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March Special “Women in Literature”

Episode 2 “The Fog” by Kang Shin-jae

Seong-hye sat dazed for a long while after folding 90 crisp 100-won banknotes on top of the magazine that had published her story.

Seong-hye’s story within those blue covers was the essence of her unspeakable agony and passion, the result of all her efforts. Just having it published in a renowned magazine was an indescribable honor for her. 

성혜는 자기의 소설이 실린 푸른 표지의 신간 잡지와

빨각빨각하는 백원짜리 아흔장을 고스란히 포개어서

책상 위에 놓고는 언제까지나 우두커니 그 앞에 마주 앉아 있다.

푸른 표지속에 실린 성혜의 소설은 

그의 남모르는 많은 고뇌와 열정을 짜 넣은

그로서는 온갖 힘을 다한 것이었다.

그것이 큰 잡지에 실리었다는 것은

그것만으로 성혜에게는 형언키 어려운 감격이 아닐 수 없었다.

Kang Shin-jae’s “The Fog” was published in 1950. The story begins with the main character Seong-hye worrying about how to tell her husband that her story had been published in a magazine. 

In her eyes Hyeong-shik looked like a creepy puppet. He was too absurd a puppet to forget. 

A thin wisp of icy wind grazed her dry cheeks.

‘I hate it! I hate stories, studying, my husband! I hate my life! I hate everything!’ 

Her sobbing voice echoed inside her. 

The thick fog that crawled along the ground swirled around the telephone pole before going upward like smoke. The thick night fog’s yellow glow appeared as ghastly as gunpowder smoke. 

성혜의 눈에 비친 형식의 모습은 한 개의 기괴한 피에로였다.

언제나 그렇듯 그대로 생각 밖에 흘려보내기에는 

너무나 우열한 피에로였다.

‘싫어! 소설도, 공부도, 남편도, 사는 것도 다 싫어! 싫어!‘ 

그는 이렇게 울음 섞인 목소리로 마음 속에 외쳤다.

땅을 기던 짙은 안개가 전선주를 휘감으며

연기같이 뭉개뭉개 올라가고 있다.

노오란 그 빛이 초연과도 같이 처참해 보이는 짙은 밤안개가....

Interview by SNU Korean literature professor Bang Min-ho

Seong-hye was raised in a patriarchal environment and taught not to disobey the patriarchal order. So, it was very hard for her to overcome that. Although she had already overcome her husband in the literary and psychological areas, she couldn’t escape from her husband’s influence in the outside world or in real life. This story is about a woman who lives in hazy confusion, who is caught between the freedom of having her own career and the physical restriction imposed by her overbearing husband. This is why the story is called “The Fog.” 

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Kang Shin-jae: (Born in Seoul, May 8, 1924~May 12, 2001)

: Debuted by publishing short stories “Face” and “Jeong-suni” in 1949

Won the March 1st Cultural Grand Prize in 1997, the Female Writers’ Award in 1967, etc.