Korean novel: 당신들의 천국(Your Paradise)

 Adversity always exists in human's life. If one lives in confusing society, there is a more chance that the person will confront still more difficulties and perpetual hardship. Korea in modern times had long been in political, economical, and social chaos. Chosun became Japan's colony for 36 years, and 5 years after independence, the biggest war in Korean history started. After war, political and social chaos scontinued, and finally democracy was defeated by military dictatorship.

 In those periods, social minorities were more discriminated. People with leprosy were expelled and isolated into one island, Sorokdo. Novel 'Your Paradaise' was written about the story of Sorokdo. Although it is fiction, it helps understand about the adverse situation of the island and the Islanders. It shows how people with leprosy were suppressed by normal people and how the dream of Sorokdo people was frustrated. The novel contains a few tragic(ㅠㅠ) stories of characters and Sorokdo people, which also can be interpreted as many other social minorities' lives.

 People living in Sorokdo were in peculiar situation. Without deep understanding about the history of Sorokdo, it's really hard to accept the contradictory situations.(it is fiction anyway) Although most of cured patients refuses to leave the island, the escaption constatnly occured. People are extremely indifferent to all kinds of effort that director of hospital make(the leader of the island).

 Cho-baek-hun, who is director of hospital, originally has plan to make Sorokdo, 'the paradise of the patient'. However, what he tries to do was already tried by 4th director Choo-jung-soo, who brought extreme disaster and shock to Islanders. This shock still remains and makes Islanders be afraid of Cho-baek-hun and what he tries to do.

 How Cho-baek-hun gives up his own dangerous 'paradaise', ponders about himself, Islanders, and understand what he should do and could do impress me the most. Thorughout the Cho-baek-hun's life, it is able to deeply think about the realtionship between us and social minorities, and how normal people can truly understand and help them.