This has been evident in Ryan Estrada's solo efforts going back for over a decade as well as the books Kim Hyun Sook has been writing since she started a few years ago. I've reviewed Banned Book Club and No Rules Tonight here previously, and Good Old-Fashioned Korean Spirit follows in a similar vein. Once again we have a book that's not exactly a sequel, but still takes elements from Kim's life in the 1980s under the authoritarian regime in Korea and uses them as the backdrop for this story.
And what is the story here? It's set around Daeboreum, a holiday celebrating the first full moon of the year. There's food and drink, of course, but also several traditions around warding off malevolent spirits and putting your wishes for the coming year into the ether. Taehee is forced by her parents to help her grandmother with some of the physical labor (mostly tied with harvesting persimmons) and performing some of the more musical rituals, but she manages to 'trick' several of her friends and acquaintences to go as well, although pretty much everyone goes with the ulterior motive of getting out to the country and away from the crowds of people in the city who could have them arrested (or worse) for their contrarian views. While they're all out with Taehee's grandmother and her friends, they inadvertently learn that they're all out there for the same reason -- to get away from authoritarian figures -- and that the older generation is not nearly as stuffy and conservative as they had believed, despite their attendence to old traditions. The older generation shows they hold many of the same beliefs the younger ones do, but it just manifests differently. And the book ends some decades later with younger generation both honoring the older ones by entertaining many of their traditions and bringing in the newest generations by adapting and adding to them.
One of the recurring themes in the book is that the words and actions of an individual, if you don't understand the context behind them, can be misconstrued. A character who might be acting secretly could be up to something sinister... or they might just want to surprise someone with a good deed. Someone's bitterness at one situation might be reflective of a similar one they had to deal with decades earlier. Heck, just the technologies available to a newer generation might offer up alternatives they take for granted that previous generations simply did not have. Everyone's actions and reactions are going to be different based on their lived history, and if you're unfamiliar with that history, those reactions might not make sense.
Now, that's not to say everyone is justified regardless of what they say or do! Kim has to deal with an agitator who sneaks his way into their "book club" specifically to incite violence against the police and artifically justify a legal crackdown. Manhee's parents perform an exorcism on him because he's trans and they actively reject his attempts at being happy. Suji is kicked out of her home because her mother won't accept her as gay. People have a right to their opinions, but if those opinions actively hurt someone physically or emotionally, they can't be justified.
Despite having some context and character overlap with Banned Book Club and No Rules Tonight, Good Old-Fashioned Korean Spirit is thematically different than both of those. The backdrop of fighting against Korean authoritarianism is present in all three, but they still touch on different themes. Which makes sense. They're based on real-world events and Kim's lived experiences; if you're living your life in such a way that you have to be taught the same lessons over and over, you're not learning anything. You're not growing as a person. You should have adventures in your life, and you should learn something different from each of them. Be like Kim and Estrada; they're sharing some excellent life lessons and doing so in a fun and entertaining way.
Good Old-Fashioned Korean Spirit came out last month from Penguin Workshop. It retails for $24.99 US in hardcover and $17.99 US in paperback. You should be able to pick up either from your favorite book retailer now.
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