"'Josuk Heukseo' Author Seomin: 'If It Becomes a Bestseller, I Thank President Moon, Choo Mi-ae, and Jo Guk'"

"The Reason the Book Is Popular: Because It Resonated with the Regime's Tyranny"
Joguk Heukseo, All 5,000 Copies of the First Edition Sold Out on Release Day

Professor Seomin, Dankook University College of Medicine / Photo by Dankook University

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Professor Seo Min of Dankook University College of Medicine, one of the authors of the so-called "Joguk Black Book" (A Country Never Experienced Before - How Democracy Ends), which opposes the pro-government figures’ funded "Joguk White Book" (Prosecutorial Reform and Candlelight Citizens), sarcastically said that the reason the book is popular is thanks to President Moon Jae-in, Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, and former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, noting that "the first edition of 5,000 copies sold out in one day."

On the 26th, Professor Seo posted a blog entry titled "[Recollection] Joguk Black Book Production Review," stating, "The start of the Joguk Black Book was indeed the Joguk White Book."

He continued, "When I heard that the Joguk White Book, which unilaterally defended Cho Kuk and blamed the prosecution and media, was coming out, former Dongyang University professor Jin Joong-kwon declared he would write a black book. The condition for authorship was to have voiced progressive opinions, that is, to have supported the current administration but then turned to criticism," explaining, "I was lucky to catch the last train."

He added, "If it becomes a bestseller, I want to find people to thank," mentioning President Moon, Minister Choo, and former Minister Cho.

Regarding his gratitude to President Moon, Professor Seo explained, "Many people bought the book because they sympathized with how severe the Moon Jae-in administration’s tyranny is."

About Minister Choo, he strongly criticized, "She showed what a true X-lie is by moving between the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. If she had always been like that, I wouldn’t know, but until then, she was normal, even pretending to be a righteous person, so her recent rampage hits home even more."

Regarding former Minister Cho, he claimed, "He is the one who brought our authors together in one place," and added, "Even now, by spreading false information on social media and claiming his innocence, he has increased the necessity of this book."

'Joguk Heukseo' (The Country Never Experienced Before - How Democracy Ends' Book Cover) cover. / Photo by Cheonnyeon-ui Sangsang

He also mentioned the book’s publication costs. Earlier, former professor Jin criticized, saying, "Only 5 million won was spent on producing the Joguk Black Book," and demanded, "The Joguk White Book team should transparently disclose where the 300 million won was spent."

Professor Seo said, "One thing is certain: with the 300 million won raised by the Joguk White Book, you could make 10 of our books," and added, "Since the sales volumes have roughly become similar, let’s boldly ask: where did the Joguk White Book production team spend the 300 million won they raised?"

Meanwhile, the Joguk Black Book was written by five people including Professor Seo, former professor Jin, lawyer Kwon Kyung-ae from the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, accountant Kim Kyung-yul from the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, and science specialist reporter Kang Yang-gu from TBS. The book is written in a format where one moderator and two experts hold a dialogue, and it consists of seven chapters diagnosing the social and political changes in Korean society following the so-called "Cho Kuk incident" from the perspectives of various experts.

It was confirmed that all 5,000 copies of the first edition of the Joguk Black Book sold out on its release day, the 25th. Sun Wankyu, CEO of "Millennium Imagination," who handled the editing, told a media outlet that "orders of 500 to 1,000 copies each came from the four major domestic bookstores and several other bookstores," and added, "Currently, there is no stock, so even author’s complimentary copies are being sent to bookstores with their understanding."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.