Throughout the lives, people need companions. They could be friends or co-workers, but the most important of them is "family." Living with their families, people learn how to understand each other, offer, and love each other. Families who comfort each other not only when they share joy, but also when they are sad or having a hard time mean more than a comfortable shelter. However, in the daily grind, people often forget the importance of their families. As we wrap up this year, why don't you express your gratitude and love to your family, a strong fence that unconditionally takes your side?
 

 

Book

"I tell you with my son's faith and father's wish. Please save my son."
-Hoyeon

 

<Gasigoki (2000)>

Daum is only an elementary school student but is fighting leukemia. His mother left for France in search of her dream when he was young, and his father, Hoyeon, is taking care of him. However, Hoyeon lost his job after the IMF crisis, making it difficult to cover his son's hospital expenses. To make matters worse, the hospital reports that Daum's anticancer therapy is not enough and he needs to get a bone marrow transplant to survive. Eventually, Hoyeon leaves for a rural village in Jeongseon, Gangwon-do, with Daum to make the rest of his life comfortable. There, they meet an old man, and with his help, Daum's health starts to get better. But for them, happiness does not last long. As autumn comes, Daum is urgently admitted to the hospital due to a relapse of the disease. With the help of the doctor, the bone marrow for Daum's surgery is found, but the surgery cannot be performed because they don't have enough money for the surgery. To make money, Hoyeon decides to sell one of his kidneys on the black market. While getting a health checkup for the procedure, he learns the shocking fact that he is near the end of liver cancer. Nevertheless, he sells even one of his corneas for his son. Will Daum be able to recover his health after the surgery? What will happen to the rest of Hoyeon's life?

 

Recommendation

This full-length novel by Cho Changin was extremely popular at the time of its release. And it was then turned into a movie, drama, and play. The title of this book, the Gasigoki, refers to a fish representing a father's instinctive love. When a female lays an egg, the male takes care of the egg and dies when the baby hatches. This habit of Gasigoki reminds readers of Hoyeon sacrificing his body for his son, Daum. In particular, through Hoyeon's backstory, readers can sympathize with his past suffering and understand why he cannot give up his sick son. The book also changes the narrator twice. In the beginning, the tragedy is emphasized as the story is described from the point of view of Daum, who is only in the third grade of elementary school. After Daum's mother left for France, the story is told from the perspective of Hoyeon's close junior. So readers can feel the loneliness of Hoyeon left alone. Readers will have the opportunity to look back on their parents' love while reading this book. It's about the warm love of parents who don't feel sorry about giving up everything they have.
 

 

Movie

"Don't feel small!"
-Taeyun

 

<Miracle (2021)>

The place where high school student Joonkyung lives is a small village with no train station although he has to use the train in order to travel in and out. His goal is to build a temporary station in his village. Despite the opposition of his father, a man of principle, who says that the train station Joonkyung dreams of is unlikely, Joonkyung insists on staying in the village with his sister. He has sent 54 letters to the Blue House asking them to make a simple temporary station, but he never got any answer back. Then one day, his school friend Rahee recognizes Joonkyung's extraordinariness and begins to help him. Rahee first gives him spelling classes to help his persuasive letter writing. As no progress has been made even though they have sent letters together steadily, they start to search for a way to see the president in person. They participate in a scholarship quiz test to get the president's attention, and even participate in a math competition for the presidential award. However, all of them are not enough to set up a temporary station. In the end, the government gives permission to make a temporary station in the village, but the budget is insufficient. Joonkyung suggests to the villagers that they all work together to make the station themselves. Will Joonkyung succeed in building a temporary station?
 

 

Recommendation

The reason why the movie <Miracle> is very special is that it is based on the motif of "Yangwon Station," a temporary station in Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do. With the unique story of a station created by the residents of nearby villages, a new story with family love was created with cinematic imagination. This film also evokes the '80s when Yangwon Station was constructed by using cassette tapes and entertainment machines that take us back to that time. Joonkyung's efforts to create a temporary station show his spirit of hard work and perseverance toward his goal. However, these also make the audience realize that it is all possible because he had his "family" next to him. The warm energy of the movie is created with the character of his sister who supports his reckless challenge and a father who despite being blunt loves his son so much. In particular, the scene where Joonkyung and his father, both of whom are poor at expressing themselves, talk deeply and convey their true feelings to each other leaves a strong impression on the audience. It's a very pleasant and interesting story and it will be a movie that will warm your heart no matter who you watch this movie with.

 

Kim Lee Jiwon / Reporter
smt_ljw@sookmyung.ac.kr
Park Sung Iyoung / Reporter
smt_siy@sookmyung.ac.kr