Who is Gong Ji-young?
She entered the room in an elegant dress. Gong Ji-young looked more like a pretty celebrity than a best-selling writer. When she was complimented on her latest book she gave a shy smile. She published her first book Break of Dawn in 1987. She followed up with the book Maundy Thursday, which became her biggest hit. Last year, once again she touched readers’ hearts with a fictional account of her personal life, Home Sweet Home.
Q: What was it like when you were in your 20s?
In my 20s, it was very different compared to today. People had to fight hard for democracy. In my days, about 1/10 of Yonsei Univ. students filed for unfair treatment in the workplace on behalf of naive workers in an effort to reform our country. I was one of them, too. Some say people who were in their 20s in those days were unfortunate. However, I think that even though it was a difficult time it taught us important lessons.
Q: When did you decide to become a writer and why?
I cannot quite tell when I decided to become a writer. I think it was just fate for me. I started writing in the 3rd grade in elementary school. I felt and still feel alive only when I am writing. All my senses become vivid when I write. However, as my books became best-sellers, I wrote because my editors tormented me to finish the next book. In addition, since I am a single mom with three children, I needed the money. One day, I started to consider, ‘What if I won the lottery? Could I stop writing?’ The answer was ‘no.’ If don’t write, that would be more painful for me.
Q: As a best-seller, there must be many books that you consider precious, which one is your favorite?
I wrote many best-selling books. I think it is difficult to choose just one book that I like the most. It is just like asking a child whether he or she prefers between mom and dad. However, if I had to choose one book, I would choose my latest book, Home Sweet Home. To draw a metaphor, it is like a flirtatious boy who tells his recent ex-girlfriend that he always loved her most of all. I think I will always love whichever is my most recent book. By writing Home Sweet Home, I think I have finally realized that life without writing means nothing to me. I will keep on writing until I die.
Q: What will your epitaph be?
I have written my epitaph in many of my books. I wish to write my epitaph as “I loved passionately, hurt passionately, collapsed passionately, mourned passionately, all of which is part of my passionate life”
Although there are so many other writers, especially male writers, who got divorced like me, people never turned it into a big issue as mine was. I am usually the one who gets all the unfair criticisms because of my unconventional lifestyle. However, I realized all this made me stronger. I think everyone should regard their life as something special, and live it passionately and to the fullest as best as they can.