Book review: women who deliver mighty punch to regain lost power

"Quite Powerful Punch" by Seol Jae-in / Courtesy of Safehouse

By Park Han-sol

In Seol Jae-in's short story “Quite Powerful Punch,” from a collection of the same title, readers are immediately met with the elaborate descriptions of adolescent angst and rage that enshrouds Hyun-jin. Perhaps such feeling is natural for a puberty-stricken 16-year-old girl to harbor. But her fury is directed at something very specific instead of at a larger systemic disorder ― her tyrannical boxing coach.

In the gym, Hyun-jin practices throwing one punch after another while the coach, as usual, threateningly barks at her. She is too used to the never-ending feeling of thirst and hunger as part of her preparation for an upcoming championship match. She lost seven kilograms in two weeks, but is still forced to lose two more to qualify for her weight class.

One day, in a desperate attempt to bring him down, she contacts her classmate Yoon-seo's aunt, who works as a journalist, and tips her off about the dark, violent side of youth boxing.

Reading the pages up until here, one may feel at first as though the story is about to roam familiar ground ― a tale of the inevitable conflict between an aggressive trainer and a young, disgruntled disciple seen in many other youth sports.

But the story takes a sharp turn when the published article turns the nation's entire female boxing sector, including her coach, against her.

Realizing there lies a hidden truth behind Hyun-jin's forced hunger, Hyun-jin and Yoon-seo decide to team up ― Yoon-seo conducts her own investigative journalism in place of her aunt, while Hyun-jin chooses to take the bull by the horns in her own way.

“If they are going to completely push me out and drive me to the corner like this, then I've got my own teeth to bare,” Hyun-jin thinks to herself.

Author Seol Jae-in / Courtesy of Seol Jae-in

Other stories in Seol's collection also center on women who throw a “quite powerful punch” to the world to regain their lost power and individuality, albeit in a twisted way.

“She Says That” recounts the harrowing story of an escape from a cult religion. Joo-ri, daughter of the cult leader, tells in her own words how her freedom was taken away for her whole life by her father, how her body was used as the religious group's source of income and finally, how she regains her stolen independence and identity.

Psychological thriller “Bitterness” revolves around twin sisters Mi-jin and Mi-dan. When the younger sister Mi-dan goes missing one day, her one and only sibling goes on a long search. But Mi-jin's intention is far from heartwarming. The two had always abhorred each other and Mi-jin is thrilled to use this chance to discover and let the world know of her sister's humiliating secrets.

The protagonists from each story are subject to attacks that derive from someone physically close to them, ones they cannot easily escape ― Hyun-jin's coach who vows to tear her down, Joo-ri's father who uses her body as an object of propaganda and Mi-jin's younger sister who belittles her entire existence. Their ruthless words of criticism turn into scars that cannot be erased.

But instead of submitting themselves to such exploitation and violence, these women bare their teeth and eventually rise with a vengeance. Despite having no ideal qualities that can help them in their revenge ― in terms of social status or level of education ― they step into the ring and throw a mighty punch.

The journey of their rise as well as the subtle changes in their emotions becomes more gripping with vividly raw language. Although the painfully frank descriptions can sometimes make the readers cringe, they draw them in as much. Perhaps such vibrant language that seems to place the readers in the middle of a fictional sports game comes from the author's own experience of living as an amateur boxer.