[A Sip of Books] The Theme of 'Ritter' Issue 34 is 'Polite Banmal'

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book in themselves, while others instantly reach the reader's heart and create a point of contact with the book. We excerpt and introduce such meaningful sentences from books. - Editor's note

The theme of this issue of the bimonthly literary magazine Ritter is "Polite Banmal (Informal Speech)." Fifteen contributors share their experiences using plain speech in the design community "Dihak." It contains explorations of the linguistic form and possibilities of "pyeongeo," which is based on addressing by name + conversing in informal speech, as well as usage essays. The editorial team states, "We wanted to think about the possibilities of pyeongeo and the relationships, atmospheres, and so-called cultural identities we aim to realize beyond pyeongeo." An interview with poet Choi Jaewon, winner of the 2021 Kim Su-young Literary Award, is also included. New contributors have joined the essay section. Researcher Kim Ji-hye's "Exploration of Marine Debris," millennial generation writers Kang Deok-gu and Seon Seung-beom's "Nights of 2010," and novelist Jung Yi-hyun's "Writing Mom" are featured. Lidan, author of I Came from the Land of Mental Illness, analyzes the social phenomenon of the continuous publication of books dealing with mental illness.

The reason Korean honorifics are difficult for foreigners is that every sentence ending divides people into higher and lower statuses, and moreover, the status of the same person constantly changes depending on the situation. However, the real reason honorifics are difficult is the unreasonable honorific standards that divide people into higher and lower ranks based on incomprehensible criteria. Father Rafael Ibasolo, who has lived in Korea for a long time and studied Korean, said the real reason honorifics are difficult is that honorifics do not simply mean respecting everyone. He explains that honorifics require deciding how much to honor or humble the other person depending on the person and situation, and understanding these complex standards is very difficult.

There are numerous books dealing with mental illness. A representative example is Midday Depression, considered a kind of scripture for depression. The reason this book became a "scripture" is not only because it was well analyzed and well written but also because it influenced people similar to the author. For example, readers might say, "I wish I had read this book earlier," or, having been diagnosed with depression as a teenager and reading it during research, their cause and effect became intertwined, leading them to behave similarly to the author. Currently, Korean books are breaking new ground in areas that had not been seriously addressed before, such as women, people in their 20s and 30s, depression, adult ADHD, and recently, female alcoholism.

Ritter (Issue 34) | Edited by Editorial Department | Minumsa | 265 pages | 13,000 KRW

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