‘Writer of the Year Award’ Comedian Go Myung-hwan: “The secret that saved me from almost dying” [인생2막]

Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature alongside Han Kang
Interview with Go Myung-hwan, who went from comedian to writer and started a new life

Writer Go Myeong-hwan. Jo Yoo-kyung, Donga.com reporter [email protected]

Everyone has a ‘turning point in life’. Author Go Myeong-hwan is a person who has experienced more dramatic experiences than anyone else and lives a new life. In 2005, I was involved in a serious car accident and was told by a doctor that I would die within a few days. At that time, ‘regret’ flooded Go Myeong-hwan’s mind.

“For 34 years, why have I been dragged around like that? “This is what came to my mind first.”

As his body miraculously recovered, the first thing Go Myeong-hwan did was read the classics. I told my acquaintances who came to visit me, “Instead of flowers or juice, please buy me just one literary book that you and I both know,” and they wouldn’t let go of the book at the hospital. While reading the book, he constantly thought, ‘How can I live without being dragged around by the world?’

What kind of writer is a comedian? “I feel like I’m finally recognized.”

He read countless classics, learned how to lead a successful life, and wrote a related book. ‘The classics answered, about the life we ​​should live’ was released on August 26th this year. This book became a bestseller after its release, and Go Myung-hwan won the ‘Writer of the Year Award’ at the 11th Kyobo Bookstore Publishing Awards along with Nobel Prize winner Han Kang.

Go Myung-hwan said, “I feel like I have been recognized as a writer.” He said, “Among the people who bought it, there were quite a few who didn’t know it was me,” and “‘It was written by a comedian? Some people thought, ‘I bought it for no reason,’ but after reading it, they said they really liked the content. “I thought my preconceptions about being a comedian would be a limitation as a writer, but with this award, I feel like I’m being recognized as a writer.”

He continued, “When the news of the award spread, everyone related to me by blood, school, regional background, and even people I had not contacted in 30 years called me.” He added, “Especially when an article said that I received the same award as writer Han Kang, people around me were even more surprised and proud. “I think you did,” he added.

How to make money, how to live well… “The answer lies in the classics.”

Go Myeong-hwan explained that although we may wake up late, it is ‘classics’ that guide us in the correct direction of ‘growth’. He said, “After the accident, I continued to run my business, but it failed every time. “I tried it four times,” he said. “But now that I have developed some reading skills, I thought, ‘Should I just do what the book tells me?’” Ko Myung-hwan once again started his business based on the contents of books he had read so far, such as ‘Win and Fight’ from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War and ‘The path to truth is open only to those without intentions’ from Carl Jung’s Red Book. The buckwheat noodle restaurant he started in 2014 achieved annual sales of 1 billion won for 10 years, and he also became a successful businessman.

“You may think that it is true that you have achieved success after reading a book. Doesn’t it make sense to say that you shouldn’t have the intention of making money when doing business? But if you think about it carefully, it means changing your priorities. Rather than making money my number one priority, I was told to focus more on what I was doing now. If you try hard to be good at acting or anything else, it won’t work out. Rather, you should relax. The same goes for business. If you only try to make money, it won’t work. “If I remember the business I did before, I think I did that.”

Writer Go Myeong-hwan. Jo Yoo-kyung, Donga.com reporter [email protected]

How to read and write books every day? “Start with 10 pages a day, one line a day.”

As the new year approaches, one of many people’s goals is ‘reading’ and ‘writing a diary’. Decisions are easy, but implementation is not. Go Myung-hwan advised me not to set too big a goal from the beginning. Even if you read and write less, consistency is more important. He recommended reading 10 pages a day and writing one line a day.

“In the past, I would spend most of the day reading books, and sometimes I would write for 7 to 8 hours. But now, I try to read 10 pages a day and write no more than 2,000 characters. Reading books and writing are important, but what is more important is ‘thinking’. So, someone once said, ‘The most important book of all is a walk.’ It is really important to take the time to think about what I have read today and to ask and answer the questions about life that I have. “Isn’t that the process of finding the answer?”

To those who are disappointed with ‘Three Days of Resolution’, he said with a smile, “You can just look at it for 65 days out of 365,” and “Let’s not give up.” He said, “I’ve been giving messages to fans on YouTube for about three years, and everyone says it’s great. But it’s not that great at all, and it’s something that anyone can do.”

He said, “What is difficult and painful will pass in 100 days. I call it ‘fresh pain’. “Nothing is difficult forever,” he said. “If you keep reading, you will start writing automatically.” “Then, a time will come when I will overcome my limitations, and such abilities will make me irreplaceable in the coming AI era,” he emphasized.

I plan to continue writing… “If we raise 30 billion, we will build a library.”

Go Myeong-hwan, who is still writing a book, is preparing a book on ‘Muscles of the Body and Mind’ with the goal of publishing it next year. He said he would also write essays in the future.

When asked about Go Myung-hwan’s future plans, he said, “If 30 billion is raised, we will build a library.” He said, “I already created a name. “It’s a ‘messy library,’” he said, adding, “I want to do it near the subway station so that many people can use it comfortably.”

“There are already too many quiet libraries. The library I think of is a bustling library. Books are read and discussed, and the children talk… . That’s why it was named ‘Messy’. “I want to create a space where I can freely expend my energy.”

■ ‘Act 2 of Life’ is the story of people living a new life at a turning point in their lives. We look forward to hearing various stories from those who have reached the turning point and are pursuing their second dreams, those who have retired but are contributing to society by utilizing their talents, and those who have taken on the challenge of an unfamiliar career. ([email protected])