[Seomideum's Book Talk] From 'Why Did This Happen...' to 'How to Live Joyfully'

Lost eyesight at eighteen due to illness
Dropped out of high school and enrolled in a school for the blind
Challenged disability prejudice and issues everywhere
Changed views on disability pity by trying YouTube
First visually impaired YouTuber in Korea with 460,000 subscribers

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] "Why can't I be happy?"

Kim Hansol (28), author of "Sadness is One Shot, Every Day is Clear" (Wisdom House), suddenly lost his eyesight within three months at the age of eighteen due to a vision disorder called Leber's optic neuropathy. The hardships deepened with his father's remarriage and sudden death. He had to drop out of high school.

Although discouraged, the duration and intensity of that period were not deep. Based on his unusually strong desire for challenge and curiosity, he enrolled in Hanbit School for the Blind and served as the student council president with his characteristic brightness. He rejected the limited choices presented to visually impaired people and, unusually, chose to study Business Administration at Konkuk University. Wherever he went, winds of change followed. He pierced and dissected the reality tailored to the perspective of the non-disabled from the viewpoint of the disabled and corrected it. Through YouTube, which portrayed the life of disabled people as it is rather than gloomily, he became the first visually impaired person in Korea to earn the Silver Button (over 100,000 subscribers). We met Kim Hansol, who works hard to drive out the shadows of prejudice embedded throughout our society. The following is a Q&A.

- I heard you have been busy these days. How have you been?

△ I have been busy producing YouTube videos and giving lectures. Since last September, I have been doing many book concerts and autograph sessions. Not nationwide, but mostly around Daejeon (laughs). Last Sunday (the 30th of last month), I also held an autograph session at Kyobo Bookstore Gwanghwamun branch.

- You are gaining attention as a visually impaired YouTuber known for your beautiful smile and bright image.

△ I don't really feel it much, but more people approach me first on the street and greet me. They give me gifts or say warm words. I held my first book concert last month, and I heard many people applied, but not everyone could attend.

- Behind your bright smile lie many difficulties. You could have been overwhelmed by such hardships, but if there is a secret to overcoming them cheerfully, what is it?

△ It’s a small thing, but I tend to repeatedly think about situations where I say, "Wow, this is really fun." Then, the pain gradually weakens, and once it passes a certain point, the hardship lessens a lot. The direction of thought is important. Eating with friends is happiness, and going back to study and entering university is happiness too.

- As you revealed in your book, you have a strong drive to accomplish what you want. What do you want to achieve next?

△ I plan to continue writing books through this opportunity. I strongly hope that my story can be a comfort and hope to someone. Until now, my YouTube channel has shown the life of visually impaired people and provided information, but now I plan to take on more active challenges I have not tried before. I also want to go abroad and capture the differences from the domestic environment from various perspectives.

- There are many cases, but if you could give a message to non-disabled people who interact with (visually) disabled people, what would it be?

△ The two letters "disability" may feel scary and difficult, but from my perspective, it’s not that different. Since there are many commonalities within differences, it would be good to think about how to live comfortably within that. Helping unconditionally is not the answer; it is important to give and receive help.

- High-level empathy is only possible when goodwill is combined with understanding toward the other person.

△ That’s why communication is important. If someone seems to need help, just ask what kind of help they need. I also don’t know much about other types of disabilities. Since we cannot fully understand each other, we need to practice asking questions.

- You filmed videos with a guide dog, but you are not currently accompanied by one. Is there a reason?

△ It takes about three years to wait, and I think it might be more helpful for people who commute to work than for me. I am more interested in companion dogs and abandoned dogs. It’s about taking responsibility for life and expanding what I can do on my own. Some might think, "How can a visually impaired person have a companion dog?" but if I succeed, I believe I can show others it’s possible. Many people are surprised when I say I live alone, but if you try, you can do it.

- What is the most difficult thing in daily life? Are there any major inconveniences?

△ Using public transportation and taking medicine. Sometimes I have to take the bus, but the voice system often doesn’t match, and it’s practically impossible to check the bus number. I feel like I don’t belong to the public within public transportation. The same goes for medicine. There is no way for me to know what medicine it is or its expiration date on my own. It would be great if they could provide audio through braille or QR codes.

- Please say a word to those who are frustrated and blocked by various difficulties.

△ Usually, people fall into despair thinking, "Why is this happening to me?" But I think happiness is definitely next to despair, even if we don’t see it well. Instead of avoiding fear, if you think about how to live joyfully and set the direction of your thoughts, even if the situation doesn’t change, you can become brighter.

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