, 10,000 gained is added to 30,000 gained. I clearly did not apply for cash, however the manuscript payment is 30,000 gained per three months… .
I assumed that not accepting it was the best way to deal with myself. She despatched her resignation letter by electronic mail. He mentioned, ‘I simply hope that this letter of resignation might be recorded as a martyr’s resistance to guard the delight of the aged who stay onerous on this land.’
Korean senior residents, there are volunteers however no employees.
―Personally, I used to be relieved to see the article that clearly expressed the wartime administration and forms hidden behind a superficial title, and the construction of exploitation that may solely be felt from the angle of these receiving it.
“With that writing, I gained the 2021 Maeil Newspaper Senior Literary Award (non-fiction class). That is my expertise. I began with nice pleasure, however stop after simply three months. “If the 25 districts of Seoul chosen three senior reporters every, the quantity could be 75. After I thought that they’d produce statistics displaying that 75 jobs have been created for the aged, I now not wished to be a bridesmaid.”―Within the skit, I felt that the expression ‘outdated folks within the Republic can not exist as employees despite the fact that they function volunteers’ struck me deeply.
“In the event that they put ahead ‘seniors’, it must be a coverage for the aged, however they’re biased in direction of performanceism. The one factor that’s emphasised is ‘a number of folks have been employed.’ They reap the benefits of the aged and deal with them poorly. When you simply have a look at the choice course of, it looks like an awesome place. Through the interview, they solemnly requested, ‘What is required to develop tradition and humanities within the autonomous district?’ “It’s a must to ask the candidate for the cultural middle director about that.”
―Actually, the absurd experiences that seniors undergo find yourself as absurd and unfair experiences for every particular person and will not be correctly conveyed to society.
“Complaining itself is commonly thought-about lame. For instance, once I was 68 years outdated, I utilized to be taught YouTube manufacturing at an establishment run by the Seoul Metropolitan Authorities, they usually informed me to submit a 3-minute video for the take a look at. You need to attain a sure stage to enter that class. I additionally made a 3-minute video and submitted it, however ultimately, they eradicated me, saying, “Solely these beneath 65 years of age are chosen.” The humorous factor is, I had an interview all day lengthy to resolve whether or not I might win or not. Then they dropped me due to my age. “If there may be an age restrict, we should always inform them to not come from the start.”
―I feel it is as a result of as of late, the so-called ‘new middle-aged’ is outlined because the age simply earlier than turning senior (65 years outdated).
“There’s nobody of their 70s anymore. All you are able to do is go to a senior welfare middle and eat. I generally journey my bike to a senior welfare middle close to my home, have lunch with seniors older than me, and look into their packages. I’m nonetheless lecturing on senior citizen welfare insurance policies to public officers at a non-public academic establishment referred to as ‘Hyangbusuk’. “It serves as an awesome reference for lecture materials.”
A novel I wrote in my 20s to earn pocket cash turned an enormous hit.
In the actual world, he was a professor instructing civil servants and was a civil servant himself. Nonetheless, if we return to the previous, he was a outstanding novelist within the early Nineteen Eighties. The primary a part of ‘Geniuses with F Grades’, ‘Uncool Actors’, revealed in March 1980, was a bestseller for almost a 12 months. Two years later, he revealed half 2, ‘The Age of His Prime’.
At the moment, the ‘F Geniuses’ craze was spreading, and a film of the identical title starring actress Received Mi-kyung was launched, and a play of the identical title was carried out on the Drama Heart for 46 days. It was mentioned to be so successful that the viewers crammed the stage and even the aisles. A number of years later, radio dramas and comics have been additionally created. He mentioned bitterly, “The unique rights to the comics have been illegally stolen.”
―What sort of guide is it?
“The ‘Research Bugs at Harvard College’ well-liked within the Seventies is about American regulation college students, however mine is about Korean regulation college students. It is a campus novel centered round episodes. It began as a weekly journal sequence, and the title on the time was ‘March of the F Grade’. I gave up learning for the examination and had about 3 months left till I enlisted within the navy. My pocket cash was so tight that I wrote an article to promote it, and the Weekly Kyunghyang accepted it. “I serialized it for a few months after which enlisted, and I continued to jot down it even within the navy.”
―You wrote serials even when you have been within the navy?
“Usually, it will be tough, but it surely was a time when newspaper firms have been highly effective. I requested for cooperation from the coaching middle director and I feel that labored. On the Nonsan Coaching Heart, I wrote a manuscript each week, put it in an envelope, and introduced it to Yeonmudae Terminal. It was placed on an specific bus, and a Kyunghyang Shinmun reporter picked it up at Dongdaemun Terminal and delivered it. It was serialized for about 10 months. “After I used to be discharged from the navy, I rewrote it and revealed it as a guide.”
―The title was modified to ‘Geniuses with an F grade’ and it turned a bestseller.
“As I bear in mind, half 1 offered a lot that it had 48 printings, and half 2 had 5 printings. It was a time when copyright was not clear, so I do not know what number of copies have been truly offered. Some say there are 200,000 copies, whereas others say there are 400,000 copies. Half 1 has been on the bestseller part of newspapers for nearly a 12 months. After I revealed the primary half, I used to be unknown, so I solely acquired the manuscript payment, and solely the writer made some huge cash. For Half 2, we acquired 10% of the guide value as royalties.”
In 2017, when he turned 66, he completed the sequence by releasing half 3, ‘Good Morning Soulmate’, as an extension of elements 1 and a pair of.
A mom’s unfulfilled dream, a son’s sense of debt
Whatever the novel’s reputation, he had a job. He labored because the Secretary Normal of the Environmental Planning Analysis Institute of Seoul Nationwide College for 5 years beginning in 1980 and as a researcher on the Native Administration Analysis Institute for 5 years, after which labored for 20 years as a full-time professor on the Native Administration Coaching Institute (presently the Ministry of Public Administration and Safety’s Native Authorities Expertise Improvement Institute) beginning in 1990. He additionally served because the ninth president of the Korean Society of Native Autonomy and co-representative of the Korean Manifesto.
―You lived a life with a decidedly totally different environment from the novel.
“I needed to earn a residing. I needed to assist my spouse and kids. I assumed I would not be capable to make a residing by writing, and I did not have any regrets. “I’ve by no means even tried the frequent spring literary contest.”
He was born because the eldest son of 4 kids in a farming household in Gurye, Jeollanam-do. He was good at learning and met his dad and mom’ expectations. When he was in his second 12 months of center college, he was despatched alone to review overseas at a relative’s home the place his uncle, a regulation college scholar, lived in Seoul. A 12 months later, the entire household got here to Seoul. His dad and mom labored day and night time in unfamiliar Seoul and raised 4 siblings.
“Mother and father unconditionally wished their kids to succeed and turn out to be highly effective folks. Nonetheless, I could not go to Seoul Nationwide College’s regulation college, so I went to Hanyang College’s regulation college with a scholarship. In faculty, I failed the examination as a result of I used to be doing demonstrations, scholar council actions, and learning for the examination on the similar time. Even after coming into Seoul Nationwide College’s Graduate Faculty of Environmental Research, I continued learning for the examination, however didn’t move. “I felt very sorry for my dad and mom who had excessive expectations for me.”
Even on the age of 95, his mom’s unfulfilled dream nonetheless persists, and it’s mentioned that she generally errors him for her ‘son who graduated from Seoul Nationwide College’s regulation college.’
Writing, which has been a ‘second character’ all my life, meets once more within the third act of life
He is occurring a long-term backpacking journey that he had delay after retirement and writing once more. Instantly after his retirement, he studied Chinese language for 2 years and explored numerous elements of China 3 times on lengthy journeys lasting greater than 30 days. He accomplished the 800km pilgrimage path to Santiago, Spain in 33 days. He’s serializing his travels in Santiago in ‘Month-to-month Autonomous Improvement’ and can be actively engaged on his weblog and YouTube.
-You resumed your artistic actions as you turned extra free in your outdated age.
“I need to share my data and knowledge with others, whether or not by YouTube or blogs. “For me, it’s a sort of group service.”
As of Could 30, the YouTube channel ‘F Grade Genius TV’ has 1,940 subscribers and 152 movies.
―The YouTube channel title is ‘F Grade Geniuses.’
“As a result of I used to be an insignificant individual, ‘Geniuses with F grades’ adopted me wherever I went all through my life. Even when you have not learn the guide, you’ve got all heard the title. There may be such a factor as of late. ‘Alt character’, ‘one other model of your self’. We stay on this world and we stay within the different world. “I feel that’s what being a author is all about.”
―It’s been some time because you revealed a guide (Asura Mess).
“It’s a assortment of 33 skits that satirize our nation’s political society. Folks as of late do not learn lengthy texts. The guide publishing trade appears to be lifeless. “One skit solely takes about 10 minutes, so why not learn it?”
The tough actuality of ‘aged care’
We at the moment are in an period the place the aged care for the aged. The 73-year-old takes care of his 95-year-old dad and mom, who’re the identical age as him, and feels he might be 100 years outdated.
“Each my dad and mom undergo from dementia. Particularly, her mom suffered a hip fracture final 12 months along with the aftereffects of colon most cancers surgical procedure 30 years in the past. To care for them each, she moved between in-home caregivers, nursing houses, and normal hospitals. “Now her father lives alone at dwelling and her mom is in a close-by nursing dwelling.”
My mom’s 4 siblings every take turns visiting as soon as a month. My father mentioned that his three brothers who stay in Seoul take turns getting ready meals each two days, however he’s extraordinarily anxious.
“I’m additionally a 73-year-old man, and it’s fairly tough for an outdated man to care for an outdated man. However my mom additionally took care of her mother-in-law (her grandmother) for 50 years till she handed away at age 98 when she was 73 years outdated. “We’re actually 100 years outdated.”
―Future plans… .
“The title of author doesn’t imply a lot. To any extent further, I’ll write a travelogue of Santiago and a novel concerning the lifetime of an outdated man after which cease. Nonetheless, I’ll proceed to interpret case regulation for every article of the Native Autonomy Act till I’m of sound thoughts. Whether or not it is YouTube or writing, I need to stay fiercely by sharing what I’ve with society. “I don’t need to be unemployed with white arms.”
Reporter Search engine optimisation Younger-ah [email protected]
2024-05-31 23:39:46