Excellence prize winner of the 3^rd “Nexus Novella Writer Award”

“Only one person needs to be executed.”

As the administration enters its third year in power, it has resumed executions, reigniting the heated debate surrounding the death penalty and delving into the secrets behind the last meal

In an effort to salvage the plummeting reputation of the president, now in their third year in office, the government discreetly launched a project to revive the death penalty. To mitigate public criticism, a mysterious figure known as “Chef X,” shrouded in secrecy, is assigned to craft the finest last meal for the condemned. Each prisoner, with their unique circumstances, expresses their desired dish for their final meal, and Chef X endeavors to prepare it to the best of his ability. There is just one condition he has asked for—not to be disturbed during the cooking process, and once the cooking is complete and a balloon is released, the meal must be promptly received and served.

Gradually, it becomes apparent that this procedure is a crucial element of Chef X’s grand plan. His target is none other than the last death row inmate, Shin Jaehyeong. Although Jaehyeong is implicated in the crime by Chef X’s son, Hyeongjun, it is revealed that Hyeongjun, under the influence of drugs, is the actual perpetrator of the murder, not Jaehyeong. Meanwhile, Minister Lim, the mastermind behind all the projects designed to bolster the President’s popularity, attempts to forcibly execute the last death penalty, while revealing his true intentions. The Minister, whose daughter suffers from an incurable disease, hatches a scheme to execute Jaehyeong, a rare blood type holder like his daughter, and transplant his organs to her. Despite struggling desperately to prevent Jaehyeong from being acquitted in order to protect his daughter, everything ultimately falls apart due to Chef X. In the end, Chef X, with the help of his son, saves Jaehyeong from the unjust accusations and restores everything to its rightful place.

Lee Seokyong was born in Seoul in 1970 and majored in architecture. He began his literary career by winning the Golden Pen Literature Award for his novel Paparazzi in 2011. In 2015, he won Grand Prize of the Korea Andersen Award Grand for his novel The Garden of the Witch Barracuda. His works include novels such as Club Persona, Paparazzi, and the fairy tale Tomorrow’s Baseball. He received the Excellence Prize at the 3rd “Nexus Novella Writer Award.”