'Retrial' Jang Kang-myeong: "When writing my debut work 'Pyo-baek', I thought the world was ending... Now I want to convey hope" [Seomideum's Book Talk]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] Author Jang Gang-myeong's novels contain thematic consciousness. "Bleaching" (2011) critiques the reality of youth who have lost hope of achieving great things, "Comment Squad" (2015) depicts a fabricated society rife with lies and schemes, and "Because I Hate Korea" (2015) criticizes the passive attitude of repeated complaints without effort.

Having consistently presented socially critical works with topical themes, he has now returned with a novel about the Seoul Sinchon female college student murder case that occurred 22 years ago. Through the question "Is the ethical consciousness of the past still valid today?" he targets the criminal justice system, which is entangled with doubts about ethics and justice. The novel is permeated with questions about the appropriateness and ethics of punishment as a means employed to maintain community order.

The protagonist is Detective Yeon Ji-hye of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Violent Crime Investigation Unit. Through the investigation process of an unsolved case he undertakes, the novel probes the roots of anxiety and emptiness underlying modern society. The full-length novel, released after six years, spans 3,000 manuscript pages and was divided into two volumes. It goes against the trend of increasingly shorter works to suit readers who avoid long texts. The author pursued a "novel I want to write" rather than popularity and self-assessed it as a "watershed work." On the 23rd, we posed questions to him upon his return with the novel "Reinvestigation" (Banknamu Publishing).

- It's been six years since your last full-length novel. Why was the hiatus so long?

▲ I had big ambitions. (laughs) After finishing "Our Wish is War" (2016), I wanted to write something weighty. This novel was something I wanted to write since then. Meanwhile, I kept writing. In 2019, I published two short story collections, and in 2021, two essays. I also wrote many columns. For this novel, I focused on writing while refraining from going out for the past three years.

- What is your daily routine during writing? How do you spend time when not writing?

▲ Actually, there is no time when I don't write. I wake up every day at 6:30 a.m. and write. After lunch, I usually lie down and take a nap. In the afternoon, I check emails and handle small tasks. I have many deadlines. I've reduced the number of columns I write to about three now. I usually choose to write them in seasons over several years. I find this fun. I also do a few broadcasts, mostly similar ones.

- Is writing difficult? Do you have your own routine?

▲ It depends on the type of writing. Essays are easy to write. I often write essays when I get tired of writing novels. I can write essays indefinitely. Novels depend on mindset; some novels are written quickly, but for "Reinvestigation," I had a high standard of "it must be written this well," so it was tough. I often get stuck writing novels. This time, I hit a slump two or three times.

- I heard you even rewrote everything.

▲ I've rewritten novels three times so far. This is one of them. Usually, this happens when writing long novels. For short stories, I don't worry about the plot, but for medium-length works, I control the plot. If I decide "I'll write it this way," it gets written that way. Usually, the work completes itself, but for "Reinvestigation," I started thinking "a way out will appear," but got stuck. I agonized and since no solution came, I rewrote it. It was quite painful.

- Do you decide the conclusion before starting the novel?

▲ Half and half. Sometimes I write short stories as they come. Up to about 105 manuscript pages, I can do that. But for medium-length works, I have to plan the plot in advance. I think about the climax rather than the last scene. Then the last scene follows. For works longer than medium-length, there isn't just one climax. Two or three are needed and they must be connected. Usually, I prepare at least one before starting, but if it doesn't come together while writing... I rewrite.

- You published a crime novel. Is there a special reason for choosing this subject?

▲ No special reason. I originally like crime novels and vaguely decided to write one. After meeting detectives and listening to their stories, I thought about what content readers would follow well, and decided that reinvestigating a long-unsolved case would be good.

- How did you receive advice from active police officers?

▲ Usually, I ask someone in the (Police Agency) public relations department to introduce me to a detective, and that person introduces me to others. Some just tell me to come on their duty day, so I meet them casually, and some take interest and talk well.

- Did your experience as a reporter help with research?

▲ The investigative techniques I gained from 11 years as a reporter probably helped, but overall, it didn't help much. I was a police reporter for over a year, but looking back, I didn't learn much about how investigations are conducted. I went to many accident scenes but realized this time that I didn't know much.

- Is there a reason you made the protagonist (detective) a woman?

▲ The criminal is a figure who fights not just an individual but the system. The system is on the opposite side of the criminal, and if the detective is physically strong, the balance wouldn't be right. Trying to balance it, I thought a young female detective would be good.

- You said this is a novel you are highly satisfied with. Is there a special reason?

▲ Until now, my works were limited to issues like youth problems or comment issues, but this time the story is huge. I think it contains all my big ambitions. I'm very satisfied.

- Do you also have ambitions for high public response?

▲ Not really. The novel is too long for that. I could have written it more popularly, but I didn't want to. I just wrote this novel as I wanted.

- Many novels are published with video adaptation in mind. Did you consider that?

▲ Video rights bring big money. Even if I don't think about it, I keep getting interested. (laughs) However, this novel has many monologue scenes, so it seems difficult to adapt into video. Also, since the criminal's face must not be shown, video adaptation seems hard.

- What do you think is the utility value of novels?

▲ Honestly, I don't know well. (laughs) Novels are the only medium where you can directly see the inner world of other characters. Movies let you guess through actors' expressions, but novels show it directly. Furthermore, if asked why we should read books, I want to say that all the good things of our civilization came from books. But novels and literature are too big an existence for me. It's hard to find an answer.

- Do you prioritize meaning or fun?

▲ I try to put meaning into each work. When writing novels, I pay great attention to the theme. I want to clarify the thematic consciousness and then express it through the novel. I write thinking more about future readers than contemporary readers. I don't want it to be a "flash in the pan." I hope it will be read 20 to 30 years later and remain longer than me.

- Did you intend to awaken readers through this novel?

▲ I wanted to convey some kind of belief, hope. When I wrote my debut work "Bleaching," I thought this world was already over. Then you can't do great things, right? But now it's not like that. I think we can design the next world, and I wanted to put the blueprint in "Reinvestigation." I wanted to deal with the limitations of the present world imagined hundreds of years ago. (Hundreds of years ago) humans were seen too idealistically and optimistically. I wanted to say that we need to supplement those and design the next world.

- You said you emphasize meaning, but I guess you don't exclude fun entirely.

▲ My parents have a dog. It's fun to be with the dog. I walk it, cuddle at night, watch dog videos, and so on. (laughs)

- Why don't you have one yourself? And I think you once said in a past broadcast that your relationship with your parents wasn't good.

▲ I don't want the dog to leave this world before me. I want to have one after I get older. My relationship with my parents improved because of the dog. (laughs) I often get tied up with them.

- As a writer, you must feel a sense of problem awareness.

▲ I'm worried that fewer people are reading books. Reading and writing long texts don't seem to greatly influence important social decisions. Rather, "feelings" seem to play a more important role.

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