[One Sip of a Book] Discussing the 'Political Correctness' of Literature 'Litter'

Minumsa 'Littor'

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others instantly resonate with the reader’s heart, creating a connection with the book. We excerpt and introduce such meaningful sentences from books. - Editor’s note

The theme of this issue is ‘Political Correctness.’ Through nine essays, it addresses creative freedom, hate speech, self-censorship, cancel culture, and more. Writer Jeong Ji-eum’s sitcom has started a new serialization. The theme of ‘Startup’ is sometimes presented raw, and sometimes twisted with satire and wit.

Of course, the author emphasizes through the protagonist’s voice that there is a clear difference between hate speech aimed at discrimination and the depiction of reality in a novel. Or perhaps, as the protagonist protests, “a novel should be read as a whole work, but I might also be making the mistake of discussing only certain parts or specific words.” However, in our society where discrimination against minorities is rampant, the discomfort I felt as an anthropologist trapped in ‘political correctness’ that prioritizes protecting minority rights over freedom of expression strangely contradicts the message that Beyond the Sunset intended to convey. This is especially true given the reality of Korean society in the 2020s, where lectures on human rights, queer movements, and feminism at universities and various institutions are canceled because they are grouped together with lectures by discriminators who repeatedly engage in hate speech, which can never be placed on the same level.

‘Cancel culture’ starts from the reasonable idea that ‘not all individual free expressions are justified,’ but at the same time, it is supported by the liberal ideology that individual free expression should be protected. Therefore, the argument that the expression of the intention to delete certain creators or works from the public sphere is itself a freedom and right that individuals should fully enjoy is valid in itself, but it is not an attitude that deeply examines the issues inherent in the matter.

(Littor | Minumsa | 10,000 KRW)

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