Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam Joo (Translated by Jamie Chang)
Madhuri R*
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam Joo shows us the life of a Korean woman, who is captured in the rigid cages of gender roles. She is not just one woman, she is her mother, her sister and every other women struggling to break free from the chains of patriarchy. Through the life of one woman, the author writes about all the women. The novel follows the life of Kim Jiyoung, an ordinary woman who was born in 1982, as she navigates the various stages of her life, from childhood to adulthood, marriage, and motherhood.
This South Korean novel portrays the life of Jiyoung, age 33, who lives on the outskirts of Seoul with her husband and child. In order to care for her daughter, she recently quit her career, as expected from a mother in Korea. But soon after, her husband starts to notice some odd behaviour. She begins speaking in the voices of several women, including former classmates, old acquaintances, and other ladies she has known in the past. She effortlessly assumes the identity of that particular woman. We learn more about the events that led to Jiyoung’s transformations as the story goes on.
In the beginning of the book, Jiyoung, is 33 and has a 1-year-old child. Except for the fact that she has started to adopt other people’s characteristics, her life is simple and ordinary. Jiyoung assumes her mother’s persona while visiting her in-laws and behaves in a way that is judged unsuitable for her position in Korean society’s age-based hierarchy.
We can see that even though she has always followed the rules, she cannot win. She was searching for a route out that didn’t exist. The book has a third-person account, which is marked with newspaper headlines and official demographic data, which shows the systemic oppression that not just Jiyoung but all the women in Korea has endured.
While she was at school, boys ate first. When she faced sexual harassment, she was blamed for it. Even in her home, the preferential treatment her brother received was evident. She is also aware about the gender wage gap in the workplace. Though she was inspired by one of her higher ups, who worked even after giving birth, she found herself choosing to quit when it was her turn to be a mother. And she is outraged to hear herself being referred to as a parasitic “mum-roach” while doing the unpaid, difficult task of being a parent. The novel shows how attitudes towards women are intertwined with socioeconomic issues as time goes by. Jiyoung’s mother had a rough life, but changed the fate of her daughters and provided financial security for their family.
The author has perfectly captured the essence of being a woman in a patriarchal society. Everywhere she is- be it home, school or workplace, she is secondary to male counterparts. The book talks about underlying sexism that exist in South Korea, but it is relatable to almost every woman who reads it. The misogyny that Jiyoung faces is so commonplace that it has become the norm. To be honest, there is absolutely nothing remarkable about Jiyoung’s life. She is as ordinary as every other woman. Every incident that she goes through, is faced by numerous women across the globe. And that’s the beauty of this novel. It feels like it’s your very own story and not Jiyoung’s.
‘Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982’ offers a modest portrayal of a woman’s life, giving the impression of a familiar and frequently recounted narrative. The depiction of the systemic oppression women encounter is so commonplace that it becomes noteworthy. Interestingly, this novel prompted a crowdfunding campaign for a book called “Kim Ji-hoon, Born 1990,” which aimed to shine a light on the issue of reverse sexism faced by men in Korea. Essentially, we should all read “Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982” not to locate Jiyoung’s story within its pages, but to uncover facets of our own experiences. Undoubtedly , this book has a deserving place in contemporary feminist literature.
*Madhuri R is a Research Associate at the Korea Centre.