In his main book, Essais, Michel de Montaigne discusses the traits and values of friendship. The way he emphasizes the advantages of friendship over love, in particular, is interesting. According to Montaigne, unlike the frantic desire of love, friendship is “temperate and equal, a constant established heat, all gentle and smooth.” It is regrettable that Montaigne, a man from the 16th-century, excluded women from those who enjoy friendship, but his explanation of the attributes and virtues inherent in friendship is quite persuasive.
Friendships are often developed during one’s childhood or at a young age. This is because human relationships at that time are likely to be relatively pure and unaffected by self-interest. This explains why, as time goes by, those who are weary of the harsh reality of our society long for the pure and warm embrace of friendship.
The novels we introduce here mostly deal with the themes of enduring and changing friendships over the course of time, as well as loss and recovery. In this regard, it can be said that time serves as a measure of the sincerity of friendship. It is also noteworthy that the motif of travel is used in multiple works as a means to reaffirm or regain friendship. Travel involves stepping out of your comfort zone and into an unfamiliar time and space. In this experience of unfamiliarity, we may rediscover the pure value of friendship that we may have forgotten for a while. Finally, I would like to tell Mr. Montaigne that the novels by five women writers all celebrate the friendship of their female characters.
Kim Keum Hee, Dear Bokja, Munhakdongne Publishing Corp., 2020
Set in Gogori, an annexed island of Jeju, the novel follows the friendship and the ups and downs of two female protagonists over a period of 20 years. The 13-year-old girl Yeong Chorong, who was sent to her aunt’s after her parents' business failed, is welcomed with friendliness by her peer Bokja. Their fresh and pure friendship, however, breaks due to a small misunderstanding, and time flies without them resolving their issue and healing their wounds. Fast forward twenty years, and Yeong Chorong, now a judge that moved to Jeju, is assigned to a case in which Bokja is the victim. Yeong Chorong tries to use her position to help Bokja, but when things go awry and Bokja asks to avoid the trial, now Yeong Chorong feels hurt. The novel concludes with a letter from Yeong Chorong that begins, "Dear my wise friend Bokja," moving beyond the wall of mutual wounds and guilt toward the possibility of repairing their broken friendship, with a brightly open ending.
Cho Nam-joo, Tangerine Green, Munhakdongne Publishing Corp., 2020
Four sixteen-year-old girls go on a friendship trip to Jeju Island. Dayun, Soran, Haein, and Eunji, who met at a film club and became best friends. On the last day of their trip, they make a vow to apply to the same high school, write their promise on a piece of paper, and bury it in a time capsule. They agree that only those who keep the promise can return to dig it up a year and a half later. Will these four friends come back to reopen the capsule containing their vow? A YA novel by Cho Nam-joo, the author of Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982. It tells the story of four protagonists in their own voices. It depicts each child growing up firmly amid their own circumstances and pains, likening their stories to the nature of a mandarin. The author’s encouragements for those going through a period of growth, feels reassuring. “We can take time to find the answer, since we’re still growing up.”
Lee Jooran, Happy End, Changbi Publishers, 2023
Two and a half years after their breakup following a squabble, Wongyeong reaches out to Giju, who used to be her best friend. Wongyeong used to be like Giju because she didn’t have to explain or justify everything to her, nor worry about revealing her vulnerabilities. Giju’s decision to meet with Wongyeong is described as “the first step toward confronting a relationship that is either already screwed up or is about to be completely screwed up.” Somehow, Mr. Jang, her co-worker, ends up accompanying her on this journey. On her way to find Wongyeong, Giju deviates from her planned route and stops at an unexpected place, where she encounters the wrong people. When she finally reaches Wongyeong, she receives unexpected news. However, the message—that the kindness, comfort, and support she encounters during detours and delays come together to create a true “happy end”—is heartwarming.
Kim Yi-seol, While We Are Relieved, Jamobook, 2024
Three women nearing the age of 50 embark on a trip to Gangneung, a city on the eastern coast of Korea. These longtime friends, who haven’t seen each other for various personal reasons have reunited for this special occasion. Their youthful days, once so bright yet felt burdensome, have passed, and now they’ve reached an age when they have to face concerns such as urinary incontinence, high blood pressure, hair loss, and depression.” Migyeong, who’s single and cares for her aging mother; Jeongeun, who juggles two jobs due to financial difficulties; and Nanju, a relatively wealthy housewife, clash and squabble due to their differing circumstances and experiences. But knowing that “there may never be another day for the three to get together like this,” they make the most of their time together, drinking and enjoying themselves while easing each other’s pain and disappointment.
Han Soo-yeong, In the Basil Garden, Gang, 2023
There are nine short stories in Han Soo-yeong's collection of novels, In the Basil Garden. Among them, short story “Pi(π)” and the title story “In the Basil Garden” tell the story of wounds, relationships, change, and maturity, contrasting their past college years with their present middle age, much like a series. The title story “In the Basil Garden” features three women, Gijeong, Ihyeon, and Hyeyeong, who met about 30 years ago in college and became lifelong friends. They gather at the house of Gijeong, who is in her early fifties, still unmarried, and lives alone, to reminisce about their distant and recent memories while sharing food and drinks. Probably under the influence of alcohol, disputes arise over trivial matters, leading to "suspicion and confusion," as well as a sudden, destructive impulse to destroy everything. However, in the novel’s final scene, “the sound of wrong bells” from a Buddhist temple in Gijeong’s neighborhood “surrounds the three friends,” making them suddenly realize how they have been “influenced by one another,” and teaching us how comfortable a mature friendship can be.
Written by Choi Jaebong
Choi worked as a literary journalist at the Hankyoreh newspaper from 1992 to 2022. He has written books such as Inquiry: How Writers Work, Stories Live Long, Writers of the Mirror World, and translated works such as Elegy for Earth, Pushcart’s Complete Rotten Reviews, and Journey to the beginning (Egar Snow’s memoir). After retiring in 2022, he has been working as a freelance senior journalist, writing articles on literature and publishing.
Translated by Jasmine Jeemin Lee jeeminjlee@naver.com
Jasmine Jeemin Lee is a professional translator based in Korea. Born in Texas, she grew up moving back and forth between Korea and the U.S. She earned her BA in International Studies from Ewha Womans University and graduated from its Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation. She won the 2019 Korea Times Modern Literature Translation Award and has since translated a diverse genre of Korean works into English. Her book-length translations include Lee Hyugjin’s Terms of Love (Sarang-ŭi ihae) and Lee Suyeon’s Two Friends on My Shoulders.
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