Jeong I-hyeon’s Followers (1)

Jeong I-hyeon

Born

Seúl, Korea, Republic of

Jung Yi-hyun, born in 1972, is a female writer of the Republic of Korea. Her debut Romantic Love & Society in 2002 marked her entrance into the literary world, and gave birth to a unique genre which was greatly different from the traditional feminine literature. Her works depicted the reality through the most honest, cynical lens. Jung’s works appeared like a comet on the literary scene in 2002 as an exception to the Korean literary tradition that largely focused on portraying marginalized groups. The backdrop of Jung’s novels is Gangnam, Seoul, which attracts the wealthiest people in Korea and is consequently the frontier of consumer capitalist culture. It is realistically impossible to even dream of resistance in such a space. Jung choose Jung Yi-hyun, born in 1972, is a female writer of the Republic of Korea. Her debut Romantic Love & Society in 2002 marked her entrance into the literary world, and gave birth to a unique genre which was greatly different from the traditional feminine literature. Her works depicted the reality through the most honest, cynical lens. Jung’s works appeared like a comet on the literary scene in 2002 as an exception to the Korean literary tradition that largely focused on portraying marginalized groups. The backdrop of Jung’s novels is Gangnam, Seoul, which attracts the wealthiest people in Korea and is consequently the frontier of consumer capitalist culture. It is realistically impossible to even dream of resistance in such a space. Jung chooses to handle this reality through a “politics of masquerade” in the Baudrillardian sense. Jung’s characters happen to be young women with office jobs who are blatantly well-adjusted to the system. They are vicious and not ashamed of their desires to climb the socioeconomic ladder. Her debut Romantic Love and Society depicted the delusion of love and marriage from the eyes of a young woman in her early twenties. In this book, marriage is no more than a means of moving up to higher social classes. In Trunk, Jung's second novel, fashion and cars are merely status symbols. The women are so conniving and sly that they are subject to ridicule in the end, which is Jung’s point. By portraying individuals who have become perfect embodiments of consumer capitalism, Jung reveals the phoniness of these individuals and the situation that surrounds them. Jung thus explores ways for literature to remain political in an age where politics has lost its relevance.

Jung's works have received lavish praise among young female readers in South Korea because they candidly expose their dreams, pursuits and desires. She was honored "the founder of chicklit", for her lively portrayal of solemn metropolitan themes and profound contemplations her novels present to the readers. In 2006, her novel My Sweet Seoul was adapted into TV opera and musical.

Recently, Jung has collaborated with Alain de Botton, a renowned Swedish writer, upon a new book which centers around the theme of love, relationship and marriage. ...more