한국국제교류재단

“Mixed Korean: Our Stories,” as the title indicates, is a collection of non-fiction works from a diverse group of authors brought together by their common experience of being part Korean. Many were born to Korean women and American soldiers who met during or after the Korean War, a war known in the U.S. as the “forgotten war.” Just as the war was forgotten — or, more accurately, ignored — so too did these children of the conflict often find themselves slipping through the cracks. In Korea they were seen as a cause for shame and even considered less than human, while in the countries they eventually came to call home they often found themselves on the outside looking in.

This deion does not apply to all the authors, though. One of the most striking aspects of this anthology is how such a varied group of people can be brought together by a shared experience: the experience of not fitting in, of not belonging, of never being “enough.” We like to put people into boxes marked with clear, well-defined labels; the world, after all, is a complicated place filled with complicated people, and we welcome any opportunity to make things simpler. But what happens when you don’t fit neatly into an ethnic box? What if you’re not just white, or black, or Asian? In the best case scenario you are “exotic,” while in the worst case scenario you are not even human.

This book is a modern reworking of a beloved story from classical Korean literature, the story of a rabbit who is deceived by a terrapin into descending into the sea palace — where the denizens of the deep intend to cut the rabbit open and use his liver to heal the ailing Dragon King. It is a fantastical tale of talking beasts and watery kingdoms, but it is also firmly grounded in the reality of its times as a sociopolitical metaphor, pointing out the flaws in the feudal class system. Although the tale dates back to at least the 12th century, it is most famous in its incarnations as pansori (folk narrative song) and novels.

In this reimaging of the famous tale for a modern audience, the author begins with a framing device, a dream-like story of divine revelations and mysterious old books, setting the mood for what is to come. The tale itself retains its medieval trappings, but the plot and characters have been updated and imbued with extra depth and complexity. Interestingly enough, though it hearkens back to medieval times, the sociopolitical metaphor still seems quite relevant.

The author specifically wrote this book as source material for translations and adaptations, so it reads as part play, part musical, and part novel. Whatever the genre, though, it retains the charm and appeal that made the original version a classic. If you have never had the pleasure of joining Rabbit on his adventures to the sea palace and back again, here is your chance.