[Editorial ] In Order To Write the Story of a New Era
It has already been more than two months since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung government--one founded on popular sovereignty. The pride we felt at the moment of regime change—after the nationwide struggle and perseverance following the palace coup that began with the declaration of illegal emergency martial law—still lingers vividly. We have come to deeply realize that each of our votes carries the weight of the future of our nation and community. Even the democratic decision-making processes we once took for granted now feel more precious than ever. It seems that we are finally standing at the true starting point of building a country that lives up to its name.
Yet there is no time to savor this sense of political efficacy at leisure, as urgent domestic and international challenges press in. We must respond to a rapidly shifting global landscape, resume discussions on reform issues that were obstructed by the previous administration, and navigate the procedures and coordination necessary for the passing of related legislation. Above all, it is imperative to swiftly dismantle and reform entrenched cartels that have vested interests, including punishing those responsible for the palace coup, who brazenly trampled on the rule of law and resorted to every means possible in order to prolong the coup. Though we were prepared for this, repeatedly confronting the shameless actions of these deep-rooted corruption forces demands persistence. This is also a process of confronting outdated remnants within ourselves, which allow no room for inattention or indolence.
Through a peaceful journey toward democracy--possibly unprecedented in world history--our people have built a government befitting the times and reaffirmed the will of the public. Once again, we have experienced a deeply engaged form of political practice—one marked by solidarity in both public squares and everyday life. The strengthening of political capacity and evolving sensibilities of citizens are evident even in recently published books. Notably, young people who lived through the “feminism reboot” and the 20th presidential election are now forging new common ground. From rushing straight to the National Assembly during martial law, to enduring snow and cold as part of the “Kisses Protesters,” to unexpected encounters in Namtaeryeong—these moments have etched transformative experiences of democratic sensitivity across gender, labor, and regional lines.
One striking concern is the lack of a shared discourse that encompasses the younger generation: “The biggest obstacle to building solidarity is the absence of a common narrative that includes youth (Choe Na-hyeon et al., Erase Us a Hundred Times, We Won’t Disappear, 267).” Yet, because we have experienced solidarity forged through clashes and empathy with those who think differently, we can also savor the joy of revived “hearts that once felt dried up by distrust, disillusionment, worry, and anxiety” and a renewed “feeling toward the world (Hwang Jungeun, Little Diary, 166).” As Hwang quotes, “No story can be carried very far alone (Barry Lopez, Horizon, 167).” To overcome entrenched corruption and problems, we need a broad foundation of shared experience and solidarity that transcends generations or factions.
A mature democracy that has endured hardship now demands a new perspective and discourse that matches its level of development. The fervent call for the passion of the square and the cries of the streets to be transformed into real institutional change is unmistakable—and this, too, requires a renewal and leap in public discourse. Even stories filled with good intentions and resolve cannot rally hearts or bring about meaningful change in laws and institutions if they merely repeat the stale declarations of a bygone era.
To gather divided hearts and chart a course for change, we need bold and original imaginativeness that goes beyond formulaic answers. What we require now is a transformative discourse: one that is historically grounded and designed to meet the expectations of a new era. In that sense, few declarations arrive with as much relevance as the statement “The Time for Transformative Middle Way Has Come” (Paik Nak-chung, The Time for Transformative Middle Way Has Come). The path of a transformative middle way critically addresses the limitations of past radical discourses, which often bypassed the constraints of the Korean peninsula’s division system and became mired in abstract thinking or detached from real-world sensibilities. Instead, it seeks to construct a macro-level, long-term thought and discourse of systemic transformation—one that transcends our life of inequality and competitive structures, so deepened by the current system of global capitalism. Agendas in labor, gender, education, and climate proposed by sectional movements can also gain practical traction by aligning under the broader goal of overcoming the division system and forging a wide coalition of sensible middle-of-the-road forces. This kind of “national integration effort, accompanied by public awakening to the nature of the division system and its manifestation in Korean society” (Ibid, 63), is a practical task made possible through the cultivation of creative discourse and the practice of mindfulness within each person’s life.
The democratic history we have built is now ready to move beyond the well-being of an individual nation and contribute meaningfully to global peace. It is now time to write a deeper narrative that embraces and contextualizes our history, where the capacity of democratic citizens has accumulated. Regarding the open power of such future-oriented storytelling that continues to persist and leap forward, novelist Han Kang once reflected on the creative process: “Each time I work on a novel, I endure the questions, I live inside them. When I reach the end of these questions—which is not the same as when I find answers to them—is when I reach the end of the writing process. By then, I am no longer as I was when I began, and from that changed state, I start again.” (Light and Thread, 12). Through crises and the yearning to overcome them, our sensibilities have evolved. The newly opened 2025 system, mediated through narratives of “light,” now allows us to envision a better future, grounded in the earnest hearts and will of citizens. A path toward greater horizons has opened before us.
This issue’s feature explores the theme of “The 2025 System and a New Korean Peninsula,” presenting articles that examine and explore pressing issues spanning South Korea, the peninsula, East Asia, and the world. Topics include the future of inter-Korean relations, prospects for peace in East Asia, and possibilities for balanced regional development. The contributions probe how efforts to pursue peace on the Korean Peninsula for the goal of overcoming the division system are closely intertwined with the global task of securing peace.
Jeong Hyungon examines how we should view and respond to North Korea’s “two-state doctrine” in the current situation, where we have overcome a major crisis on the peninsula through the suppression of palace coup forces that incited inter-Korean conflicts. Arguing that recent changes in the North may offer new opportunities to dismantle the division system, he calls for simultaneous pursuit of peace-building and democratic reform, based on his understanding that a time for a “transformative middle way” has arrived. His article includes important issues in that he proposes concrete policy shifts—from new formats of inter-Korean relations to the resolution of military problems and economic cooperation.
Jung Wooksik highlights how the current U.S. government’s strategic recalibration in East Asia, particularly around the Taiwan Strait, could become a key variable in the issue of peace on the Korean Peninsula. Critically assessing the validity of various East Asian war crisis theories, he explores the role of the South Korean government and civil society, as well as their tactics for international solidarity in shaping the 2025 system. Ham Myungjun discusses how balanced regional development and inter-Korean cooperation are two changes necessary for building a new system on the Korean peninsula. Focusing on Goseong-gun county as a potential hub for a peace economy zone and Arctic shipping routes, he proposes creating a space for practical solutions, where narratives of division, peace, and coexistence can be realized.
Moderated by Lee Wook-yon, panelists Byun Jiwon, Cha Taegeun, and Choi Pilsoo engage in a rich discussion on how to view a changing China. Reminding us of the significance of Korea’s role in current U.S.-China tensions, they examine a broad range of important issues, including the political and international implications of anti-China sentiment, the limits of the East Asian developmental state model shared by Korea and China, the process and meaning of “Chinese-style modernization,” and the potential for alternative civilizations that we might reference. Their discussion on the need for building systematic Korea-China cooperation and dialogue for the future generations adds breadth and depth to their discussion.
In the “Articles” section, four articles connect the realities of the Korean Peninsula with global concerns by examining various issues. In the seventh piece in the “Searching for K-Discourse” series, Baik Young Seo illuminates the thought of independence activist and founder of the Principle of Three Equalities, Jo So-ang. Interpreting his principle as a creative synthesis of indigenous Korean philosophy with the tasks of modern democracy and nation-building, Baik discusses it within the intellectual lineage of a transformative middle way. Significantly, the article links the transformative character of Jo’s thought, and its awareness of our dual need to both adapt to and overcome modernity, to important civilizational assets of East Asia. While critically examining current issues raised by the theories of the double project of modernity and a transformative middle way in the context of climate activism and systemic transformation, Kim Hyun-woo surveys a diversity of post-growth discourses. He stresses the need for narrative approaches that reflect the reality of climate collapse from various perspectives and that propose alternatives across multiple discursive paths.
Marking the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference, Baek Ji-woon revisits the legacy of its discourses and thoughts. The article recalls the declaration’s principles of non-alignment, self-determination, and peaceful coexistence, urging a renewed perspective that can help regions maintain independence today while posing new questions of the contemporary global order. Park Jaewoo offers a rich contextual reading of Yu Hong-june’s My Exploration of Cultural Heritage series within East Asian cultural history. He highlights the practical significance of connecting traditional cultural virtues with changing contemporary life and underscores the role of culture in the era of division.
This issue’s “On the Scene” presents a translated article by noted American author and editor Adam Shatz, offering a multifaceted and meticulous analysis of the recent 12-day Iran–Israel war—its development, background, and geopolitical implications. The author sharply criticizes Western policymakers who, even after the horrors of the Gaza war, continue to exploit unreflectively Middle Eastern conflicts for political gain. The article vividly evokes the global rise of far-right totalitarianism and ethno-nationalism, the erosion of basic legal order, and the crisis triggered by Israel’s hegemonic choices in the Middle East and beyond.
In the creative writing section, 12 poets, including Bang SungIn, recipient of the Changbi Award for Young Writers in the Poetry category, share their new works for the season. This issue also marks the beginning of the serialization of Baek Sou Linne’s new novel, a delicate and heartfelt portrayal of historical experience embedded in places of life and memory. Readers are also invited to engage with new short stories by Gong Sun-ok, Kim Mella, and Cho Hae-jin, as well as a debut piece by Kim Sora, winner of the Changbi Award for Young Writers in the Fiction category.
In “Focus on Author,” poet Park Seung Min engages in a deep conversation with Hwang Gyu-gwan, who recently published the poetry collection Walking Backward. The essay illuminates the distinctiveness and virtues of Hwang’s poetry, which explores civilizational thought and advances imaginative depths through the lived experiences and memories of local communities. The ongoing prose series “What Took Care of My Life” continues with writer Ko Suri’s poignant reflections on her formative years in Jeju. Through memories of blankets, symbolizing the love of her grandmother and mother, and recollections of lullabies and the sound of exhaling after breath-holding dives, she revisits the care and labor that nurtured her young life.
In “Literary Criticism,” Han Young-in builds on themes from the previous issue’s feature, focusing on the philosophical underpinnings of realism in contemporary literature and the potential for affective transformation. By linking the works of Henry James and Sung Haena, the article offers a compelling and detailed analysis of the heights realism can reach in literary art. Examining the political nature of emotion in the poetry of younger poets, Park Dong-uk analyzes how today’s poetry seeks to define the meaning of being human. Through works by Nam HyunJi, Yu Seon-hye, and Yun Cho-rom, he traces a poetic effort to contemplate humanity with sincerity and depth. Lee Mijin, recipient of the Changbi Award for Young Writers in the Criticism category, evaluates the realist implications in Kim Kitae’s fiction, highlighting the significance of its utopian impulse as a force that connects micro-level lives and analyzing how this is realized in his works.
In the “Literary Focus” section, Jung Woo-young and Ryu Su-yun each select notable poems and stories of the season, offering readers rich reviews. The “Book Reviews” section introduces engaging and thoughtful commentaries on noteworthy new publications across various fields.
The 43rd Sin Dong-yup Prize for Literature was presented to Han Yeojin (poetry), Sung Haena (fiction), and Jeon Gihwa (criticism). We extend warm congratulations to them, as well as to the recipients of the 2025 Changbi awards for Young Writers. We publish evaluations of the shortlist selections and encourage our readers to look forward to the announcement of the Manhae Prize in Literature winners in the upcoming winter issue.
As we compile and edit the fall issue at the tail-end of a lingering summer heat, we are struck by the growing demand for new thought and sensibility reflected in the heartfelt writings and works contained in this volume. The need for opportunities and experiences where diverse intentions and minds can meet across broad domains remains urgent. On the path toward integrating a fractured society and seeking a sound direction forward, we reaffirm our commitment to contributing actively through creative thought and practice, with sincerity and wisdom.
Baik Ji-yeon